News:

Several government departments in China's far western region of Xinjiang have banned Muslim staff from fasting during the month of Ramadan.

One department website said that civil servants cannot "take part in fasting and other religious activities".

Increasing tensions

State-administered Bozhou Radio and TV University said on its website that the fasting ban applied to party members, teachers and young people.

"We remind everyone that they are not permitted to observe a Ramadan fast," it said. ... Similarly a weather bureau in western Xinjiang was reported by the AFP news agency to have said on its website that the ban was "in accordance with instructions from higher authorities". ...The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says that this is not the first time that China has restricted fasting in Xinjiang.

Among those imposing a ban are a commercial affairs department and a government hospital which got Muslim staff to sign a written pledge that they would not fast. ...State-run newspapers have in addition been running editorials warning about the health dangers of fasting.

Comment:

Ramadhan, sees yet again, the Islamic Ummah in East Turkestan being terrorised by the Chinese government. What is it about their fear of Islam that makes them behave in such an uncivilised and inhuman way? Resorting to lies and intimidation to pry Muslims away from Islam?

Instead of whipping up hatred and racism, had they stopped to study the ideology of Islam rationally they would surely have found a cure for their sickness and fear and an alternative to their confused race-supremacy-communist-capitalist mess.

Racism is incapable of giving rise to a system for a civilisation. Communism has clearly failed, and capitalism has merely exacerbated and accelerated the increasing inequality, suffering and desperation of the Chinese people.

Islam is not only a religion; it is a complete ideology, built upon a rational and intellectual basis, with a complete set of systems for life. If China seeks to rescue itself from ruin and to become a great civilisation, the solution is in Islam.

Sadly, the suffering isn't just in East Turkestan, but also in Palestine, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Al Sham and Egypt in fact all over the world. Nor is it only the Muslims who are in pain and enslaved on this earth today.

Our vital and urgent duty today, is to work for the reimplementation of Islam, on the method of our beloved Nabi Muhammad (saw) our one and only Guide and Prophet, beloved of Allah (swt). Only under the shade of Islam will Muslims and mankind find justice, security and peace.

Allah (swt) promises in Surah An Nur: 55

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

"Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: 'They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. 'If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked." [T.M.Q. An Nur: 55]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Muhammad Hamzah