China expanding crackdown on mosques, rights group report claims

A report published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch claims that the Chinese government has extended its campaign of closing mosques to areas outside of Xinjiang, where it has been accused for years of persecuting Muslim minorities. The report, which is based on public records, satellite photos, and witness accounts, claims that mosques have been closed by authorities as part of a process known as "consolidation" in Gansu province and the northern Ningxia region, which are home to sizable populations of Hui Muslims. Additionally, as part of a campaign by the ruling Communist Party to tighten control over religion and…