China started forcing Muslim store-owners in Xinjiang to publicly sell liquor and cigarettes as part of the government's bid to shake up religion in the province, the Daily Caller reports.

Chinese authorities, who officially promote Communist atheism, have begun implementing the new liquor and tobacco sale policy in the village of Atkash. They have also threatened to close or suspend the businesses of Muslim shopkeepers who will fail to comply, and follow through with a legal action, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).

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Based on the mainstream practice of Islam, Muslims are not allowed to drink liquor and many of them who practice a more conservative approach also do not tobacco. A local official spoke to RFA and classified these practices under "religious extremism."

Many of the Xinjiang residents who belong to the Uighur ethnic group want to gain independence from China. Some, especially those who have linked themselves to Al Qaeda, have pursued this cause through violent acts in public places and by stirring unrest in the region.

In the past few years, China has also attempted to control the violent attacks in Xinjiang by suppressing the religious practices. In addition to enforced sale of liquor and tobacco, authorities have previously prohibited Muslims in Xinjiang from growing long beards and fasting during Ramadan.

There are those who view China's anti-Islam rules in Xinjiang, including the enforced liquor sale, as an unfair move since the Hui ethnic group, another Muslim group, is not subjected to these stringent measures. Some allege that the authorities are trying to resettle ethnic Chinese in Xinjiang to homogenize the province's religion and culture.

Muslims, however, are not alone in this struggle. In 2014, the Chinese government removed the steeple of a registered Protestant church in Wenzhou. Moreover, there are many Christian groups that are forced to practice their faith underground.

Buddhists in China have also suffered persecution at the hands of the government, the report added.

The new enforced sale of liquor and tobacco on Muslim shopkeepers may have drawn inspiration from a recent move in the U.S., where business owners have been forced to cater to all events regardless of their religious beliefs, the Daily Caller said.

TagsMuslim, anti-Islam, liquor, Tobacco, Xinjiang