August 12, 2018:
Hui Muslims staged peaceful sit-in protests after authorities had moved in earlier this week to pull down the grand mosque in Weizhou town.
Chinese State Media has stated that Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Authority should prevail over religion, after a rare standoff between Hui Muslim Community and Police delayed planned demolition of a Mosque in North-Central China’s Ningxia region.
Hundreds of ethnic Hui Muslims who make up nearly 50% of China’s 23 million Muslims staged peaceful sit-in protests after authorities had moved in earlier this week to pull down Grand Mosque in Weizhou town.
Local authorities then agreed to delay their plan to pull down illegal structures and hold discussions on a reconstruction plan.
It’s unlikely, however, that the government would allow the illegal structures to remain.
State-controlled Media hasn’t reported on the mosque standoff and this opinion piece is the only article published about it.
Officials stated that permission to renovate the mosque was given in 2015 but upon completion, it was noticed that a number of illegal structures had been added.
Mosque, with numerous domes and minarets in a Middle Eastern style, had not received proper permits before construction, town officials said in a notice on August 3, Reuters reported on Friday.
Global Times piece said: “Chinese people enjoy religious freedom protected by the Constitution of China, the country under the leadership of the CPC. No religion shall have the privilege over laws and regulations of the country. All religious activities should abide by the country’s laws and all religions shall be treated equally.”
Source Global Times
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