RELIGION-RAMADAN/CHINA China's Muslims attend Friday prayers for Ramadan

Record ID: 151782

  • Title: RELIGION-RAMADAN/CHINA China's Muslims attend Friday prayers for Ramadan
  • Date: 19th June 2015
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 19, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET PEOPLE LINING UP OUTSIDE A MUSLIM RESTAURANT MAN TAKING AWAY BAGS OF STEAMED STUFFED BUNS AND WOMAN BUYING AT THE WINDOW OF THE RESTAURANT STEAMED STUFFED BUNS PEOPLE LINING UP FOOD ON DISPLAY TRADITIONAL BEIJING CUISINE MAN PUTTING CAKES INTO A BAG PEOPLE STANDING ON STREET PEOPLE TALKING VARIOUS
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA19ZC7BCG84ZLAIBL9O0HFH5BF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Chinese Muslims attended prayers on Friday (June 19) to mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, at the 1000-year-old Niujie Mosque, Beijing's largest, built in a classical Chinese style.
    "We normally have around 200 people praying here. There will be around 1,500 to 2,000 people here today, on this date of the Ramadan month. Also today is a main prayer day, so we have alot of people," said Liu Zuopeng, the Mosque officer.
    Muslims worldwide observe Ramadan, the ninth and the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which many abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.
    Yang Bin, a Hui ethnic from northwest China, said they will pray and fast during the holy month.
    "I would say it's a very important day, a very important month of Ramadan. It is once a year for Muslims, (Ramadan) it's only one month of the year. We will pray and fast," said the 45-year-old businessman.
    The holy month, which begins this week, is a sensitive time in Xinjiang following an uptick in deadly attacks blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants over the past three years in which hundreds have died.
    China has around 20 million Muslims spread throughout the country, only a portion of which are Uighur, a Turkic-language speaking group that calls Xinjiang home.
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