No Eid Prayer for Uyghurs
How China Made a Religious Holiday Disappear
Propaganda Eid video produced by Chinese state-run media outlet CGTN
Potemkin Tours
For years, the Chinese government has tried to present the narrative that there is religious freedom in East Turkistan. To support this claim, Chinese authorities have organized visits from Islamic religious delegations from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. These carefully managed tours are designed to hide the reality of Uyghur repression and genocide, portraying a society where Uyghurs freely practice Islam.
Despite this effort to show religious freedom, our recent investigation found something troubling. After examining thousands of videos on Chinese social media during Eid al-Adha in 2025, we could not find a single video or image of Uyghurs performing the Eid prayer. The Eid prayer is a central part of this important Islamic celebration. Even Muslims who are not very observant typically participate in this prayer twice a year—once at Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and again at Eid al-Adha, which marks the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage.
Eid Prayer during Eid Al-Fitr in 2014. Clip taken from “Travel Xinjiang: Far West China” Youtube Channel.
Propaganda Videos
The videos available on Chinese platforms show Uyghurs eating, dancing in streets and public squares, and shopping. There is no sign of the religious aspects that define Eid. No congregational prayers, no hijabs, no recitations from the Quran, and no vocal praises of Allah or salutations to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. While some clips show the traditional slaughtering of sheep, this act is presented more as a cultural or culinary event, stripping away its religious significance.
Even Chinese state media outlets such as CGTN produced propaganda videos depicting these activities—tables full of food, festive dancing, and shopping crowds—but again, no evidence of Uyghurs participating in the Eid prayer.
We found hundreds of videos on Chinese social media platforms depicting Eid as a cultural festival highlighting eating and dancing
Challenging CCP Propagandists
To highlight this absence, we posted videos on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X, calling on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propagandists to provide even one recent video or photo of Uyghurs praying the Eid prayer. The responses we received were telling. Some shared very old clips of Uyghurs praying Eid prayers from years ago. Others shared footage of Muslims praying in other regions of China, or again, videos showing Uyghurs eating and celebrating without any religious context. Despite our clear request for footage from East Turkistan itself, no authentic, current evidence could be found. This should not be difficult; the absence speaks volumes.
This contrast also highlights the disparity in religious freedom between Uyghurs and the Chinese Hui Muslims. The Hui generally enjoy more tolerance to practice Islam openly, while Uyghurs face severe restrictions and repression. This difference underlines a policy of targeted control over Uyghur religious expression.
Arslan Hidayat challenging CCP Propagandists to find videos of Uyghurs praying the Eid Prayer
Chinese authorities appear to believe that showing only cultural activities such as eating and dancing will convince the world that Uyghurs freely practice their religion. However, this only raises further concerns. Where China once actively promoted an image of religious freedom in East Turkistan, it now no longer even tries to conceal the restrictions on Islam. There is not even a staged Eid prayer to offer the world a sanitized version of religious observance.
“Modern” Uyghurs
Previous reporting from Kashgar Times has documented how Chinese authorities have pursued a so-called “modernization” of Uyghurs, framing religious belief as backward or outdated. Chinese propaganda claims many Uyghurs have abandoned Islam due to education and “upliftment” programs. This narrative is used to justify the absence of religious practices in public and in the media.
It could be argued that China no longer feels the need to persuade the global audience through elaborate propaganda efforts, believing it has already convinced many, including parts of the Muslim world, that religious freedom exists within its borders. However, the reality on the ground in East Turkistan remains different. At Kashgar Times, we remain committed to exposing the ongoing religious repression faced by Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. We call on the Muslim world and all advocates for religious freedom worldwide to recognize that genocide and cultural erasure continue unabated under Chinese rule, and to stand in solidarity with those whose most fundamental rights are being systematically stripped away.
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Thank you so much for covering this much-needed news. I was once brainwashed by CCP propaganda & I actually believed that Xinjiang genocide is fake. It is thanks to your tireless efforts that I later was convinced in 2022 that Uyghurs are oppressed.