Apple removed one of the most popular Quran apps of the world, “Quran Majeed,” from the app store in China, following a request from the Chinese officials. The app is available all over the world on the App Store – and has almost one hundred fifty thousand reviews. Millions of Muslims were using this app. Moreover, BBC understands that Apple removed the app for hosting illegal religious texts.

On the other hand, the Chinese administration refused to respond to the request of BBC for comment. A website that monitors apps on the App Store globally of Apple, Apple Censorship, initially noticed the deletion of the app. PDMS, the app’s maker company, stated that according to Apple, they removed the Quran Majeed app from the China App Store because it includes content that requires further documentation from the Chinese authorities.

Apple removed popular Muslim app Quran Majeed from China’s app store after officials claimed it has illegal texts, reports BBC.

China is accused of persecuting Muslims, including mass sterilization and forcing over 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims into “re-education” camps. pic.twitter.com/mcBzHe6XZl

— AJ+ (@ajplus) October 15, 2021

Further, the company added that they are trying to communicate with the Cyberspace Administration of China and relevant Chinese officials to resolve the issue. PDMS said it had close to one million users in China. Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party officially announced to recognize Islam as a religion in the country. Formerly, the world community accused China of violating human rights and even genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghur community in Xinjiang.

Removal of Google and Apple Tactical Voting App

Apple directed the BBC to its Human Rights Policy which states that they are required to obey the local laws of any country, and at times there are composite issues about which they may disagree with governments. But it is not clear what rules the Quran app broken in China. Thirty-five million Muslims internationally trusted the Quran Majeed app. In September, Google and Apple removed a strategic voting app that jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny devised.

Russian officials threatened to fine the two tech giants if they refused to took down the app, which told users who could overthrow ruling party candidates. China considers as one of the biggest markets of Apple, and the supply chain of the company is heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing. Tim Cook, the Chief Executive, accused of duplicity from politicians in the United States for speaking out about the politics of America but staying quiet about China.

Cook criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration’s ban of seven Muslim-majority nations in 2017. However, he also accused of complying with the Chinese government’s censorship – and not openly criticizing it for its treatment of minorities, especially Muslims in the country. The New York Times reported that Apple removed apps in China if considered off-limits from the concerned Chinese authorities earlier this year. Topics that apps can’t discuss, include the Dalai Lama, the Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong, independent for Taiwan and Tibet, and the Tiananmen Square.

Apple also took down Olive Tree’s Bible App in China

The project director at Apple Censorship, Benjamin Ismail, said that Apple turned into the censorship bureau of Beijing. Apple also took down another religious app of Christians, Olive Tree’s Bible app, from its app store this week in China. Furthermore, the company told news agencies that they had removed the Bible app themselves.

The spokesman of the Olive Tree said that Apple informed them during the review process of the App Store that they were required to provide a permit representing their approval to distribute an app with magazine or book content in mainland China. On Friday, the Mac Observer reported that the Amazon-owned podcast and audiobook service, Audible, last month removed its app from the app store of Apple in China because of permit requirements.

Microsoft announced on Thursday that it was closing LinkedIn, its social media network, in mainland China and said that complied with the Chinese government become increasingly challenging. They decided after the career-networking site faced questions from the Chinese technical authorities for blocking or banning the profiles of some journalists.

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