(Daily Times) Every Ramzan, the Muslim world rails at China. The country’s eight million Uyghurs in Xinjiang are officially “discouraged” – but really banned — from fasting in the holy month. The Communist Party of China (CCP) explains it is important to “eat properly for study and work”. The rest of the year it cracks down on beards and scarves, and forces Uyghurs to sell pork and alcohol. On the surface, China is patently anti-Islam but that is not the case. A larger Muslim community thrives in the communist state with remarkable religious freedom. Perception is key here: for China, its 11 million Hui Muslims are “model citizens” when compared to the unruly Uyghurs. […]
Sean Roberts, from George Washington University, says, “Xinjiang is of great strategic importance to China right now,” and cannot remain restive. The reality is that the CCP desires absolute control over all aspects of Chinese society. The day the Uyghurs stop asking for a separate homeland, all their troubles will go away. As the Hui can testify, Islam was never the reason for their predicaments.
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