07-04-2008, 02:07 AM
China demolishes mosque for not supporting Olympics
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Chinese authorities in the restive far western region of Xinjiang have demolished a mosque for refusing to put up signs in support of this August's Beijing Olympics, an exiled group said on Monday.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Oil-rich Xinjiang is home to 8 million Turkic-speaking Uighurs, many of whom resent the growing economic and cultural influence of the Han Chinese.
Dilxat Raxit added that the mosque, which had been renovated in 1998, was accused of illegally renovating the structure, carrying out illegal religious activities and illegally storing copies of the Muslim holy book the Koran.
"All the Korans in the mosque have been seized by the government and dozens of people detained," he said. "The detained Uighurs have been tortured."
The Olympic torch relay passed through Xinjiang last week under tight security, with all but carefully vetted residents banned from watching on the streets and tight controls over foreign media covering the event.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I trust Brinda and Prakash Karat treat this as an internal affairs issue of China which would be in sharp contrast to the world wide trips they have taken to speak out on Indian affairs on such matters.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Chinese authorities in the restive far western region of Xinjiang have demolished a mosque for refusing to put up signs in support of this August's Beijing Olympics, an exiled group said on Monday.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Oil-rich Xinjiang is home to 8 million Turkic-speaking Uighurs, many of whom resent the growing economic and cultural influence of the Han Chinese.
Dilxat Raxit added that the mosque, which had been renovated in 1998, was accused of illegally renovating the structure, carrying out illegal religious activities and illegally storing copies of the Muslim holy book the Koran.
"All the Korans in the mosque have been seized by the government and dozens of people detained," he said. "The detained Uighurs have been tortured."
The Olympic torch relay passed through Xinjiang last week under tight security, with all but carefully vetted residents banned from watching on the streets and tight controls over foreign media covering the event.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I trust Brinda and Prakash Karat treat this as an internal affairs issue of China which would be in sharp contrast to the world wide trips they have taken to speak out on Indian affairs on such matters.