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Muslims in China ordered to sell alcohol
5-05-2015
The Communist party has given orders for Muslims to stock and sell alcohol and cigarettes in attractive displays in the town of Laksuy, Aktash.
Many locals in Aktash and in some areas of Laskuy who practice Islam have abstained from drinking and smoking, and selling of these products is considered taboo for religious reasons. They were warned to provide at least five different brands. Authorities warned that “anybody who neglects this notice and fails to act will see their shops sealed off, their business suspended, and legal action pursued against them.”
The Washington Post reported that Adil Sulayman, Aktash village party committee secretary, told RFA’s Uighur Service that authorities in Xinjian viewed nonsmoking Muslims as “a form of religious extremism.”. The Quran refers to the use of alcohol and any intoxicants or self-destructive practices as a sin.
The ongoing campaign to weaken Islam in Xinjiang includes the banning of Muslim children from attending mosques or observing the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins June 17 this year. As part of the campaign, women are banned from wearing face-covering veils and men discouraged from growing long beards.
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