Asia
China imprisons Uyghur publisher over books on Uyghur independence, identity
March 24, 2024
China imprisons Uyghur publisher over books on Uyghur independence, identity
Prominent Uyghur publisher Erkin Emet, 65, known for publishing books on Uyghur cultural identity and China’s persecution of Uyghurs, has been sentenced to prison, RFA reported. He was taken into custody in July 2018 and accused of inciting ethnic separatism…
Chinese authorities conducting Uyghur DNA sequencing for organ harvesting, expert reveals
March 21, 2024
Chinese authorities conducting Uyghur DNA sequencing for organ harvesting, expert reveals
Chinese authorities are under scrutiny for reportedly gathering genetic data from the Muslim Uyghur minority to facilitate a forced organ transplant scheme targeted at Muslim medical tourists from Gulf nations, RFA reported. During a recent U.S. congressional committee hearing, experts…
Red Cross issues appeal after 4.7m animals perish in harsh Mongolian winter
March 19, 2024
Red Cross issues appeal after 4.7m animals perish in harsh Mongolian winter
Pastoralists in Mongolia are facing a severe winter known as “dzud,” resulting in the loss of millions of livestock and prompting an emergency appeal for aid from the Red Cross, Al Jazeera reported. Approximately 2,250 herder families have lost over…
China presses Sinicization-of-Islam agenda in Xinjiang as Ramadan arrives
March 13, 2024
China presses Sinicization-of-Islam agenda in Xinjiang as Ramadan arrives
China’s President Xi Jinping did not acknowledge Ramadan, despite well wishes from global leaders, a blatant gesture of disregard for the 11 million-strong mostly Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the roughly 7 million other Muslims in China. Chinese authorities have…
Thailand introduces halal food options to attract more Muslim tourists
March 10, 2024
Thailand introduces halal food options to attract more Muslim tourists
Since re-establishing diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia in 2022, Thailand is focusing on creating halal versions of popular dishes to attract more tourists from the Muslim world, Arab News reported. According to the news agency, last month, the Thai government…
China’s Xinjiang authority urges ‘Sinicisation’ of Islam amid ongoing suppression of ethnic minorities
March 8, 2024
China’s Xinjiang authority urges ‘Sinicisation’ of Islam amid ongoing suppression of ethnic minorities
Xinjiang’s top Communist Party official stated on Thursday that the “Sinicisation” of Islam in the Muslim-majority region in northwestern China is “inevitable”, Reuters reported. Talking to reporters at a briefing on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing,…
Singapore: Lecturers, bikers to perform Quran recitation campaign to welcome Ramadan
February 25, 2024
Singapore: Lecturers, bikers to perform Quran recitation campaign to welcome Ramadan
66 participants, including lecturers and motorcycle riders, are embarking on a journey to collectively recite the Quran from Kelantan to Singapore in welcoming Ramadan, SinarDaily reported today. The ‘Ride To Khatam 3.0’ program aims to promote Quran recitation among the…
Chinese Police detain over 1,000 Tibetans protesting Chinese dam project
February 24, 2024
Chinese Police detain over 1,000 Tibetans protesting Chinese dam project
Police in southwestern China’s Sichuan province arrested over 1,000 Tibetans, including monks, who protested the construction of a dam that would destroy six monasteries and force the relocation of two villages, RFA reported. The arrested individuals are being held in…
Exchange of fire between Philippine soldiers, ISIS-linked militants leaves eight dead
February 20, 2024
Exchange of fire between Philippine soldiers, ISIS-linked militants leaves eight dead
Philippine military forces engaged in a gunbattle with Dawlah Islamiyah militants in the southern Lanao del Norte province, resulting in six soldiers and two rebels dead, with four soldiers wounded. The Dawlah Islamiyah, linked to the Islamic State group, was…
Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 shakes Mindanao, Philippines
February 10, 2024
Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 shakes Mindanao, Philippines
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Mindanao, Philippines, on Saturday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said, adding it was 10 km deep. The Philippine seismology agency had a different reading, saying it was a magnitude 5.9 earthquake with a…