The Chinese government is orchestrating a significant plan concerning the nation's Muslim population. In the Xinjiang province, preparations are underway for the Sinicization (Sinicisation) of Muslims.
A senior Communist Party official, Ma Xingrui, endorses President Xi Jinping's plan, stating Sinicization of Islam is mandatory in Muslim-majority Xinjiang.
During Beijing's annual parliamentary session, the regional party chief Xingrui agreed that Islam's Sinicization in Xinjiang is an inevitable trend.
These statements by Xingrui follow President Xi's, from six months prior, advocating the promotion of Sinicization in the country.
What is the Sinicization of Islam?
Embedding non-Han communities into Chinese culture is vital, yet there's a strong drive to ensure Islamic assimilation into Chinese ethos, ideology, and ethnic norms.
China worries about the loyalty of Xinjiang's Muslim society, leading to persistent suspicion and resulting in the destruction of many mosques. In Xinjiang, China has erected large camps, purportedly exploiting the Muslim populace.
China's Oppression of Uighur Muslims
China faces ongoing criticism for persecuting Uighur Muslims. Human rights groups claim that over the past few years, about a million Uighurs have been forcibly detained. According to reports, China has restricted Uighur worship in Xinjiang and continuously demolished mosques.
In August last year, a UN rights chief report by Michelle Bachelet highlighted the dire situation of Uighurs in Xinjiang. It mentioned possible crimes against humanity by the Chinese government, including forced detentions, rape, torture, forced labor, coerced sterilization of Uighur women, and separation of Uighur children from their families.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted last year that China is committing genocide not just against Uighur Muslims but against humanity. Earlier in 2021, the UK Parliament addressed the atrocities committed by China on Uighur Muslims. In 2018, a UN Human Rights Committee confirmed credible reports that China detained around one million Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Who are the Uighurs?
Uighurs are a minority Muslim ethnic group endogenous to Central Asia, speaking a language akin to Turkish. Most Uighurs reside in China's Xinjiang region, with about 12 million people. Additionally, China houses many other persecuted Muslim groups, including Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Kyrgyz.
