Kashgar
Claims of ‘concentration camps’ in China's Xinjiang baseless: Imam of largest mosque in region tells Bangladesh media delegation
Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in Xinjiang, China draws many tourists from home and abroad.
Located at the center of Kashgar Old City, the mosque is considered one of the local landmarks.
Kashgar was historically important for its position on the ancient Silk Road, officials said.
"The mosque can accommodate around 20,000 people during the two major religious celebrations," Imam of the mosque, Mohammad Jummah, told a visiting Bangladesh media delegation.
Muslims gather at the mosque each Friday for Jummah prayers, apart from the five regular prayers each day, he said.
Residents of Kashgar enjoy better life with the growing presence of religious tourists that boost their business, officials said.
Read: PM Hasina inaugurates 50 more model mosques
The Imam of the mosque trashed the claim that China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has "concentration camps," calling it baseless.
"We don't believe there are any kind of concentration camps. This is just a lie," Imam Mohammad Jummah said, adding that there was an "ulterior motive" behind what he says "such baseless claims and propaganda."
He also said, "I am 53 years old. I have never seen any accident or violence in my life."
Recently, envoys from 14 countries, including Brazil, Iran, Indonesia, Ecuador and Senegal, visited China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at the invitation of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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