Personal Reflections on a Visit to Xinjiang

As-salamu alaykum. I recently spent a couple of weeks in Xinjiang, China. I'm a Muslim from another country who learned the language, and I wanted to see things for myself. What hit me hardest was the constant fear I sensed among many Uyghur people. My first real chat with a Uyghur guide only happened after I gave him my phone and turned on flight mode. Even then, he was clearly nervous. He shared that he'd been sent to a re-education camp and said these camps were huge in the past. He mentioned they've been reduced lately because of international attention, but limits on practicing Islam are still there. I noticed a big difference between northern and southern Xinjiang. In the north, people seemed more at ease, but in the south, there was a much heavier security vibe. One moment in Kashgar, which is in the south, really stuck with me. A local guide was helping me with a form while we sat in his taxi. He saw my Muslim name and asked if I was Muslim. I said yes and asked the same of him. He instantly tensed up and didn't reply. Only after we left the car, he quietly told me not to ask things like that inside taxis because of cameras. I also went to the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, the biggest mosque in Xinjiang. It felt more like a museum than a living mosque-a view many others share online. Locals told me regular prayers haven't been allowed there for years, except maybe for some elderly folks on special occasions. I wasn't allowed to pray there, which was the first time ever I've been turned away from a mosque. I also couldn't find any shop selling the Quran in Kashgar, despite its deep Islamic roots. Uyghur culture still shows through food, dance, and music, which seem kept alive mostly for tourists. But the Islamic side of their identity is heavily restricted. I know Xinjiang has faced separatist violence, but the response feels very harsh. Hearing about the camps and the limits on Islamic life left me deeply troubled. Still, I was only there for two weeks, so these are just my personal impressions, not a full picture.