This is how China deals with Islam

East Turkestan, known as the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, is located in northwest China. In the early 20th century, Uighurs used the name East Turkestan as an appellation for the whole of Xinjiang. The Uighur people reject the name Xinjiang since China aims to destroy the historical heritage of the Muslim population by changing the names of cities. Xinjang in Chinese means "gained territories." Therefore, the Uighur people prefer to use East Turkestan to emphasize connection to other westerly Turkic groups.



In 1921, China officially defined Uyghurs, the sedentary Turkic people from Chinese Turkestan, as part of their nation building policy in Central Asia. Multiple rebellions arose against China in the early 1930s throughout the region led by Chinese Muslims. In the Kashgar region on Nov. 12, 1933, Uyghurs declared the short-lived and self-proclaimed East Turkestan Republic. It is home to a number of ethnic groups including the Uighurs, Hans and Kazakhs.



The Uighur people have long suffered from human rights abuses, as 26.3 million people were killed between 1949-1965 and 8.7 million people have been killed since 1965. About 35 million people died because of the Chinese army's oppression or famine. China has applied the one-child policy since 1985. Chinese officials force women who have more than one child to have abortions. Wearing a headscarf in public, including on public transportation and when getting married in a religious ceremony, were banned in 2014, with fines of about TL 960 for wearing a headscarf in public. Radical behaviors are banned. The Chinese define not drinking alcohol, non-smoking and avoiding eating non-halal food as radical behaviors.



Chinese oppression of the Muslims of East Turkestan increases, especially in Ramadan. Public servants are banned from attending Ramadan iftar meals. According to local sources, if Muslims break the rule, they face the risk of loosing their jobs. Officials force Muslim restaurants to remain open all day in Ramadan.



The Chinese arrested Muslim youths for attending a religious ceremony in 1997. Then, some 15,000 East Turkestanis demonstrated to protest China and demanded the release of the arrested Muslim youths in Ghulja.