"There is no religious freedom," said a student. "I can only wear a long dress and headscarf at home because it is forbidden at my university." Teachers in the public school system are dismissed if they grow beards, which are seen as a sign of religious belief.
At the Idkah Mosque in the main square, the authorities have posted up a sign warning worshippers that they are committing a crime if they visit Mecca as individuals, rather than going on a tour organised by the state-affiliated religious organisations. "Organised and planned prayer is national policy," begins the document. "Muslim citizens should not believe the lies of those who want to organise illegal trips."
Since the start of this year, the authorities say they have arrested 18 criminals who were trained overseas.
Some Uighurs fear cultural assimilation and the plunder of their oil and minerals resources by the Han ethnic group, which makes up the vast majority elsewhere in China. Since the communist party took power in 1949, Han settlers and their families have gone from being less than a tenth of the Xinjiang population to more than half.
my opinion too
