China bans its Muslims from having ‘abnormal beards’ or wearing veils

China’s Xinjiang region is home to a Muslim majority and the area has been plagued with religious restiveness in recent years. As part of the new ‘Regulations on Extremisation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’, the country has introduced a ban on ‘abnormal’ beards and wearing of veils in public places. Refusal to watch or listen to state media has also been outlawed. The new rules which come into effect from April 1 states:

‘Parents should use good moral conduct to influence their children, educate them to revere science, peruse culture, uphold ethnic unity and refuse and oppose extremism’.

Workers in public spaces such as stations and airports will be asked to ‘dissuade’ those who fully cover their bodies including veiling their faces from entering. They will also be required to report them to the police.

China claims that the legal, cultural and religious rights of Muslims in Xinjiang are fully protected but people from the region resent what they view as increasing restrictions on their culture and religion. China is home to 1.8 million Muslims and 10 million of them are from Xinjiang province

Earlier this month, ISIS released a video depicting children from Xinjiang training and listening to preachers. The group has vowed to return home and ‘shed rivers of blood’.