Virtual Conference on the Situation of Freedom of Religious Belief in Xinjiang

(May 10, 2022, Urumqi)

Photo taken on May 10, 2022 shows the Virtual Conference on the Situation of Freedom of Religious Belief in Xinjiang held in Urumqi, capital of XUAR. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Xu Guixiang: Hello, honored guests and fellow media reporters! Today the virtual conference on the situation of freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang is held in Urumqi, Xinjiang. I’m Xu Guixiang, the spokesman of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

First of all, please allow me to introduce attendees for this conference. Ms.Zumrat Obul is a member of the standing committee of the CPC Committee of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and head of its United Front Work Department. Six representatives from the religious circles and the general public in Xinjiang will join us via the video link and inform us of situations in different places. They are Abudurekep Tumniyaz, head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and Xinjiang Islamic Institute, Muhtiram Sherip, deputy head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and Imam of Yanghang Mosque of Urumqi City, Mamat Juma, Hatip of Id Kah Mosque of Kashgar City, Mahmut Nuermamat, farmer of Gujanbag Township, Hotan City, Xinjiang, Eliyaer Azaz, tradesman of Yining City, Xinjiang, and Ma Yanqing, farmer of Changji City, Xinjiang.

The virtual conference is accessible via live-streaming to over 60 countries and international organizations around the world and over 50 media at home and abroad are joining us either online or offline.

Muslim residents of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang spent their Ramadan in tranquility and harmony from April 3 to May 2, 2022. On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr that fell on May 3, people of all ethnic groups had a day off as provided by the local government. People cooked mutton and beef, sang and danced to celebrate the festival together. People visited each other, shared delicacies and sent greetings in the cordial atmosphere. It is a vivid display showing that Xinjiang respects and protects freedom of religious belief. Today, we hold the virtual conference to invite you all to join us and experience the lively atmosphere as people of all ethnic groups celebrated the festival, get informed of the real conditions of Muslims who enjoy freedom of religious belief fully in Xinjiang and the unyielding efforts Xinjiang has made in promoting the healthy and orderly development of Islam.

Photo taken on May 10, 2022 shows Xu Guixiang, spokesman of People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region hosts the Virtual Conference on the Situation of Freedom of Religious Belief in Xinjiang held in Urumqi, capital of XUAR. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Xu Guixiang: First of all , let’s watch a video Islam in Xinjiang.

This video shows venues of religious activities in Xinjiang, such as mosques, churches and temples and interviews of some religious individuals in the religious circles and Muslim residents in Xinjiang. It highlighted the healthy and orderly development of Islam in Xinjiang and full protection of of the religious rights of Muslims of all ethnic groups.

Now, please watch the video.

Xu Guixiang: Thank you for watching.

During Ramadan, Muslim residents of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang held normal religious activities based on the tradition of religion and their own will. Worship, fasting and observance of religious festivals went smoothly. Several days ago, we invited friends of the media to shoot Muslim residents celebrating Eid al-Fitr at Yanghang Mosque in Urumqi City, Bendi Mosque in Changji Prefecture, Shaanxi Mosque in Ili Prefecture, Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar City and some Muslim residents celebrating the festival were interviewed too. Please watch the video.

Xu Guixiang: Now let’s give the floor to Ms. Zumrat Obul, a member of the standing committee of the CPC Committee of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and head of its United Front Work Department.

Photo taken on May 10, 2022 shows Zumrat Obul, a member of the standing committee of the CPC Committee of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and director of the United Front Work Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region speaks at the Virtual Conference on the Situation of Freedom of Religious Belief in Xinjiang held in Urumqi, capital of XUAR. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Zumrat Obul: Ladies and gentlemen, friends. Good afternoon! Welcome to the virtual conference of situations of freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang.

Located in northwest China, Xinjiang has been a place inhabited by multiple ethnic groups and where multiple religions coexist. It has a population of more than 25 millions. All of China’s 56 ethnic groups can be found in Xinjiang, including Uygur, Han, Kazakh, Hui, Mongol and Uzbek and they are equal, united and make progress together. Religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism and Daoism etc.exist in peace and develop orderly. Citizens who believe in religion or do not believe in religion, or believe in different religions respect each other and treat each other as equals. They are united and cooperative. People of all ethnic groups fully enjoy happiness and serenity brought about by social stability, ethnic solidarity and harmony in religion.

Xinjiang protects freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China stipulates, “Citizens shall enjoy freedom of religious belief.” “No state organ, social organization or individual shall coerce citizens to believe in or not to believe in religion. Nor shall they discriminate against citizens who believe in or do not believe in any religion.” It also provides that the state shall protect normal religious activities. Regulations of Religious Affairs of the People’s Republic of China stipulates, “Citizens have freedom of religious belief. No organization or individual shall coerce citizens to believe or not to believe in religion. Nor shall they discriminate against citizens who believe in religion or do not believe in religion. Citizens who believe in religion and who do not believe in religion and citizens who believe in different religions shall respect each other and live in harmony.”

People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang enjoy freedom of religious belief. It is entirely up to citizens to decide whether they believe in or not believe in religion, choose to abandon a religion they used to believe in, or believe in a religion that they didn’t believe in before, believe in one religion in preference to another, or decide to believe in any sect of the same religion. Religious citizens’ normal religious activities at the venues or at home based on religious customs are protected by the law. No organization or individual shall use religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair citizens’ health, interfere with the state’s education system,undermine the national interest, public social benefit and citizens’ legitimate rights and benefits, or interfere with the implementation of the state’s functions in administration and justice. At present, more than 1,800 religious individuals in the religious circles in Xinjiang exercise their rights at people’s congress and people’s political consultative conferences at all levels. They participate actively in state affairs on behalf of religious residents and supervise the government’s observation of policies of freedom of religious belief.

Channels for believers to gain religious knowledge are guaranteed. With state support, the religious classics of Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity etc. have been translated and published in multiple languages. Extensive materials from ancient religious books and documents have been collated and published, including the Tripitaka, Taoist Canon of China, and Collected Editions of Dao De Jing. The Bible has been published in standard Chinese and 11 ethnic minority languages, as well as in Braille. Currently, more than 40 Islamic publications in different ethnic minority languages are distributed in Xinjiang. The Quran and Selections from Sahih al-Bukhari have been published in standard Chinese, Uygur, Kazakh and Kirgiz etc.. The New Collection of al-Wa’z Speeches series have been compiled and published in both Chinese and the Uygur language. Special government funds have been allocated to preserve ancient religious texts, such as the Quran, the Sira, and Maitrisimit nom bitig. Many ancient religious books, including the Tales of the Prophets (Qisas al-anbiya), Volume II of the Golden Light Sutra, and Maitrisimit nom bitig, have been included in the Catalog of National Rare Books of China. The China Islamic Association operates both Chinese and Uygur versions of its website. Any individuals can study religion through legal channels.

 Facilities and conditions of venues for religious activities have been improved. Sites including Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar City, Shengyou Lamasery in Zhaosu County, Baytulla Mosque in Yining City, Baluntai Monastery in Hejing County, Jiaman Mosque in Hotan Prefecture and Yanghang Mosque in Urumqi City are listed as venues of national and regional sites of cultural heritage preservation and renovated with the support of state special funds. Complying with the Law on Urban and Rural Planning and respecting the wishes of religious believers,the government departments concerned have resolved potential safety hazards at venues that have fallen into disrepair through reconstruction, relocation or expansion, thus ensuring the safe and orderly practice of religion.

Conditions continue to improve at the venues for religious activities. Mosques are generally equipped with running water, electricity, natural gas, and easy road access. The mosques also have communication tools, radio and television facilities, LED screens, computers, electric fans, air conditioners, water dispensers, medical services, and fire-fighting appliances. Washing and cleansing facilities have been installed in congregational mosques for Juma prayers. All this provides greater convenience for religious believers.

The system for training Islamic clerics has been reinforced. Islamic clerics in Xinjiang are trained at China Islamic Institute, Xinjiang Islamic Institute, and Xinjiang Islamic School. The government has invested more than RMB200 million to build a new campus of Xinjiang Islamic Institute, which opened in 2017. The institute also has eight new branches in Ili, Changji, Urumqi, Turpan, Aksu, Kizilsu, Kashgar and Hotan. They form a comprehensive training system with Xinjiang Islamic Institute being the center and supported by eight branches. Xinjiang has made training plans and identified objectives in accordance with the principle of targeted and demand-oriented training. A group of high-caliber Islamic clerics have been trained, to ensure that Islam is practiced and carried on in a sound and orderly manner. To date, China Islamic Institute and Xinjiang Islamic Institute and its branches have trained more than 4,000 students.

The spread and infiltration of religious extremism has been contained. Religious extremism has advocated religious extremism thoughts, incited hatred and hostility towards “heathenism” and “infidels” and undermined the harmonious co-existence of religions and ethnic solidarity in Xinjiang. It has negated the traditional Islam in Xinjiang, destroyed the harmony among believers of Islam and damaged the fundamental interests of Muslim residents. Religious extremism has betrayed and distorted the Islamic doctrines, deluded and deceived the public, particularly young people, with their fallacies such as “jihad martyrdom to enter heaven”, and changed some people into extremists and terrorists completely under its control. Religious extremist forces have designed and carried out severe violent and terrorist attacks frequently and killed religious personnel and Muslim residents and other innocent people.

As numerous facts show, religious extremism has been a real danger that jeopardizes national unity and ethnic solidarity, sabotages religious and social harmony, impairs social stability and long-term stability in Xinjiang, and endangers the life and property of people of all ethnic groups. Containing religious extremism in accordance with the law is a just act to safeguard the fundamental interests of the state and people, as well as an important part of the battle of the international community against religious extremism. Xinjiang adheres to the policy of freedom of religious belief, protects citizens’ normal religious activities, and promotes de-radicalization, thus effectively containing the spread and infiltration of religious extremism.

Active communication and exchanges with other religious organizations worldwide have been carried out. Adhering to the independence and self-management principle, Xinjiang engages in active communication and exchanges with other religious organizations worldwide on the basis of mutual respect, equality and friendship. Governments at all levels and people in Xinjiang are open-minded and welcome all foreign religious organizations and individuals that respect China’s sovereignty and the principle of independence and self-management of China’s religious affairs. Over the years, religious academic and cultural exchanges have been conducted. Representatives from the religious circles in Xinjiang have participated in many international academic meetings and seminars, and religious personnel and students from religious schools in Xinjiang have won prizes at many international Quran recitation contests, demonstrating the sound cultural and academic foundation of the religious circles in Xinjiang. People are sent to study abroad. Since 2001 Xinjiang has sent more than 70 religious school students and religious personnel to Al-Azhar University in Egypt, International Islamic University in Pakistan and other overseas colleges and universities for further study to enhance their religious knowledge and improve the teaching standard.

“Welcoming in” and “going global” have been promoted. Religious personnel, overseas Chinese, foreign religious organizations and groups from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries have been invited to visit Xinjiang. The government in Xinjiang has organized the “China Xinjiang Culture Exchange Group” for exchanges with countries in the Middle East, Oceania, and Europe. Xinjiang religious delegations have visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Denmark and other countries many a time, and participated in the “China Islamic Culture Expo & Art Show” held by China Islamic Association in Indonesia, Turkey and other countries, introducing to the international community, especially the Islamic world, Xinjiang’s economic and social development, freedom of religious belief and other facts, and enhancing friendship and mutual understanding.

Xu Guixiang: Honored guests, just now Ms.Zumrat Obul introduced to us situations related to Xinjiang’s protection of freedom of religious belief, improvement of conditions of venues of religious activities, reinforcement of the system for training Islamic clerics and communication and exchanges with other religious organizations worldwide. I believe that you have a general view of situations of respecting and protecting freedom of religious belief. Now let’s have a virtual tour to some venues of religious activities and Muslim residents’ homes in Xinjiang via the video link to be informed of related situations.

First of all, let’s invite Abudurekep Tumniyaz, head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and Xinjiang Islamic Institute to give us an introduction.

Abudurekep Tumniyaz:I’m Abudurekep Tumniyaz, head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and Xinjiang Islamic Institute.

I am now on the new campus of Xinjiang Islamic Institute. Xinjiang Islamic Institute was founded in 1987. Its new campus opened in 2017, with an area of 24.7 acres and its architectural area being 50,500 square meters.

Please follow me and know more about Xinjiang Islamic Institute. Behind me is the mosque. These are students’ dormitory, dining hall, faculty’s dormitory, stadium, academic building and library respectively. It is well equipped.

Xinjiang Islamic Institute has eight branches in Ili, Changji, Urumqi, Turpan, Aksu, Kizilsu, Kashgar and Hotan. It mainly engages in enrolment and training of undergraduates and junior college students and its eight branches train technical school students. Now they’ve formed a comprehensive training system with Xinjiang Islamic Institute being the center and supported by eight branches. After graduation, some students work at the Islamic associations or religious institutions and schools, some serve as Imams or Hatips at mosques in various places. It can be said that the systematic training of Xinjiang Islamic Institute has contributed to the orderly development of Islam in Xinjiang.

Now we are inside the mosque. I will go on with my introduction to related situations. The courses and textbooks include the category of religious knowledge, such as Islamic doctrine, Hadith, the Quran recitation and Arabic etc., the category of law, such as the Constitution, the Civil Law, the Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Religious Affairs and the Regulations of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on De-radicalization,etc., and the category of culture and history, such as Chinese history, the Islamic culture and history, computer and standard spoken and written Chinese language,etc..

Religious activities are carried out with full respect to individuals’ wishes in Xinjiang. The religious organizations and Muslim residents of all ethnic backgrounds hold normal religious activities such as worship, fasting and observance of religious festivals at mosques or at home under the protection of the law. It is entirely up to them to decide whether to fast in Ramadan, whether to worship at mosques based on their conditions of their health, life and work.

In Xinjiang, religious citizens’ requirements in religion are fully satisfied. The government fully respects the traditional customs with religious overtones in food, festivals, wedding and funeral rituals.Venues of religious activities such as mosques have been renovated and preserved, facilities have been completed and conditions have been improved. A group of religious individuals with rich knowledge in religion have been trained and a series of religious canons have been published so that the orderly development of religion is guaranteed.

In other words, the situations of freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang are unparalleled in any past historical period and will not be denied by anyone who respects facts. We welcome you to visit Xinjiang more and see by yourself facts of freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang that is fully respected and protected.

Xu Guixiang: Now let’s invite Muhtiram Sherip, deputy head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and Imam of Yanghang Mosque in Urumqi City to introduce related situations.

Muhtiram Sherip:I’m Muhtiram Sherip, deputy head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and Imam of Yanghang Mosque in Urumqi City. I have been Imam of Yanghang Mosque for more than nine years.

Founded in 1897, Yanghang Mosque has a history of 120 odd years. It covers an area of more than 5,000 square meters and its architectural area being over 3,000 square meters. The worship hall can hold more than 2,000 people for religious activities at the same time. You can see that the mosque is spacious, bright, clean and tidy inside with a nice view and very good conditions, which is very convenient for Muslims. When it’s time for praying for five times a day, Juma, Eid al-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, Muslims of Uygur, Kazakh, Hui and other ethnic backgrounds come here. Muslims from the neighbouring countries studying, doing business or touring here also come here for worship. The reading-room inside our mosque has various kinds of books on religion, including the Quran, Selections from Sahih al-Bukhari in Chinese, Uygur, Kazakh, Kirgiz. Besides, it has more than 1,800 various kinds of books in history, culture, science and technology for believers to read in their spare time.

Since April 3 when Ramadan began, our mosque held various kinds of normal religious activities. May 3 was the day Eid al-Fitr, the traditional festival fell. Several days before the festival, each family started to clean houses, purchase goods for the festival, buy new clothes for the family and prepare delicacies such as sanzi and fragrant pancakes to treat relatives and friends. In the morning of Eid al-Fitr, we held praying at the mosque. This is a means for us to show the spirit of unity, friendship and mutual help. After praying, people shook hands with each other, greeted each other “Salam” and sent holiday greetings and wonderful blessings. Some visited relatives and friends, other visited cemetery to mourn the departed. Various kinds of celebrations were held to share festive atmosphere with each other.

The customs of Muslims in Xinjiang are fully respected, which are shown in various aspects such as Eid al-Fitr, diet, festival celebrations, wedding and funeral rituals. For example, when Muslims around are to get married, after they receive a marriage license from civil affairs department of the government, they will invite me to host the “nikah”ceremony. When someone passes away, I go to the Muslim funeral service center to perform the standing ceremony for the deceased according to religious customs and then the deceased is buried at the cemetery.

To sum up, Eid al-Fitr marks both the end of Ramadan and a new start. We’ll keep on promoting the spirit of patriotism, peace, solidarity, moderation, tolerance and benevolence to make Islam develop in Xinjiang healthily.

Xu Guixiang: Now let’s go to Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar City and invite Mamat Juma, Hatip of the mosque to give us an introduction.

Mamat Juma: I’m Mamat Juma, Hatip of Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar City. During Ramadan, we strove to keep proper faith and conduct honest deeds in the tranquil and harmonious atmosphere and prayed for national peace, harmony and stability. On May 3, the day Eid al-Fitr fell, we danced “sarma dance” at the Id Kah Square and sent blessings to each other to share the joy of the festival.

The place where I stand is the outer hall of Id Kah Mosque. Built in the Ming Dynasty in 1468, Id Kah Mosque has a history of more than 550 years and has been through renovation, relocation and expansion for many a time. The mosque now covers an area of 4.11 acres and it comprises gate pillars, gate tower, inner hall, outer hall, courtyard, and houses on both sides of the courtyard. The inner hall of the mosque has an area of over 400 square meters and can host 400 believers to worship at the same time. To make it convenient for believers to worship, many rugs are set and chairs are put in place to make thing easier for senior believers who have difficulties moving around.Inside the hall there are air-conditioners and heating facilities, which is warm in winter and cool in summer. The central part is for us to host religious activities. On the day of Eid al-Fitr, the title of my al-Wa’z speech was “How Muslims spend a joyful and harmonious Eid al-Fitr”.On such an important occasion, we pray for prosperity and strength of our country and peace of our people！

Every day we hold religious activities on time when it’s time for dawn prayer, noon prayer, afternoon prayer, sunset prayer and night prayer. I and two other religious individuals host praying separately. People coming to Id Kah Mosque for worship are from communities in the vicinity and are not very stable. Generally speaking, there are more believers coming on Juma and Eid al-Fitr sees the most people, several thousands people. Believers choose to come to our mosque or stay at home for worship based on their own conditions. Especially now is the season of spring ploughing, many people are busy working in the fields and sometimes they do not come to the mosque. The state protects normal religious activities. It is up to people themselves to decide to have normal religious activities such as worship, fasting, celebrating Islamic festivals at mosques or at home.

Considering that it’s crowded during religious activities, the government provides the mosque with materials such as masks, body temperature detectors, hand-free disinfectant gels with much consideration and popularizes scientific protection knowledge against COVID-19 epidemic among religious believers. During worship, we guide believers to keep distance and spread out. Several religious individuals and Muslim residents make up the team of mosque management and we are in charge of regular disinfection and hygiene cleaning of the mosque, as well as security and fire prevention and keeping order when there are many people.

Xu Guixiang: Honored guests, we also invite three Muslim residents today. Let’s follow their stories. First of all, let’s have a look at Mahmut Nuermamat’s home and follow his story. He is a farmer of Gujanbag Township, Hotan City, Xinjiang.

Mahmut Nuermamat: Hello, everyone. I’m Mahmut Nuermamat, farmer of Gujanbag Township, Hotan City, Xinjiang. On the day of Eid al-Fitr, after I prayed at the mosque, I paid festival visits to my elders, neighbors and friends and sent my greetings to them. Now as our living conditions have improved, ample delicacies are prepared for visitors at each household. We mainly talked about happy things in our lives and exchanged views. In the afternoon, a celebration was held in our village. We sang, danced, tasted delicacies and enjoyed the rich festive atmosphere.

During Ramadan, before daybreak everyday my wife prepared food for fasting for me, such as pilaf, naan and fruits. After the meal, I began my day of fasting. Half an hour later, I went to the mosque close to my home for dawn prayer. Now the conditions of the mosque are much better than before. The muddy road in the past made my shoes muddy after the rain. It was very cold in winter at the mosque and our kneels were numb. Now the asphalt road has been paved to the gate of the mosque. The government has renovated the mosque and air-conditioners are installed, which is cool in summer and warm in winter.

After dawn prayer, I sent three kids to school. Two of them are at the primary school and my little daughter is at the kindergarten. As the policies now are so good, they attend school and kindergarten for free. Afterwards I managed the feed store with my wife. Sometimes I was busy at the walnut field. The feed store is the major source of income for our family. As our products are low in price and good in quality, we have many old consumers. Our income is enough for our family to live a better-off life.

At noon, I went to the mosque for noon prayer. Generally, there were not so many people. It might be the case that there was a lot of work to do in the field and some chose to pray at home. Such were the case for afternoon and sunset prayers. Before night prayer, my wife prepared substantial food for breaking fast for us, such as reman noodles and fruits. The mosque prepared things to eat for us as well, including naan and tea. After the meal, I went to the mosque for the last prayer of the day. During Ramadan, after the last prayer of the day, there was Tarawih and we prayed to Allah that our fasting went well.

This is how I spent my day during Ramadan. Many friends around me had a fulfilled Ramadan as I did.

Xu Guixiang: Now, let’s invite Eliyaer Azaz, a tradesman in Yining City, Xinjiang to give an account of his life and work during Ramadan.

Eliyaer Azaz: Hello, everyone. I’m Eliyaer Azaz. This is my shoe store. Please follow me to have a look at my life.

I had a very tranquil and happy Ramadan this year. I fasted as expected according to the tradition of religion and went to the mosque for five prayers and Tarawih. After prayers, I mainly managed my shoe store. On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, I went to the mosque for prayer in the morning, then I paid festival visit to my relatives together with my father. Each family prepared bounty delicacies, including sanzi, reman noodles, mutton, etc. because we live a better life. We sent blessings to our elders and wished them good health. In return, they blessed us.Then we sang and danced together. After meal, we toured around at scenic spots such as the Ili River and had a great time.

This is the seat of Shaanxi Mosque, the well-known mosque in Ili. It is also one of the largest mosques in Ili. It’s said that it was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, with a history of more than 200 years. As it was built with donations by businessmen from Shaanxi, it’s called Shaanxi Mosque. I often come to pray here.

This is our reading-room. Generally I enjoy reading books on religion and history. The reading-room is nice. Books on religion are here. This is the Arabic and Chinese Annotation to the Quran.

This is the worship hall which covers an area of over 600 square meters and can host more than 1,000 people for religious services. Muslims of diverse ethnic backgrounds including Uygur, Kazakh and Hui.etc. in the vicinity come here for religious services. It is bustling with people on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. Shaanxi Mosque has very good conditions and it is cool and comfortable. Air-conditioners, heater and automatic shoe covering machine etc.are all provided by the government.

Xu Guixiang: Now let’s pay a virtual visit to Ma Yanqing, a Hui farmer in Changji City, Xinjiang to follow his story.

Ma Yanqing: Hello, everyone. I’m Ma Yanqing, 49 years old. I am a Hui and live in Qianjin Village, Yushugou Township, Changji City, Xinjiang. I am a Muslim and a farmer. I plant 65.44 acres of land, of which 39.5 acres are to grow tomatoes and I made over RMB 300,000 last year. There are four people in my family, my elder son has graduated and is a farmer and my younger son is at middle school.

Now allow me to give you an overview of my life during Ramadan. On March 3 Ramadan began and I got up at 5 am because of fasting. After breakfast, I went to the mosque in the village for morning prayer.Then I went farming in the field. Around 2 o 'clock at noon, I went back to the mosque for noon prayer. Before night prayer, the mosque prepared naan, tea and fruits for us to break the fast, which was very convenient. Sometimes, when there was much to do in the field and I came back late, I had the prayer at home. Generally I went to the mosque. At 11pm, the fasting of a day ended. Now the conditions of the mosque are excellent because the courtyard is very tidy and clean with wonderful landscaping. There’s heating in winter and air-conditioner in summer. Besides, it’s well facilitated with reading-room, bathing devices, washroom and water dispenser and believers feel very satisfied. In the future, I plan to keep on farming and make my son a new professional farmer.

Xu Guixiang: Honored guests, just now three religious individuals and three Muslim residents have been invited to introduce to us freedom of religious belief from different aspects, which are the real situations in Xinjiang. I am sure that you may have noticed that there has been great misunderstanding about the religious situation in Xinjiang in recent years, and the United States in particular has groundlessly claimed that mosques are removed with force, religious individuals are prosecuted, and religious freedom is restricted in Xinjiang. These ridiculous lies run completely counter to facts. To enable the international community to be better informed of the real situations, friends from the media have done field surveys at some mosques, interviewed a number of religious individuals and religious believers. Now let’s watch a video and listen to what they have to say.

Xu Guixiang: Honored guests, the above are what we are to introduce to you today. By knowing the religious circles, we hope you are informed of the real situations of Xinjiang that is tranquil and harmonious, and people enjoy their life and work. We would like to go on telling Xinjiang’s true stories to the international community to enhance mutual understanding and achieve consensus. We are also looking forward to welcoming more visitors to Xinjiang who can witness the prosperous and wonderful life here. Xinjiang is a wonderful land. Welcome to visit the Xinjiang.