China: Rights Watchdog Accuses Beijing of Closing and Demolishing Mosques

The Chinese government is closing a vast number of mosques in Ningxia and Gansu provinces under its "mosque consolidation" policy, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday. The US-based watchdog said the crackdown is part of a "systematic effort" to curb the practice of Islam in China. Chinese authorities have "decommissioned, closed down, demolished, and converted" mosques for secular use as part of the government's efforts to restrict the practice of Islam, according to HRW. The report stated that the authorities have removed Islamic architectural features, such as domes and minarets, from many other mosques. As part of efforts to…