Apple has removed one of the most popular Quran apps in China, at the request of officials. In a report from the BBC that the application was removed for hosting illegal religious texts, the Chinese government did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
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In a statement issued by the developers of the application (Pakistan Data Management Services), the company said: “According to Apple, our application Quran Majeed has been removed from the Apple Store in China because it includes content that requires additional documentation from the Chinese authorities and we are trying to contact the relevant Chinese authorities to resolve this issue.” The company said it has nearly one million users in China.
The Chinese Communist Party officially recognizes Islam as a religion in the country. However, over the past seven years, China has committed human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups in western Xinjiang Province. Well-documented aspects of the campaign include concentration camps, systematic forced sterilization to prevent births, torture, organized rape, forced labor, and unparalleled surveillance efforts.
China is one of Apple's largest markets, and the company's supply chain relies heavily on Chinese manufacturing. Despite criticism Tim Cook Apple chief Donald Trump banned seven Muslim-majority countries in 2017, yet he is also accused of complying with the Chinese government over censorship — and not publicly criticizing it for its treatment of Muslim minorities.
“Apple needs to do the right thing, and then face any reaction from the Chinese government,” said Benjamin Ismail, project manager for Apple Censorship.
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