CHINA: BEIJING: MUSLIM COMMUNITY & RAMADAN скачать в хорошем качестве

CHINA: BEIJING: MUSLIM COMMUNITY & RAMADAN

(20 Dec 2000) Mandarin/Nat A call to Friday prayers at a Beijing mosque marks the Sabbath for these Muslim worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. This is one of the ten mosques in the Chinese capital which serve the Muslim community. At the Dongsi Mosque in central Beijing, Ahung or Imam Liu Ke Jie presides over the first religious ceremony on December 1, the first Friday of Ramadan. Today's sermon serves to remind those assembled that their actions will lead to rewards or punishment. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) \"Some people are good, some are less good, others neither work nor do religious discipline. So the Ayatollah says some go to heaven, some go to inferno.\" SUPER CAPTION: Ahung Liu Ke Jie, Mosque Imam Ahung Liu is joined in prayer by about 80 men and boys from his congregation, one of several Muslim enclaves in Beijing. Among the faithful is Abukelimo who kneels in worship with and his four year old son. Abukelimo is a respected leader in the neighborhood and a model of religious discipline who migrated to Beijing ten years ago from China's westernmost Xinjiang Autonomous Region, home to most of the country's Muslim minorities. Islamic religion was brought to China from the Middle East some 1300 years ago. Since then the Muslim population has grown to 18 million from ten distinct ethnic minorities -- mainly the Hui, Uygur, Kazak, Ozbek and Tajik -- which have settled throughout China, but mostly in the northwest. The Hui people form one of the China's largest minorities. Pressures of city life mean most Muslims must divide their time between work and prayer in the mosque. Ahung Liu Ke Jie strives in his sermon to emphasize the importance of devotion during the holy month of Ramadan. The Ahung calls on the congregation to strictly follow the rules of fasting this month in order to preserve Muslim tradition and adhere to the word of the Koran, the holy book of Islam. He also emphasises efforts to strengthen ties between followers of Islam and China's ruling Han majority. Ignorance of Islamic religious customs has led to violent clashes recently between Muslims and Chinese paramilitary police in Shandong Province. Muslims in Beijing have heard reports of ethnic unrest in other parts of China. Abukelimo, whose name in Uygur means 'good man', manages a popular Muslim restaurant in the western part of Beijing, the largest Uygur community in the capital. He prays five times a day and attends the mosque each Friday with his son Azimati. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) \"I have my own restaurant, so it is my decision when not to go the restaurant. The restaurant is important, but not as much as the mosque. And company's work has to be done on time, and the employees can't leave work, they really have no other choice.\" SUPER CAPTION: Abukelimo, Restaurant Manager Uygur people are famous in Beijing for operating successful restaurants offering traditional cuisine. To refrain from eating in the presence of so much food is a challenge for Abukelimo. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) \"Before six a.m. and after five p.m. we break fast. During the daytime, no food, no water, nothing in mouth.\" SUPER CAPTION: Abukelimo, Restaurant Manager As darkness sets in and the daily fast is broken, Abukelimo gathers his family for prayers before they enjoy their dinner. The traditional Uygur dinner includes fruit, bread, rice and mutton. Following the meal Abukelimo and his family rest, a scene which is repeated quietly in Muslim households throughout China. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...