Foreign and local Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr on June 5 at the Niujie Mosque in Beijing. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the country has been hit by false and fabricated smear campaigns launched by its ideological and political opponents from the West. But China has shown resilience and remains focused on its primary goal to be a prosperous country. Thus the East Asian country has become the second-largest economy of the world. However, its opponents have never run out of patience to try to run it down through campaigns. From time to time, they have changed strategies and tactics, and eventually unleashed an all-out pernicious propaganda war against China.

As part of the propaganda war, they have now employed their media outlets to make the Islamic world hostile toward China by spreading fake news of so-called Muslim oppression in the country. Thanks to their media, they are easily making gullible Muslims believe that fellow Muslims are being tortured and oppressed for their religious identity in the Communist country. Western media has been disseminating news in such a way that any Muslim will find it difficult to believe that there are even mosques in China. Though the reality is different.

Prior to the arrival in China last February, I was also tricked by propaganda to believe that Muslims can't practice their religion in the country and their mosques are being destroyed by its government. However, I was surprised when I found a buzzing mosque near my home in Beijing. Later, I found out that there are some 83 mosques in Beijing for more than 300,000 Muslims.

Much to my surprise, I have come to know that Muslims have been enjoying full religious freedom and peacefully coexisting with other communities in China for centuries. Talking to members of Muslim communities while visiting different mosques, I could learn that the Chinese government never creates any hurdles in the way of their religious practice. Instead, the government bears expenses of mosques, which is unusual even in many Muslim majority countries.

Many foreign Muslims who have long been living in Beijing have also confirmed that they regularly offer prayers five times a day; they even sometimes pray in their offices in front of their Chinese male and female colleagues. Besides, every educational institute has halal eateries for Muslims. China also has more than four universities dedicated only to Muslim students. 

During last Ramadan, media disseminated fake news of Muslims being barred from fasting. I witnessed Muslims merrily observing the holy month. Chinese Muslims go to mosques to break their fast together with foreign Muslims. 

At the end of Ramadan, Chinese and foreign Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr. They offer Eid prayers at mosques all over China. Everyone attends Eid congregations in traditional Muslim attire. I joined the largest congregation in Niujie mosque, the largest and oldest mosque in Beijing.

After staying more than eight months in China, I have reached the conclusion that the Chinese government and people are not enemies of Muslims. They also constitutionally enjoy freedom of forming and running Islamic organizations and institutions.

But there is no letup in propaganda machines running smear campaigns against China. Such campaigns are designed to make Muslims around the world turn against China so as to scupper the rise of the East Asian country in global politics. China has been a victim of such malicious propaganda of so-called Muslim oppression. 

China has huge business interest in and strategic partnership with Muslim countries. It trades with many Muslim countries, including importing a lion's share of its energy needs from some Middle Eastern Muslim countries. Many Muslim countries that are strategically located are important for smooth movement of Chinese goods around the world. Besides, around 2 billion Muslim people constitute a huge market for China. That's why anti-China forces have targeted cordial ties between China and Muslims. 

Muslims can easily understand the ill intentions of the so-called love of Western media for Muslims if they look around Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Palestine. Because these so-called Muslim-loving media outlets have a hand in justifying wars that killed millions of Muslims in the aforesaid countries. Such hypocrisy of Western media proves that they are not friends of Muslims; instead, they have other motives and agenda to turn Muslims against China. 

No Muslim should pay heed to the spiteful campaigns by Western media. Rather, Muslims must understand that the rise of China can save the Muslim world from more bloodshed, destruction and wars.

The author is a diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Sun, a leading broadsheet national English daily of Bangladesh. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn