Like a decade ago, people from the world would travel to China’s Western Frontier. Their goal was to visit the Imam Asim Shrine. They made their way through dune to kneel at the sacred site. It was dedicated to Imam Asim. He was a Muslime holy man who defeated the Buddhist Kingdom. The devotees were Uighurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority, and often joined annual festivals to pray for abundant harvests, good health, and strong babies.
Around the Shrines, they tied strips of cloth carrying the prayerful message. Apart from common people, there were also magicians, wrestlers, and musicians. They also gathered together to listen to the legends. Tamar Mayer, a professor at Middlebury College said, “It was not just a pilgrimage. There were performers, games, food, seesaws for… It was still so full of people, and full of life.” But by 2014, China banned the pilgrimage. And by last year demolished most of it.
What Is China Doing To Uighur Muslim Community?
The New York Times report stated,
“Continuing its attempt to wipe out the Uighur Muslim community, China ins recent years has closed and demolished many major shrines.” Citing the report of ASPI, The New York Times said that 8,500 mosques across Xinjiang since 2017 has been destroyed. The government says that more than one-third of the mosque are in this region. Under the reign of Mao Zedong, several mosques and shrines were destroyed since 1966. The reports of ASPI is based on a sample of 533 known mosques. And also based on satellite images taken over some time to assess changes.
When asked about the same, Bejing said that the reports are “total nonsense”. China also says that the reports of ASPI are biased as they are funded by the US government. Rachel Harris, an expert on Uighur culture said, “What we see here is the deliberate destruction of the sites, which are in every way the heritage of Uighur people and the heritage of this land”.
The New York Times also stated that China banned festivals at Ordam in 1997. And in the following years, other shrines were closed. By 2018, the Ordam was demolished.
What More Do We Know?
Further reports state that in the city of Hota in Southern Xinjiang a park has been built. But according to the satellite images, till 2017 there was a mosque. While some of the sites in Xinjiang has been completely erased, some others have been turned into a tourist attraction. Radio Free Asia reported the construction of a public washroom at the place where once stood a mosque.
