China's Crackdown on Mosques: Closures, Destruction, and Alterations
The Chinese government is implementing a "mosque consolidation" policy in Ningxia and Gansu provinces, which involves decommissioning, closing, demolishing, and converting mosques for secular use, as part of its efforts to restrict the practice of Islam. Islamic architectural features, such as domes and minarets, have been removed from many mosques. This violates the right to freedom of religion and is part of a systematic effort to curb the practice of Islam in China. The Chinese government claims that the policy aims to reduce the economic burden on Muslims and promote unity, but it is seen as a means to control and assimilate religious minorities. Human Rights Watch has called on the Chinese government to reverse its Sinicization campaign on religions and for foreign governments to press China to cease its mosque consolidation policy and broader Sinicization campaign.