China bans kids in Muslim county from attending religious events

Educational authorities in a Muslim-majority county in China have prohibited their children from attending any religious event over their winter holiday, as part of the country's continuing crackdown on religious education.

The district education bureau stated in a notice posted online that school kids in Linxia county in Gansu province, home to many members of the Muslim Hui ethnic minority, are prohibited from entering religious buildings over their break, reported the Independent.

A picture of the notice was shared online by Xi Wuyi, a Marxist scholar at the state-backed Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The Gansu Government banned religion in nurseries after a video of a young girl reciting the Quran was posted online, two years ago.

The province is home to around 1.6 million Muslims.

China announced new regulations on religious affairs in October last year. They are due to take effect in February and endeavour to enhance oversight of religious education and provide for greater regulation of religious activities.

According to the reports, fear of Muslims persuasion has risen in China in recent years, sparked in part by violence in Xinjiang.