China has closed a Uighur mosque and turned it into a toilet. Signs for men and women were also hung on the door of the mosque, which was converted into a toilet by the Chinese administration.
China’s persecution of the Muslim East Turkestan people continues during the pandemic process. According to reports from the region, China has recently converted the Tökül Mosque in the village of Süntag in the city of Artuş into a toilet.
According to the news in Radio Free Asia and East Turkestan sources, it was stated that the Tökül Mosque was converted into a toilet by a Chinese construction company on the grounds that it would meet the needs of the Chinese officials appointed to the region.
THE GOAL IS TO DESTROY THE MUSLIMS’ SPIRITUALITY
Some observers considered the conversion of the mosque to a toilet as part of China’s campaign in the region and stated that the main goal was to demolish the spirituality of Uyghur Muslims.
It was learned that two of the three mosques in the region were razed to the ground in accordance with the instruction to “destroy the places of worship of Muslims en masse”, according to the practice launched by China in 2016 under the name of “Repair the Mosque”. It was noted that another mosque other than the Tökül Mosque was demolished and a market selling liquor and cigarettes was opened in its place.
“MOSQUE FIXED!” ITS WORK
As part of a series of strict policies led by Xi Jinping, the work to “Fix the Mosque” began in April 2017, before the mass incarceration of 1.8 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the vast concentration camps of XUAR.
A Uyghur neighborhood manager from the Suntagh village of Artush, a district-level city with a population of about 270,000, under the administration of Kashgar province, the cotton and grape growing region of southwestern XUAR, spoke to the media on the phone. The Uyghur administrator, who asked not to be identified because it could be dangerous, said the Tökül Mosque was demolished in 2018 and a toilet was built in its place by “Han [Chinese] comrades.”
The manager said, “This is a public restroom. They haven’t opened it yet, but it’s built.” said. In response to the question of whether there is a need for a public toilet in the local community, the administrator stated that people have toilets at home, so there is no such need.
“MADE FOR INSPECTION OFFICERS”
The administrator also said that he sees few or no tourists in the area who need public toilets in their village, which is about three kilometers outside of Süntag’s headquarters, Artuş.
He added that the toilet was built to cover the ruins of the destroyed Tökül Mosque or for the toilet needs of the groups or officers who came to inspect the area. The manager said it was unclear how many people the toilet was built for. “I haven’t even gotten in yet because it’s still closed.” said.
AZNA MOSQUE BEVERAGE MARKET IS HELD
Another resident of Suntag, who declined to be named, said Azna Mosque, one of two mosques destroyed in the area, was demolished around autumn 2019. He said that instead of Azna Mosque, a “market” selling alcohol and cigarettes, which is not welcomed in Islam, was built.
GREAT AND MAINTAINED MOSQUES DESTROYED
Earlier, a public security officer in Süntag said that Azna Mosque and Bastaggam Mosque were destroyed. The official, however, confirmed that Teres Mosque, the smallest and worst of the three, was left intact.
PUBLIC TOILET IN KASHGAR BUILT IN A MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE
East Turkestan sources claim that the toilet in the Chong Bazar (Great Market) in the city of Kashgar, built in the Uyghur architectural style, was also made for the purpose of mocking the religion of Islam and the Uyghurs. It is stated that the toilet, which resembles a mosque in all aspects, in the busiest spot of the city, has the purpose of provocation and is a violation of universal rights.
The destruction of holy places by the Chinese Communist Party, which has been criticized for demographic massacre, ethnic genocide and assimilation due to the camps opened in East Turkestan and the social, economic and cultural policies implemented, continues. There are also holy places that the Communist administration turned into cafes, bars, workshops and cultural centers by locking the doors of many mosques and demolishing some of them. In addition to this physical destruction, China also applies psychological pressure on Muslims by demolishing mosques. (h)
