WATCH: Purported video showcasing demolition of mosque in China goes viral; sparks outburst

Last month, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report claimed China is closing, demolishing, and repurposing mosque as a "systematic effort" aimed at restraining the practice of Islam in the country.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Dec 29, 2023, 5:52 PM IST | Last Updated Dec 29, 2023, 5:52 PM IST

A month after the Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed that China is shutting down, demolishing, and repurposing mosques as part of a "systematic effort" to restrict the practice of Islam in the country, an alleged video showcasing Chinese workers destroy a mosque has gone viral on social media. The purported video features a bunch of workers hammering away the dome of a supposed mosque in China and showcases a view from inside as the demolition continues.

"China taking inspiration from Babri demolition," wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter, in response to the viral video, while another added, "Great work by China."

A third X user simply noted, "Chinese Karsevak," while a fourth exclaimed, "Jai Shri Ram."

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Please note: Asianet Newsable does not vouch for the authenticity of this video

Despite China officially declaring itself atheist and claiming to permit religious freedom, this reported crackdown comes amid observations of an intensified effort by Beijing to assert greater control over organized religion in recent years. China is home to approximately 20 million Muslims. "The Chinese government's closure, destruction and repurposing of mosques is part of a systemic effort to curb the practice of Islam in China," said Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch last month.

The HRW report followed the mounting evidence of systematic human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang region. Beijing, however, has denied these accusations of abuse.

The majority of China's Muslim population resides in the north-western regions, encompassing Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Ningxia. In Liaoqiao, a Muslim-majority village in the autonomous region of Ningxia, the HRW reported that three out of six mosques have had their domes and minarets removed. Additionally, the remaining mosques in the village have seen their main prayer halls demolished, according to HRW.

Satellite footage obtained by the HRW also revealed the replacement of a mosque dome in Liaoqiao with a Chinese-style pagoda between October 2018 and January 2020. HRW recently claimed that around 1,300 mosques in Ningxia have been closed or converted since 2020, amounting to a third of the total mosques in the region, as stated by Chinese Muslim scholar Hannah Theaker.

Under the leadership of China's President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party has aimed to integrate religion with its political ideology and Chinese cultural values. In 2018, the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party released a document outlining directives for the control and consolidation of mosques. The document encouraged state authorities to "demolish more and build fewer" mosques, emphasizing efforts to reduce the overall number of such structures. It also called for strict monitoring of the construction, layout, and funding of mosques.

The suppression of religious freedom has been particularly enduring and intense in regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, but its impact has extended to various other areas. China is home to two significant Muslim ethnic groups. The Huis trace their roots back to Muslims who came to China in the 8th Century during the Tang Dynasty. The second group is the Uyghurs, predominantly located in Xinjiang. A report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, an independent think-tank, indicates that approximately two-thirds of the mosques in Xinjiang have been either damaged or destroyed since 2017.

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