Opinion

China and its Muslim communities

August 15, 2018

CHINA has denied a claim that it has rounded up a million Muslim Uighurs from its Xinjiang region and is holding them in camps. The claim was made by a US lawyer, Gay McDougall, at a UN meeting last week. While the Chinese denial was to be expected, the manner in which it was made was a surprise.

McDougall made her allegation at a Geneva meeting of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. China sent a delegation of no less than 50 officials to the gathering. On Monday its head, Hu Lianhe insisted that everyone in Xinjiang enjoyed equal rights and that the assertion that a million Uighurs were detained was completely untrue. But Hu then went on to add that “those deceived by religious extremism” were being “assisted by resettlement and reeducation”.

It is reported that there was a notable stir in the room at the statement. The history of Communist China’s diplomacy shows that it always subscribes to the mantra “Never apologize, never explain”. While it is just possible that Hu spoke out of turn, it seems unlikely that such a relatively senior party official with such a large retinue would have made a mistake. And Chinese media have taken up and sought to reinforce his words.

Beijing has long been confronted with unrest in what it calls the Uighur Autonomous Region. For the Turkic Uighur, proud descendants of the allies of Genghis Khan’s conquering Mongols, who are thought to have provided the Mongols with their first written script, their history under Communist Chinese rule has been anything but autonomous. As in Tibet, the Chinese authorities have imported large numbers of Han Chinese, offering them financial incentives as well as favorable terms to settle in the region. Some claim that this has meant that the Uighur have become second-class citizens in their own land, with much of the economic and trading power being passed to the imported population.

Those defending Beijing’s actions insist that measures must be taken to protect China’s territorial integrity. However, the authorities now find themselves in conflict with another Chinese Muslim community that has long quietly accepted Beijing’s rule.

The Hui Muslims of Ningxia region in northwest China are involved in a confrontation with the authorities over the new Weizhou Grand Mosque. Two years in the building, the local communists now want this mosque demolished because it contravenes planning regulations and worshippers are attempting to prevent wrecking teams from reaching the building.


August 15, 2018
560 views
HIGHLIGHTS
Opinion
21 days ago

Saudi Arabians remain unfazed by the 'buzz' of fools

Opinion
36 days ago

We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300

Opinion
51 days ago

Why is FinTech flourishing in Saudi Arabia?