A Chinese hospital’s instructions forcing Muslim nurses not to observe fasting during the holy month of Ramadan has sparked angry Muslim reactions, seeing it as stifling the religious minority’s rights.

“How is it wrong? These are our religious beliefs!” ” asked Yexil Esra in a comment on a Sina Weibo post by the county’s health department, New York Times reported.

“Who says that just because a person doesn’t eat lunch they lose their mental and physical ability to work normally. Have you fasted during Ramadan? You won’t die because of it.”

Muslims angry comments have sparked after health department’s Sina Weibo website said that the Chinese Medicine Hospital in Yining, also known as Ghulja, has asked its Muslim staff not to observe fasting Ramadan “in order not to affect normal work and life.”

Moreover, the Muslim staff was urged to sign their pledge of compliance in a “responsibility book.”

The meeting was presided over by the hospital’s Communist Party secretary, Zhang Xiguang, the post said.

The controversial request was made just three weeks before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, due to begin on June 28.

Venting their anger in comments on the post, Muslims questioned the legality of such orders.

Dama Mitu_9527 asked, “Yining Health Department, are you sure this isn’t unconstitutional? (angry face)”

Another commenter called Happiness Comes and Goes said: “Ramadan is a person’s individual freedom of belief. It’s a private matter. If it does influence their work, then that’s their personal responsibility.”

These controversial orders are not new to Muslims in the Muslim-majority East Turkestan district, known as Xinjiang.

Chinese authorities have reportedly imposed restrictions on Uighur Muslim students returning for summer vacations in the northwestern region of Xinjiang ahead of Ramadan.

Under the restrictions, Uighur students under 18 are banned from fasting during Ramadan or taking part in religious activities.

Students defying the restrictions are being reported to authorities for punishment.

Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, is set to start next month.

In Ramadan, adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

The sick and those traveling are exempt from fasting especially if it poses health risks.

Muslims dedicate their time during the holy month to be closer to Allah through prayers, self-restraint and good deeds.

It is customary for Muslims to spend part of the days during Ramadan studying the Noble Qur’an.

Many men perform i`tikaf (spiritual retreat), spending the last 10 days of the month exclusively in the mosque.

https://islamstory.com/en/artical/17895/Chinese-Hospital-Bans-Ramadan-Fasting