For two decades, Ma Yanhu worked as a tour organiser for hundreds of Chinese Muslims looking to make the Hajj pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Based in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in north-central China, and originally trained as an Islamic theologian, Ma’s work involved booking flights, arranging essential travel documents, and even leading private tour groups to the city until the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) prohibited it.
Because of this, he was detained on 20 March 2023, accused by the authorities of ‘organising others to illegally cross the border’.
‘They politicised and criminalised the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, which is not illegal, and insisted on finding me guilty.’
The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims who are physically and financially able to do so are required to complete the journey at least once in their lifetime.
Read full article HERE.
