A city in Xinjiang has banned people wearing Muslim clothing or those sporting long beards from boarding public buses, mainland media reported.

In the Muslim-populated city of Karamay in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), those who are seen wearing Islamic clothing like hijab, niqab, burka, shirts with star and crescent designs or have "large" beards - as translated from the local regulation - are now prohibited from taking public transportation.

Like Us on Facebook

The ban took effect Monday and will last until August 30 for "public safety" reasons while the XUAR 13th Sports Games are going on.

"Those who do not cooperate with inspection teams will be handled by police," according to the Karamay Daily.

The muslim clothing and large beards ban on the region have angered several overseas rights groups, who said the restriction imposed on the Uighur's religious freedom is only adding to the existing tension.

The announcement of the ban came following an attack in Xinjiang last week that left almost 100 people dead.

In July, Beijing government prohibited students and government staff from taking part in the Ramadan fasting, while wearing veils was discouraged among the locals.

Dilxat Rexit, a spokesman for the exiled World Uighur Congress (WUC), said the bans and prohibitions on the Uighur is a clear and "typical discriminatory measure ... which add to an increasing confrontation between Uighurs and Beijing."

Xinjiang is home to China's Muslim minority.

The area has experienced ethnic violence in years, the most recent a terror attack in July which took the lives of 96 people in Shache County.

In 2009, there was a riot in Xinjiang that led to the death of 197 people and injured 1,700.

TagsXinjiang, Muslim