Setting up Regulations and System to Strengthen Mosque Democratic Administration
Nowadays, there are altogether over 35,000 mosques throughout the country, being distributed in all places where Muslims live,and on average there is one mosque for every 600 people. A democratic administrative committee was set up in each mosque after they were reopened. The committee members were elected by all parties concerned consultatively, and were entrusted responsibilities to: arrange religious activities, invite Imam to the mosque, manage donations and rent, maintain and protect the mosque, organize religious staff to study scriptures and doctrine, and coordinate relations with other mosques locally. Furthermore, a number of laws or regulations have been put into practice to promote the democratic administration of mosques, for example the state constituted “Regulations on Administration of Religious Sites” and “Regulations Concerning Foreigners‘Religious Activities within the Boundary of the People"s Republic of China“; the China Islamic Association formulated ”Trial Measures for Mosques‘ Democratic Administration“; the Xinjiang Islamic Association laid down ”Regulations on Mosques’ Democratic Administration“ and ”Patriotic Convention of Islamic Persons of Note“; the Zhangjiachuan County Islamic Association of Gansu also drew up a 10-item ”Patriotic Convention“; the Beijing Islamic Association passed the ”Constitution of the Mosques‘ Democratic Administrative committee of Beijing Municipality“, mosques in Shanghai and other places also laiddown similar regulations.
Some mosques and Imams afforded to sponsor schools, or even run nurseries, kindergartens, ethnic primary schools and girls‘ schools, mobilizing both Muslim boys and girls to attend school to attain knowledge and become useful people for the economic construction of ethnic regions, for example, the Urumchi Islamic Association has always been concerned about the special educational needs of handicapped children; the Islamic Association of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province mobilized all quarters concerned to make donations for education which reached 7 million yuan and ranked first in the province, among which Ma Liang, a Hui peasant entrepreneur in Guanghe County, donated 300,000 yuan to build a primary school; Muchang Mosque in Linxia City raised 300,000 yuan to build a Muslim kindergarten.
