Chinese authorities close three Hui Muslim mosques for ‘illegal religious education’
- Security forces in Yunnan continue nationwide crackdown on religious worship
- Authorities say mosque goers have persisted in breaking the law
Three “illegal” Hui mosques in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan were closed by authorities on Saturday, but officials refused to say if worshippers were arrested.
Weishan County Propaganda Bureau would not say if anyone was held, only that police had taken the necessary measures against what authorities called “illegal worship”.
Officers at Weishan County Public Security Bureau and Weishan Yongjian police station refused to discuss arrests or if mosques were earmarked for demolition, but said there would be a statement on the matter.
An official notice published on Weibo on Saturday claimed that the mosques were illegally established and conducted “illegal religious education” outside state guidelines.
The closure of mosques in Weishan followed a series of crackdowns and harassment against Muslims which has involved the closures of mosques and Arabic-language schools in Ningxia and Gansu – both Hui Muslim heartlands in the north of China – after President Xi Jinping’s call to “Sinicise religion” and bring it under the authority of the Communist Party.
Police action in the villages of Huihuideng, Sanjia and Mamichang was coordinated by the Weishan County Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee to “protect harmony and stability in the religious domain”, the official notice said.