Xinjiang Authorities Launch Anti-Religion Campaign Through Local Police Stations

Uyghur security personnel patrol near the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar city, Nov. 4, 2017.

Experts in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi), in northwest China's Xinjiang district, have propelled a hostile to religion purposeful publicity drive through nearby police headquarters, whose officers are rolling the crusade out to occupants of the generally ethnic Uyghur-populated prefecture, sources said.

An indicated photograph of a gathering of policemen from Kashgar's Maralbeshi (Bachu) district holding a pennant with the motto "We Must Solemnly Reject Religion, Must Not Believe in Religion" as of late drew consideration on the WeChat online networking channel, proposing the dispatch of a crusade in the prefecture, which has one of Xinjiang's biggest groupings of Uyghur Muslims.

An officer in Maralbeshi's Yengisheher township police headquarters, who talked on the state of obscurity, as of late affirmed to RFA's Uyghur Service that the photograph had been taken in his area of expertise as a component of the crusade, before hanging up the telephone.

Officers from two extra township police headquarters in Maralbeshi—Shi Tong and Awat—likewise affirmed that they were partaking in the counter-religion drive, before ending the call.

Sources revealed to RFA that the battle started around two months back and is expected to undermine the Islamic confidence of nearby inhabitants.

It was not quickly clear which level of government had started the crusade or how it was being done in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs grumble of unavoidable ethnic segregation, religious constraint, and social concealment under Chinese run the show.

While Chinese experts have guaranteed that past crackdowns on religion are intended to weed out a little minority of the locale's populace whom they consider "fanatics," Uyghur activists estranged abroad keep up that they in actuality target Islam and the Uyghur individuals, and the wording of the new crusade recommends a substantially more extensive degree.

Promote examination concerning the "We Must Solemnly Reject Religion, Must Not Believe in Religion" drive found that it is additionally under path somewhere else in Kashgar, and in addition different parts of the Xinjiang locale.

A cop at the Baghawat township police headquarters in Kashgar's Yarkand (Shache) region affirmed to RFA that his area of expertise was partaking in the crusade, before declining to answer additionally inquiries and hanging up the telephone.

Police display an anti-religion propaganda banner in Kashgar's Maralbeshi county, February 2018. Credit: WeChat

What's more, a boss at the Aykol township police headquarters, in the seat of Aksu (Akesu) prefecture, said officers were likewise partaking in the crusade there, however, would not talk about the size of the drive or who its expected targets were, referring to guidelines of privacy for the police constraint.

"Indeed, we are altogether mindful of it," said the administrator, who likewise requested to stay anonymous.

"As of now this battle is being done in all administration areas, so how is it conceivable that we would not know about it?"

He alluded extra inquiries to the leader of the office—a gathering secretary surnamed Li, who he said was in a gathering and couldn't take a call at the time.

In any case, an officer at the Qarqu township police headquarters, in Hotan (Hetian) prefecture's Keriye Nahiyisi (Yutian) province, disclosed to RFA that the crusade was being engendered to territory law requirement and also "the overall population."

Earlier "hostile to religious radicalism" crusades have been spread through the administration's provincial Communist Party units and publicity officers, and the new battle is the main known case of law implementation participating.

And keeping in mind that the experts have transparently confined gathering individuals and units from religious exercises before, the new crusade additionally denotes the primary known example of religious limitations reaching out to the police and nearby occupants.

RFA was not able to decide if the individuals who decline to take after the battle will confront discipline for proceeding to hone their religion.

Since April a year ago, Uyghurs blamed for harboring "fanatic" and "politically off base" perspectives have been confined in political re-training camps all through Xinjiang.

Experts have depended on a rundown circled early a year ago of "75 Signs of Religious Extremism" to confine Uyghurs in the midst of a string of cruel strategies assaulting their honest to goodness rights and flexibilities authorized since Communist Party secretary Chen Quanguo was delegated to run the district in August 2016.

Among the indications of fanaticism on the rundown were "putting away or acquiring extensive amounts of nourishment for home" and "acting strange," and "asking in bunches in broad daylight outside of mosques."

Yet, Communist Party secretaries in towns in Hotan prefecture as of late revealed to RFA that they were advised in April 2017 of a few new "indications of fanaticism" security faculty should search for to decide if an Uyghur is in danger of turning into an Islamic "radical."

The new signs incorporated the individuals who, when at supplication, remain with their legs wide separated and place their hands over their chest, color their hair red with henna, develop their hair or whiskers long, wear short pants, or wear a watch on their correct wrist, the sources said.

China frequently leads "strike hard" battles in Xinjiang, including police attacks on Uyghur family units, limitations on Islamic practices, and checks on the way of life and dialect of the Uyghur individuals, including recordings and other material.

While China points the finger at some Uyghurs for "fear monger" assaults, specialists outside China say Beijing has overstated the risk from the Uyghurs and that harsh household approaches are in charge of an upsurge in viciousness there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.