Gansu, panic in the Party: a little girl reads the Koran at school
The authorities of the northwestern province react with fury to the video that depicts the pupil of an asylum who recites some verses from the Muslim holy book. An act "to be strongly condemned, because it damages the mental and physical health of the younger generation". China’s third largest Islamic community lives in the area. Although religious freedom and freedom of worship are protected by the Constitution, there are continuous violations to the rights of the faithful.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The government of the northwestern province of Gansu has reacted with fury to the video posted online showing an infant in a kindergarten recite some verses of the Koran. The movie, titled "A cute little girl reads the scriptures in Gansu", has been published on several Chinese social networks by a network of users divided between positive and negative reactions. Education authorities in the province have "blamed" the kindergarten directors and "strongly condemned what happened. It is an act that damages the mental and physical health of the younger generation ".
Gansu Province hosts China’s third largest Muslim community after Xinjiang and Ningxia. About 1.6 million Muslim faithful live here. While not suffering the same restrictions on personal freedom as the Uyghurs, local Muslims are forced to comply with different "rules for religious regulation" imposed by the government. The most criticized among these is the ban on growing a beard "for security reasons"; the prohibition of following Ramadan fasting "for health reasons" and the prohibition of teaching religion to minors. The latter rule applies to all five official religions in China: Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam.
In criticizing the kindergarten in which the video was taken, the authorities cite the Constitution: ", which state that “religious activities shall not get in the way of education " but they forget the protections of freedom of worship and religion guaranteed by the Charter. Schools, continues the reprimand, "can not conduct religious activities or to talk about religion. They shall not force or induce pupils to convert to a certain religion or establish any religious organisations in schools. "
Government control on religious activity and life of the faithful seems to be getting tighter. After imposing “state recognition" on Buddhist lamas, the ban on Ramadan fasting for Muslims, caused the disappearance of Catholic priests and bishops, the removal or demolishing of Christian crosses from churches and communities, Beijing has clarified the Party line in a keynote speech by the President Xi Jinping.
On April 22 and 23 last, the communist leader participated at a meeting on religious affairs and among other things said: "Religious groups should mix religious doctrines with Chinese culture, obey Chinese regulations and laws, completely devote themselves to the reform and opening of China, to socialist modernization, to help realize the Chinese dream and national rejuvenation".
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22/04/2016 09:14
