AFP
China’s portrayal of residents of its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) enjoying religious freedom with public celebrations of the end of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan marks an effort to whitewash its harsh rights record in the region, the head of a Uyghur advocacy group said Thursday.
A report by China’s official
Global Times on Thursday said that Muslims throughout the country celebrated Eid al-Fitr, contradicting claims by Western governments and media outlets of state-backed human rights violations within their communities.
The report noted that Muslim residents of the XUAR enjoyed the Eid holiday by gathering with friends and family, eating traditional foods to break the Ramadan month of fasting and visiting deceased loved ones.