KORAN CRACKDOWN: Chinese cops order Muslims to hand over prayer mats and Korans or face ‘harsh punishment’
The clampdown is reportedly part of a region-wide campaign to ban ‘illegal’ publicity materials, religious activities and teachings.
The Sun UK
HARDLINE Chinese authorities have reportedly ordered Muslims to hand over all religious items including prayer mats and copies of the Koran.
Officials in Xinjiang, in the north west of the country, have warned mosques that worshippers must give up the items or face harsh punishment.
The clampdown is part of the “Three Illegals and One Item” campaign which targets “illegal” religious items owned by mostly Muslim Uyghurs.
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Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports the operation bans “illegal” publicity, religious activities, religious teaching, and items believed to be tools of terrorism including flammable objects and knives.
“Officials at village, township and county level are confiscating all Korans and the special mats used for namaaz [prayer],” a source near the border with Kazakhstan told RFA.
“Pretty much every household has a Koran, and prayer mats.”
Earlier this year, Xinjiang authorities started confiscating all Korans published more than five years ago.
Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exile World Uyghur Congress group, said Muslims were instructed to hand over the Koran and related items in a broadcast by police over social media platform WeChat.
“The announcements say that people must hand in any prayer mats to the authorities, as well as any religious reading matter, including anything with the Islamic moon and star symbol on it,” he said.
“They are requiring people to hand in these items of their own accord.”
He said there were reports that Kashgar, Hotan and other regions had been given the same orders last week.
“We received a notification saying that every single ethnic Uyghur must hand in any Islam-related items from their own home, including Korans, prayers and anything else bearing the symbols of religion,” Mr Raxit said.
“They have to be handed in voluntarily. If they aren’t handed in, and they are found, then there will be harsh punishments.”
