ADHRRF – In recent years, in order to sinicize Islam, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have launched campaigns to suppress religion in Xinjiang. Since March this year, the authorities also launched a large-scale campaign to crack down on religion in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), forcibly implementing the “sinicization” of mosques. All mosques in Ningxia and other buildings with Arabic and Saudi style have been demolished.
In early July 2018, the reporter visited Tongxin County, which is under the jurisdiction of Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and saw the domes of some mosques had been demolished.
A local akhund told the reporter: “The dome is the symbol of Islam. The government did so with the purpose of sinicizing Islam. The state is afraid that we’ll be arabized, so they are trying every possible means to sinicize Islam in China. Overseas believers of Islam can speak in Arabic, while believers of Islam in China are not allowed to speak in Arabic but Chinese.”
“Arabized” and “Saudi Arabized” Mosques have been long known to be demolished in Xinjiang. An informant from Shihezi city, Xinjiang disclosed to the reporter that the local government required that all the mosques be demolished, and a few be rebuilt with colored steel plates in accordance with the regulations of the authorities; Only Chinese characters are allowed to be used in the temple rather than Arabic. He also said that there are the CCP officials stationed in all mosques now, who often give lectures to Islamic believers in accordance with the requirements of the central authorities.
On April 19, 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued a red-headed document entitled Suggestions on Strengthening and Improving Islamic Work Under the New Circumstances, which clearly stipulates that the de-Sinicization of Islam should be curbed and corrected, Saudi Arabization and Arabization of Islamic venues and costumes should be strictly forbidden, and Islamic venues should be built, rebuilt or expanded mainly in Chinese style.
