Amid repression of Uighur Muslims, China to 'edit' Quran and Bible to reflect ‘socialist values’

Beijing, Beijing, China

The Communist Party of China is preparing to rewrite the holy books of Islam and Christianity amid crackdown on the country's Uighur Muslim minority.

In pictures: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community

According to the reports, the edited and modified versions of the Quran and the Bible are to exclude content that goes against the beliefs of Communist Party as part of a project calling for a comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times.

International human rights organisations have repeatedly pushed China to grant access to investigate reports of disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly of Muslims in Xinjiang.

The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang as part of what Beijing calls an antiterrorism campaign.

The United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in what China describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills.

China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs.

(With inputs from agencies)