by Uyghur Times Staff
A Turkish tourist posted a viral video, dated October 14, 2025, showing that he was expelled from the historic Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar after trying to pray. The man said local authorities charged visitors to enter the mosque but prohibited him from performing prayers during prayer time Despite explaining that he was a Muslim, he was ordered to leave the site. He didn’t leave and he saw the most important evidence of China’s anti-religious and anti-islam policy: No one came, no one prayed.
The tourist added that he saw no worshippers inside and that the mosque has been turned into an empty tourist attraction rather than a place of worship.
This incident has sparked outrage online and is seen as further evidence that Chinese authorities not only prevent Uyghur Muslims from praying in their own grand mosque but also ban foreign Muslims from doing so.
This is not the first time tourists have exposed how China has misled the international community about its treatment of Uyghurs and religious freedom. In July, Turkish national Taha Yasin Erel shared a one-hour video documenting his May 2025 visit to Ürümqi. During his trip, he examined how Uyghur Muslims live under Chinese rule and witnessed firsthand the severe restrictions on religious practice. What he revealed was deeply troubling.