CAIR Press Releases

CAIR Condemns Chinese Government’s Closing of Mosques in Muslim Areas

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/22/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the closure of mosques by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China’s Ningxia and Gansu provinces.  

The CCP is significantly reducing the number of mosques in Ningxia and Gansu provinces under its “mosque consolidation” policy, in violation of the right to freedom of religion, according to a Human Rights Watch report. Since 2017, Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have damaged or destroyed two-thirds of mosques in the region, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). About half have reportedly been demolished outright. 

SEE: China: Mosques Shuttered, Razed, Altered in Muslim Areas 
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/22/china-mosques-shuttered-razed-altered-muslim-areas 

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said: 

“The CCP is effectively waging a war against Islam in China. The shutting of these mosques is but one element in a larger strategy that includes the mass interment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims. The world must condemn this assault on religious freedom and human rights.” 

He noted that last week, CAIR said it was “shameful” that American corporate CEOs gave Chinese leader Xi a standing ovation, despite that nation’s genocide targeting Uyghur Muslims and other Turkic minorities.   

SEE: CAIR Condemns ‘Shameful’ CEOs for Giving Standing Ovation to Chinese Leader Xi Responsible for Uyghur Genocide 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.              

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.             

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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com