Show video proof you're not fasting during Ramadan: China's bizarre order to Uyghurs
Chinese authorities in Xinjiang are forcing Uyghurs to provide video proof of eating during Ramadan, banning fasting under strict surveillance.
FollowChinese officials in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have reportedly ordered Uyghurs to provide video proof that they are not observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, according to local police officers and social media posts by Uyghurs.
A resident of Peyziwat county in Kashgar prefecture posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, stating that he must record himself eating lunch every day and send the video to the local village cadre until Eid al-Fitr, which this year falls on March 29.
“Wherever I go, be it the market or the hospital, I must record a video of me having lunch every day and send it to the village cadre,” the resident was quoted as saying in a Radio Free Asia. “My daily proof is being saved on my phone.”
Daytime fasting during Ramadan is a fundamental practice in Islam, observed by Muslims worldwide. However, China has long banned fasting in Xinjiang as part of broader restrictions on religious activities among Uyghurs, under the pretext of combating religious extremism.
Police Confirmation of Restrictions
Police officers and government officials in Xinjiang were quoted by RFA that the directive requiring Uyghurs to send video proof of eating is being enforced. A police officer in Peyziwat county stated that residents, including Uyghur police personnel, are prohibited from fasting during Ramadan.
“We implemented a system in which residents need to send us video proof that they are not fasting during Ramadan,” the officer was quoted as saying. “I have residents who send their proof to me.”
The measure is reportedly in effect in the townships of Gulbagh, Bayawat, and Terim within Peyziwat county.
A government employee in Peyziwat county, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the video proof requirement has been implemented across the region. Lower-level government cadres are responsible for ensuring compliance, though higher authorities did not explicitly instruct them to require videos, he said.
“They decided it would be an effective method to ensure that no one under their supervision fasted during Ramadan,” the official told RFA.
Some officials have even called residents and demanded that they show they were eating immediately, he added. Residents have complied, knowing that others have been punished in past years for fasting.
Collective Feasts and Increased Surveillance
In addition to the video proof requirement, authorities in Peyziwat’s Misha township are reportedly planning public gatherings where people will be required to eat in an effort to deter those who may try to fast secretly.
“To disrupt the activities of people who secretly fast, we are planning to organize collective eating activities,” a government staffer told RFA.
A member of the state security branch of the Kucha County Police Bureau confirmed that even elderly Uyghurs over 65 years old are prohibited from fasting.
“We have a printed document about this restriction,” he said.
Chinese authorities have historically taken stringent measures to ensure compliance with the Ramadan restrictions, including warning Uyghur Muslims against fasting, inspecting homes, enforcing the operation of Uyghur-run restaurants, and organizing government feasts.
“As Muslims around the world observe Ramadan in prayer and reflection, Uyghur Muslims are imprisoned, enslaved in forced labor, and suffocated under relentless surveillance,” said Rushan Abbas, executive director of the Washington-based Campaign for Uyghurs, in a statement on February 28 at the start of Ramadan.
“Stripped of their religious freedom, they are banned from fasting, praying, or even identifying as Muslim — while the Chinese regime brazenly continues its crimes against them.”
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