Apple Takes Down Popular Quran App In China On Officials’ Request: Report

Quran Majeed, which is available across the world on the App Store, was reportedly taken down by Apple following officials’ request.

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New Delhi: Apple has reportedly taken down one of the world’s most popular Quran apps in China, following officials’ request.

The BBC reported that the app was removed for allegedly hosting illegal religious texts.

Quran Majeed, which is available across the world on the App Store, has nearly 150,000 reviews and is used by millions of Muslims.

As per the report, the app’s deletion was first noticed by Apple Censorship - a website that monitors apps on Apple’s App Store globally.

The BBC quoted the app’s maker, PDMS, as stating: “According to Apple, our app Quran Majeed has been removed from the China App Store because it includes content that is illegal”.

“We are trying to get in touch with the Cyberspace Administration of China and relevant Chinese authorities to get this issue resolved,” it added in the statement.

According to the company, it had close to one million users in China.

While it is not clear which rules were flouted by the app, Quran Majeed states that it is “trusted by over 35 million Muslims globally”.

The Chinese Communist Party officially recognises Islam as a religion in the country. But, China has been targetted over alleged human rights violations, along with accusations of genocide, against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

As per a BBC report earlier this year, Uyghur imams had been targeted in China’s Xinjiang crackdown.

While Apple declined to comment on the deletion, it directed the BBC to its Human Rights Policy, which states: “We're required to comply with local laws, and at times there are complex issues about which we may disagree with governments”.

The New York Times had also reported earlier how Apple takes down apps in China if they are deemed off-limits by the Chinese government. 

According to their report, topics that apps are not allowed to be discussed include Tiananmen Square, the Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama, and independence for Tibet and Taiwan.

Microsoft on Thursday announced that it was shutting down LinkedIn in China as compliance with the state norms had become increasingly challenging.

The decision came after the networking site faced questions for blocking the profiles of some journalists.

Notably, Apple’s supply chain is heavily reliant on China, which is also one of its biggest markets. The BBC report points to US politicians accusing Apple chief executive Tim Cook of hypocrisy for speaking out about American politics but staying quiet about China.

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have not provided any statement on the issue of Quran app deletion.