Beijing: Unlike millions of Muslims around the world, Uighur students returning for summer vacations in northwestern China are banned from fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
"They are extracting guarantees from parents, promising that their children won't fast on Ramadan," Dilxat Raxit, Sweden-based spokesman for the exile World Uighur Congress (WUC), told Radio Free Asia on Thursday, June 13.
Chinese authorities have reportedly imposed restrictions on Uighur Muslim students returning for summer vacations in the northwestern region of Xinjiang ahead of Ramadan.
Under the restrictions, Uighur students under 18 are banned from fasting during Ramadan or taking part in religious activities.
Students defying the restrictions are being reported to authorities for punishment.
"They have also made groups of 10 households responsible for spying on each other, so that if a single child from one family fasts for Ramadan, or takes part in religious activities, then all 10 families will be fined," Raxit said.
"It's called a 10-household guarantee system."
Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, is set to start next month.
In Ramadan, adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.
The sick and those traveling are exempt from fasting especially if it poses health risks.
Muslims dedicate their time during the holy month to be closer to Allah through prayers, self-restraint and good deeds.
It is customary for Muslims to spend part of the days during Ramadan studying the Noble Qur'an.
Many men perform i`tikaf (spiritual retreat), spending the last 10 days of the month exclusively in the mosque.
.
Comments
| Quick linksNews
National
International
Regional
Politics
Education & Career
Business
Science & Technology
Health
Views & Analysis
The Funny Side
© 2012 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.
Telangana protests, arrests rock HyderabadProtests for a separate Telangana state and largescale arrests rocked Hyderabad Friday as the city turned into a war zone with police sealing all routes leading to the Andhra Pradesh assembly to foil .... MORE
Also Read: On Telangana march day, Hyderabad under police siege
Federal FrontTDP ready to join, Nitish says talks on
The proposal for a Federal Front got some boost Thursday with the Telugu Desam expressing readiness to join it while Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said his JD-U was holding discussions with his West Bengal and Odisha counterparts, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen .... MORE
Modi's love for Sardar Patel is intriguing for many reasons. Patel was a Congress leader who, inspired by Gandhi's principle of non-violence, led a great and very powerful movement of farmers at Bardoli taluka in 1928. »
The latest controversy involving the department is the mass transfer of 523 specialists - over half the strength - across the state. Not surprisingly, the transfers have left the government medical »