China official demoted for not smoking in front of Muslims

A government notice accuses him of being afraid to smoke before religious figures

AChinese official who allegedly declined to smoke in front of Muslims in Xinjiang has been demoted for taking an “unstable political stance”, a state-run newspaper reported yesterday.

Xinjiang, home to China’s Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, restricts religious practises — such as growing beards, wearing headscarves, and fasting during Ramadan