“Several mosques in riot-hit Uruumqi opened for Friday prayers, despite notices posted earlier saying they would be closed in the wake of ethnic violence that left 156 dead. It was not immediately clear if there was a change of policy or if the mosques were opened because crowds gathered outside them. The Friday afternoon prayers are a focal point of the week for the minority Muslim Uighurs. … It was not known if all the mosques across the city of 2.3 million people were opened. Notices had been posted at the mosques saying they would be closed, and an official, who refused to give her name, said they would not be open for ‘the sake of public safety’ after widespread ethnic violence between Uighurs (pronounced WEE-ger) and the majority Han Chinese.” (07/10/09)