Muslim leaders from the Xinjiang area rejected Western allegations that China is suppressing spiritual freedom, talking at a reception Thursday for overseas diplomats and media on the finish of the holy month of Ramadan.
The occasion was the newest in a collection of strikes by the Chinese language authorities to counter accusations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. It got here a day after human rights teams and Western nations demanded unfettered entry for U.N. human rights consultants to the area and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned China for “crimes towards humanity and genocide towards Muslim Uyghurs” throughout the launch of an annual report on worldwide spiritual freedom.
The Uyghurs are a largely Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang, a distant northwest area the place China has been accused of mass incarcerations, compelled labor and compelled sterilization lately because it imposed a strict safety regime after a collection of terrorist assaults.
Echoing the federal government line, the president of the Xinjiang Islamic Affiliation mentioned China had eradicated the breeding floor for extremism by enhancing livelihoods, educating folks concerning the regulation and organising vocational coaching and training facilities. Overseas analysts say the facilities are a part of a detention system that has locked up an estimated 1 million folks or extra over time.
Abdureqip Tomurniyaz, who heads the affiliation and the college for Islamic research in Xinjiang, accused anti-China forces within the U.S. and different Western nations of spreading rumors and lies.
“They need to sabotage Xinjiang’s concord and stability, comprise China’s rise and alienate relations between China and Islamic nations,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned the U.S. is popping a blind eye to its personal human rights violations, citing the U.S. involvement in conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and different Muslim nations and anti-Muslim discrimination at house.
Spiritual leaders from 5 mosques spoke on the 90-minute presentation, three in particular person and two on video. All of them described prayers and feasting for Eid al-Fitr and rejected criticism of China’s spiritual insurance policies. Movies confirmed males praying inside mosques and other people dancing in squares outdoors.
Mamat Juma, the imam of the historic Id Kah mosque within the metropolis of Kashgar, mentioned that every one ethnic teams in Xinjiang help the steps taken to fight terrorism. He mentioned that persons are grateful to the ruling Communist Get together for restoring stability and selling financial development.