No Uyghurs from Xinjiang Permitted on This Year’s Hajj Pilgrimage

No Uyghurs from China’s Xinjiang region participated in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, Radio Free Asia reported yesterday.

This comes as a result of China’s restrictions on religious practices among Uyghurs.

Over 1.8 million people participated in the Hajj this year, including 1.6 million foreigners. China sent over 1,000 pilgrims, but none from Xinjiang. This is not the first year; no Uyghurs have been reported on the Hajj since 2016.

Uyghurs are a Muslim ethnic group living in Xinjiang. Since 2017, China has heavily restricted religious practices in the region, including pilgrimages like the Hajj. Experts say this is part of a larger repression of Uyghur culture and religion.