A mother holds her daughter outside their new house in the ancient town of Kashgar. [Photo by Hu Yongqi/China Daily]

Personal choice

On a Friday afternoon, I saw more than 3,000 Muslims attend Baida Mosque in downtown Urumqi, kneeling on a blanket and chanting passages from the Holy Quran led by an imam.

About 300 devotees who could not make it to the mosque on time lined up in the street to discharge their prayerful duties. Police patrolled nearby to ensure the safety of those taking part as prayers proceeded.

At the mosque, I met the assistant imam, Abdu Rahman, who was to lead the worship service on Fridays by chanting the Holy Quran and urging Muslims to do good to others. One of his roles is to instruct believers to educate children in line with Islamic tradition, and leading upright lives in accordance with this.