- Chinese authorities arrest Kusman Rehim, a Kazakh Muslim, for reciting Quranic verses during a wedding and in homes, amid an ongoing effort to robustly control Muslims and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
- The arrest is part of China’s so-called “strike hard campaign” and aligns with previous bans on public Quran recitations, reflecting a wider pattern of curbing Islamic practices and human rights abuses in the region.
Authorities in China’s Xinjiang region have arrested a Kazakh Muslim man, Kusman Rehim, for reciting Quranic verses during a wedding and inside people’s homes. Kusman, 56, a resident of Xinjiang’s Jimsar county, was apprehended on July 14, as reported by Bekzat Maksutkhan, head of the Kazakhstan-based rights group Atajurt.
Kusman had previously faced imprisonment due to his religious beliefs. This recent arrest takes place within the context of a 100-day “strike hard campaign” in Xinjiang, involving raids on residents’ homes. China had previously banned public recitations of the Quran in the region in 2017, coinciding with the mass incarceration of Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in so-called re-education camps.
Chinese authorities stipulate that Quran readings should be done under the guidance of government-assigned imams, forbidding individuals from discussing the holy book on their own. Other Islamic practices, like wearing beards and veils, as well as Quran study groups, have been restricted under the guise of combating religious extremism.
The recent arrest is part of China’s Sinicization campaign, aimed at asserting Communist Party control over the lives of religious adherents.
Bilal, residing in Kazakhstan and Kusman’s younger brother, has indicated that the family is still awaiting official information regarding the charges brought against Kusman. “They simply took him,” shared Bilal. Bilal mentioned that his brother had been detained on April 21, released after a month, and then re-detained on July 14. One of the reasons for this was his participation in a Quranic recitation during a Muslim wedding ceremony. The second reason was the discovery of a Quran in his home, Bilal explained.
China has consistently curtailed Islamic practices and culture in Xinjiang.
Presently, it is estimated that millions of Muslims, primarily Uyghurs, remain confined in hidden camps, enduring harsh oppression including forced abortion, sterilisation, labor, and various forms of abuse.
Video footage from 2022 depicts Uyghur women being compelled to consume alcohol against their will.
Despite international concerns and investigations into human rights abuses, China denies all charges and justifies its actions as part of counter-insurgency measures.
May Allah emancipate those who endure the shackles of oppression…Ameen
