A file photo of a Muslim man stands in a mosque on the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, in Beijing on June 18, 2015. The highest concentration — 43 percent — of China's 30 million Muslims is in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. (Photo by AFP)
Haiyang Akhund Li posted an image on Weibo, China's state-approved equivalent to Twitter, on July 15 which showed a class of students in front of a blackboard with the writing, "Treasure your life. Say no to drugs. Do not fast."
Li, a teacher at the Islamic Association in central Henan province, accused authorities of forcing students to eat watermelon during last year's Ramadan and "this year, even linking drugs and fasting together."
Muslims began the holy month of Ramadan on June 6 where they will abstain from all food and drink between dawn and dusk for 29 to 30 days.
"As faith cannot intervene in education, why can education vilify faith?" Li asked, referring to China's policy of separating religion from state education.
The post received more than 1,000 shares and around 800 comments before it was removed. The post is now on Freeweibo, a website that collects deleted Weibo posts.
However many comments accused Li of advocating the students fast without concern for their health, and labeled him an extremist.
"Do not force the kids to believe in a religion or preach to the underage. This is to protect their freedom of belief. And as children are growing, fasting will have a negative impact on their health. Please use scientific ways to raise children," one commentator responded.
Despite assurances of respect from Beijing, Muslim minorities in China have had their Ramadan observance disrupted by local governments.
A bigger problem however is being misunderstood by the majority ethnic Han Chinese who make up 91 percent of China's 1.37 billion population. According to the 2010 census, there are about 30 million Muslims living in China.
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region has the highest concentration of Muslims with 43 percent of the population Muslim, followed by Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu province.
The Han Chinese do not understand the ethnic minorities, said Yves Shih Chien-yua, a specialist on Xinjiang and East Turkestan from Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong.
"Especially after the war on terror, they relate the Uighur in Xinjiang, who are mainly Muslim, to terrorists," Shih said.
Four days before Ramadan began, the Chinese State Council Information Office issued a white paper on Religious freedom in Xinjiang, claiming that the autonomous region was enjoying unprecedented levels of freedom.
"Citizens' religious feelings and needs are fully respected. During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan closing or opening halal (Muslim food) restaurants is completely determined by the owners themselves without interference," the white paper said.
The white paper tried to balance religious freedom with tight government control, but it seems to have failed, Shih said.
"Beijing sticks to the principle that government should lead religion. But the local governments in Xinjiang region might have different concerns. They might worry Muslims in the area are connecting with Muslims outside of China," he said.
Media outside of China have reported that local governments in certain areas of Xinjiang have restricted Muslims from fasting during Ramadan.
According to Radio Free Asia, which reports on human rights issues, several local government departments and middle or high schools in the Uyghur region have posted notices online restricting Muslims from fasting.
A Uyghur university student in the Xinjiang city of Kashgar told Radio Free Asia that their school administration warned students not to fast or pray, or face being expelled or refused a diploma or certificate upon graduation.
Local authorizes in Xinjiang have also forced halal restaurants to open during the day in Ramadan Shih said, adding that the order is unreasonable and a waste of time and energy.
"Actually no business can be made in the daytime because Muslims are fasting. The peak hour for Muslims in Ramadan is at night."