According to the BBC, Apple has removed one of the world’s most popular Quran app in China in response to a request from Chinese officials.
Quran Majeed is available on the App Store worldwide and has nearly 150,000 reviews.
Apple, on the other hand, removed the Quran app at the request of officials in China, allegedly for hosting illegal religious texts, according to the company.
According to the report, Apple Censorship – a website that monitors apps on Apple‘s App Store globally – was the first to notice the app’s deletion.
Islam is officially recognised as a religion in China by the Chinese Communist Party.
China, on the other hand, has been accused of human rights violations, if not genocide, against the mostly Muslim Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang.
It is not clear what rules the app has broken in China. Quran Majeed says it is “trusted by over 35 million Muslims globally”, the report added.
Both Apple and Google removed a tactical voting app designed by imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last month.
Russian authorities had threatened to fine the two companies if they did not remove the app, which informed users about who could unseat ruling party candidates.
Apple’s largest market is China, and the company’s supply chain is heavily reliant on Chinese manufacturing.
Politicians in the United States have accused Apple CEO Tim Cook of hypocrisy for speaking out on American politics while remaining silent on China.
