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In just three years, the Chinese authorities have destroyed or destroyed thousands of mosques in the Muslim-majority northwestern province of Xinjiang. The image emerges from a new Australian Institute for Strategic Policy (ASPI) study on China’s oppression of minorities. ASPI released the report on Friday (September 25) based on satellite imagery and field reports. Chinese authorities claim there are 24,000 mosques in Xinjiang, but the Australian think tank says there are currently fewer than 15,000 mosques in the region. More than half of whom have suffered damage in various ways. This information comes from the British Guardian report.
Most of the Uighurs living in the northwest Chinese province of Xinjiang are Turkish Muslims. The international media often report on the Chinese oppression of this minority population. Human rights groups say more than a million Uighurs are being held in hundreds of detention centers in Xinjiang. The Chinese authorities have also been accused of pressuring Uighurs to abandon religious activities and customs. However, Beijing has denied the allegations.
The ASPI report said that two-thirds of the mosques in the area had been damaged by the Chinese authorities. Furthermore, approximately half of the protected cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed. The Ordam Shrine, considered one of the pilgrimage sites since the 10th century, has been completely destroyed.
The report says that around 30 percent of mosques have been destroyed since 2016. Additionally, another 30 percent of mosques have been damaged in one way or another. This includes the destruction of architectural monuments such as minarets or domes. Most of the destroyed mosques have been left empty. The report also said that some places have been turned into roads, parking lots or agricultural farms.
ASPI says the number of Muslim places of worship has reached its lowest point since the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1990s. Although the mosque was destroyed, a Christian church and a Buddhist temple in Xinjiang remain intact, the organization said. .
The Australian organization’s report further said that in addition to various efforts to change the social and cultural life of Uyghurs, Chinese authorities are forcing them to change their language, music, home, and even eating habits. The report claims that the Chinese government is trying to erase or replace key elements of its rich cultural heritage in politics.
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