Chi bans Muslim mes for babies in Xinjiang

Beijing, April 25: Chi has banned Islamic mes for babies in Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, home to the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. According to the move, children with the banned mes like Saddam or Midi will not be able to get a residence permit called “hukou”, which is required for access to medical and educatiol services, it said in a statement. “This is just the latest in a slew of new regulations restricting religious freedom in the me of countering religious extremism,” the HRW said.

The Xinjiang government claims the mes were banned because of their religious connotation, which can “exaggerate religious fervour”, Efe news reported. On April 1, the authorities in Xinjiang had also imposed new rules banning “abnormal” beards or a full veil and warned people of punishments for refusing to watch state TV or radio programmes. Conflicts between the Uighur and the Han, the majority ethnic group in Chi and who also control the government, are common.

Beijing usually attributes the violence to Islamist groups and secessionists whereas Uighur groups in exile consider the conflict to be a result of repression by the Communist regime. “Violent incidents and ethnic tensions in Xinjiang have been on the rise in recent years, but the government’s farcically repressive policies and punishments are hardly solutions,” said HRW. “They are only going to deepen resentment among the Uighurs,” it added. (IANS)

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com