Beijing: The world knows what kind of atrocities Muslims are facing in China. But why is this being done to Muslims there? Why are they not being given religious freedom? Why are they not even given the freedom to wear beards, wear hats and read Nawaz in the mosque? Why Muslims are forcibly sterilized by keeping them in detention camps? China has tried to cover up the vandalism on Muslims through state media, describing its actions as ‘sinicization of Islam’.
China has also said that to increase patriotism among Muslims, the country is changing Islam according to local conditions.
The Chinese government’s mouthpiece Global Times has interviewed the president of China Islamic Association Yang Faming and quoted him as trying to dismiss allegations of atrocities on Muslims. Yang told during this interview that there are now 20 million Muslims in China. Yang is quoted as saying why Islam and Muslim lifestyle are being changed in China.
Yang was asked what is the current status of the Five Year Plan for the sinicization of Islam and why it is important? In response, he said that
In order to ensure the healthy development of Islam itself and the better adaptation of Islam to the socialist society with Chinese characteristics, the China Islamic Association has drawn up the outline for the five-year work plan (2018-22) for the religion’s sinicization in China. The outline laid out scientific plans for promoting patriotism, building a system of Islam classics with Chinese characteristics
The rules of Islam are being reformed. Remarkable work has been done in all these areas.
Yang further stated that The localization of religion is the basic practice of the development of religion worldwide. Only by respecting and complying with this practice can religion move forward in the right direction. Looking back at a millennium of the development of Islam in China, its sinicization is the only way to follow the practice of religious localization and the road to prosperity.
Significantly, in the name of curbing religious bigotry, China has banned the wearing of long beards of Muslims and wearing burqas in public places in Xinjiang province. Xinjiang has a majority of uyghur Muslims. It was also banned in Xinjiang during the fasting of Ramadan. Millions of Muslims have been imprisoned in China. They are forcibly sterilized and many other types of atrocities are done on them.