CGTN:
It is reported that Xinjiang is curtailing Muslim citizens' freedom of religious belief through demolishing mosques on a large scale, forbidding Muslims to fast during the holy month of Ramadan, and detaining some religious personnel who failed to win support from the government. Is such report true? Thank you.
Shohrat Zakir:
This question will be answered by Mr. Erkin Tuniyaz.
Erkin Tuniyaz:
Thank you for the question. The report you mentioned is false and groundless. Respecting and protecting freedom of religious belief is a basic policy of our country. The Constitution stipulates that citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief, and that the country protects normal religious activities. The Regulations on Religious Affairs promulgated by the State Council and the Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Religious Affairs (promulgated by the local government of Xinjiang) reflect these constitutional principles.
In Xinjiang, we fully implement the policies on freedom of religious belief adopted by the Communist Party of China (CPC). All citizens, no matter whether they believe in a religion or not, equally enjoy political, economic, social and cultural rights. No citizen suffers discrimination or unfair treatment for believing in, or not believing in, any religion. Islam has achieved a great inheritance and sound development in Xinjiang. There are now more than 20,000 mosques, over 29,000 Islamic clerical personnel and 103 Islamic associations at all levels in the autonomous region. In addition, we have set up 10 religious colleges, including the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, which has eight branches at Kashgar, Hotan and Ili, and in the Xinjiang Islamic School. These institutes take in a certain number of students each year, providing them with a secondary vocational education or beyond. More than 1,000 students are studying in these colleges, which have the ability to house over 3,000 if necessary. Channels for believers to gain religious knowledge have been expanded. Religious classics, such as the Koran and Selections from Al-Sahih Muhammad Ibn-Ismail al-Bukhari, have been translated and published in the standard Chinese, Uygur, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz languages. We have taken various measures to ensure successful pilgrimages to Mecca for Muslims. We arrange charter flights every year for them. The Xinjiang regional government funds the medical care and interpretation for pilgrims, and offers other services to ensure safe and orderly pilgrimages. So far, more than 50,000 Muslims in Xinjiang have been to Saudi Arabia on such pilgrimages.
As for the so-called large-scale mosque demolition in Xinjiang, this statement is simply groundless. Instead, local government at all levels in Xinjiang have made continuous effort to improve the public services of various mosques, and much work has been implemented accordingly. Mosques in Xinjiang have been equipped with water, electricity, road connectivity, natural gas, communications network, radio and television broadcasting facilities and libraries; ablution facilities and flushing toilets have been installed in some mosques to facilitate Jumu'ah prayers. Other facilities installed or added to mosques include medical services, LED screens, computers, electric fans or air conditioners, fire-fighting equipment, natural gas, drinking water facilities, shoe coverings or automatic dispenser of shoe coverings, and lockers. All of these provide great convenience to worship, and have been much appreciated by religious personnel and believers.
Various facts have proven that the policies on the freedom of religious belief have been fully implemented in Xinjiang. Muslims' freedom of religious belief is protected by law, and their normal religious needs have been effectively satisfied. For some Western politicians and media who share a self-imposed bias and adopt a double standard on religious issues, we urge them to look at China's religious policies and freedom of religious belief in an unbiased manner, and stop using religion as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. Thank you.
