RENOVATION WORK GIVES MOSQUES MODERN TOUCH
Safety improved at religious venues in Xinjiang
Like many devout Muslims in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, members of Metkurban Metsedi’s family have worshipped at a mosque near their home for generations.
Praying at the Id Kah Mosque in Yutian county, Hotan prefecture, is an essential part of the 49- yearold’s life, so he was puzzled when he heard reports that the building had been demolished.
“My grandfather and father both prayed at the mosque, and I grew up living near to it. It is in good condition, and, after renovation work, it is definitely still in use,” he said.
“I have no idea why some people would say it has been demolished. If they really care about us, why not pay us a visit in person to see the truth for themselves?”
After the mosque, which has a history of more than 800 years, was listed as a key national cultural relics site in May 2013, efforts were made to renovate it, he added.
However, according to the 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom published by United States Department of State, the authorities in Xinjiang demolished the Id Kah Mosque and Jiami Mosque in Yecheng county, Kashgar prefecture, the previous year.
Some Western media outlets also constantly falsely accuse China of trying to eradicate Islam in the region by pulling down mosques.
On July 31, Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, said in an online news conference from London that the allegation that a large number of mosques in Xinjiang had been demolished was “nothing but a lie”.
“The Jiami Mosque in Yecheng and the Id Kah Mosque in Yutian, which it was claimed had been dismantled, were in fact renovated and put to use again.
“Those who cooked up the lies used photos of the old, dilapidated mosques to support their lies, but I will refute their lies with photos of the new, renovated mosques,” Liu said.
There are some 24,400 mosques in Xinjiang — one for every 530 Muslims on average, a higher proportion than in some Islamic countries, Liu said.
Many mosques in the region were built in the 1980s and 1990s or even earlier, but some of these mud- andbrick structures or small buildings were not well maintained or repaired.
They became unsafe for religious activities, especially in harsh weather conditions, and posed a serious threat in the event of an earthquake. The mosques were also inadequately designed, making worship difficult, the Xinjiang Islamic Association said in a report on Nov 3 on the freedom of religion in the region.
It added that the regional government renovated dilapidated mosques and “made adjustments” to those in a dangerous condition.
The report said the mosques have been improved and modernized to accommodate Muslims’ needs. They have been equipped with running water, electricity, natural gas, radio and other communications facilities. Roads leading to mosques have been upgraded to make access easier, and medical and public services have been extended to the venues.
Repairs carried out
Ilijan Anayt, spokesman for the regional government, said earlier that the Jiami Mosque, mentioned in the US State Department report, reopened on March 6 last year after major renovations were completed.
In September 2018, the gatehouse and gate tower at the mosque, which was built in 1540, were found to pose severe safety hazards. To protect worshippers and ensure religious activities were conducted smoothly, both structures were repaired in February last year, the spokesman said.
Mosques registered in Xinjiang are protected by law. Democratic management committees are responsible for the internal affairs of mosques and for religious activities. Local governments are required to help mosques improve infrastructure and provide better services to followers to ensure that freedom of religious beliefs is fully protected, the spokesman added.
Leaking roof
In Tuohula township, Wensu county, Aksu prefecture, Ablikim Sadiq said he had felt unsafe every time he prayed in the old mosque in the area several years ago.
“There were leaks in the roof and large splits in the wooden pillars supporting the prayer hall. We often feared that the hall would collapse, especially during bad weather,” he said.
After carrying out a safety assessment, the local government decided in 2015 to build a new mosque near the old venue.
Ahat Rahman, imam of the township’s mosque for 27 years, said: “The new venue can withstand earthquakes and has a bigger prayer hall. The villagers can now concentrate fully during religious activities.”
Meanwhile, Musa Asan, imam of Reste Mosque in Aksu city, is proud to show visitors new facilities at the venue, which were completed during renovation work in May 2017.
“The old mosque was very small and there was no heating system. Furthermore, the room in which Muslims carried out their ablutions before prayers was in poor condition, so they had no choice but to wash at home before coming to the mosque,” the 29- year- old said.
During the renovations, a parking lot was built next to the mosque, so that worshippers no longer need to park in narrow alleyways, he said, adding that some 100 people from nearby communities visit the mosque for the five daily prayers. On a Friday, the Muslim holy day, the number exceeds 300.
Following urbanization work in Xinjiang in recent years, some worshippers moved to new homes. At their request, the local authorities built new mosques or expanded existing ones to meet demand, according to Bekri Yaqub, director of Yanghang Mosque Democratic Management Committee in Urumqi, the regional capital.
“I’ve recently seen the blueprint for a new mosque in the city’s Saybag district. Muslims there are going to have yet another beautiful and spacious mosque,” he said.
Memet Jume, imam of Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar city, said: “A few mosques in the region had to be torn down, but only because they were in extremely poor condition and could not be renovated. New ones were built for people’s safety. There hasn’t been one case of a mosque being completely demolished.”
In summer, the Id Kah Mosque, which has a history of some 500 years, was in the spotlight after being mentioned in a Twitter post by the US embassy in China.
On July 4, the embassy posted two pictures of the mosque entrance on its Twitter account — one with a welcoming plaque and the other without it. The post stated that removal of the plaque showed “China’s continuous efforts to crack down on Islam in Xinjiang”.
The imam said that after repair work was carried out, the plaque was repositioned on an outer wall of the main prayer hall inside the building.
The plaque, which is 2.7 meters long and 1.3 meters wide, was made and hung over the entrance to the mosque in 1982, but the characters and designs on it faded and were damaged due to exposure to the sun and wind.
The imam added: “In 2017, the plaque was repaired together with other facilities at the mosque. It was moved to its current position and a large canopy was put up to prevent the plaque being exposed to the weather. This work is actually very easy to verify.”
The comments made by the US embassy were irresponsible, he added.
Minimal disruption
Despite the COVID- 19 pandemic, little disruption has been caused to religious activities in mosques throughout Xinjiang, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, which this year fell in April and May.
Musa Asan, the Reste Mosque imam, said, “Mosques in Xinjiang reopened immediately after the regional outbreak was brought under control.”
Guidelines for religious venues have been put in place during the pandemic, he added.
“We have carefully disinfected and ventilated the mosque. With the aim of protecting our community, we also require people to wear face masks and keep a safe distance during prayers. We have ensured local communities and residents that they can continue practicing their religion safely during the pandemic.”
Religious activities also went ahead as usual during Ramadan at Yanghang Mosque in Urumqi.
The venue, built in 1897, is popular among Muslims from all ethnic groups, including Uygur and Hui. Muslims from other countries also visit the mosque for prayers, according to Bekri Yaqub, the Yanghang Mosque Democratic Management Committee director.
“Medical workers were at the site during Ramadan to offer health checks to people who were fasting. The pandemic had little impact on religious activities in Xinjiang during the holy month,” he said.
No cases of infection have been reported at locations in the region where religious activities take place, according to the Xinjiang Islamic Association.
It said a series of groundless claims have been made, such as restrictions being placed on freedom of religious belief, ethnic groups denied the right to such belief, mosques being compulsorily demolished and religious figures persecuted.