Chinese authorities and villagers clash over mosque
January 2, 2012 | 10:08 pm
-- Barbara Demick
REPORTING FROM BEIJING -- Muslim villagers exploded in anger as Chinese authorities demolished a refurbished mosque scheduled for an opening ceremony Jan. 1, villagers and a human rights organization said.
At least two people were reported killed in a clash between villagers and authorities Friday, with some reports out of Hong Kong suggesting the death toll was as high as five. The incident took place in a village called Taoshan in the Ningxia region of north-central China.
The clash was unusual in that the villagers were Hui, who are more assimilated than other Muslim minorities, like the Uighurs, and are allowed more freedom of religion by the Chinese Communist Party.
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Villagers had raised 800,000 Chinese yuan (about $127,000) in donations for a renovation project that had begun in 2010, according to the woman. A large crowd gathered for prayers Friday in anticipation of a formal opening ceremony on Jan. 1.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/01/chinas-destruction-of-a-mosque-sparks-village-uprising.html