URUMQI — Senior officials of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region shared iftar with Muslims for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at night on July 17.

Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief of the region, and regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir attended the event joined by over 200 religious people.

In his holiday address, Zhang conveyed his wishes to the Muslims in Xinjiang.

Ramadan is a holy and auspicious month for Muslims, during which they could purify the heart, strengthen the mind and contemplate over the doctrine, he said.

It is also an occasion for them to get together with their families, Zhang added.

He said religious people and nonreligious people in Xinjiang live in harmony and amity with each other, stand together safeguarding peace, unity, justice and dignity, and worked together to build a beautiful home.

He cited examples where Muslims offered help to others in need and cared for each other during this year’s Ramadan.

Abduxikar Rehmutolla, an Imam in Urumqi, said “the government helped us renovate the mosque and resolve some other problems”, presenting a Muslim hat to Zhang to express thanks to the government.

Xinjiang, with some 24,000 mosques, is home to more than 13 million Muslims. They celebrate Eid al-Fitr on July 18.