6 May 2021 Uyghur Muslims in China’s western territory of Xinjiang have largely refrained from participating in traditional religious rituals associated with the Islamic holiday of Ramadan such as dawn-to-dusk fasting and increased prayer over the past month due to the Chinese government’s crackdown on Islam in the region. Associated Press (AP) reporters traveled to Xinjiang in late April as part of a foreign press trip organized by the Chinese government to document current conditions in the territory. The trip coincided with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which lasts from April 12 to May 12 this year. Islam requires Muslims to pray five times a day and encourages its adherents to attend special nightly prayers during Ramadan. AP reporters who visited the city of Kashgar during the April trip said Thursday they saw so few people in attendance at mosques in the city of Kashgar during regular prayer times in the middle of Ramadan that they concluded “Islam is on the decline” in Xinjiang.