Mosque converted into public toilet in China

New Delhi, Aug 18: A public washroom has been constructed on the site of a demolished mosque in Atush of Xinjiang province in northwestern China.

According to the reports, the authorities had demolished two of three mosques there in a drive launched in 2016 to demolish Muslim places of worship, known as "Mosque Rectification" which is a small part of policies against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China.

In an interview conducted by Radio Free Asia (RFA), Uyghur neighbourhood committee chief from Suntagh village in Atush said the mosque was torn down in 2018. "It's a public toilet, they haven't opened it yet, but it's built," he added.

It is being said in the past few years, China has been hell-bent on breaking the spirit of Uyghur Muslims.

The campaign is part of a series of hardline policies which included carrying out the mass incarceration of 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its internment camps across Xinjiang since April 2017.

Residents told RFA, that Azna mosque, another mosque in the area, had been converted into a convenience store that sells alcohol and cigarettes, which is considered against the religion in Islam. Only Teres Mosque currently stands in the area in poor condition.

Earlier, the Chinese police had imposed a dress code for Uyghur women, under which the Muslim women are not allowed to wear burqa.