BEIJING: President Xi Jinping has instructed authorities to redouble their efforts to defend the notion that Islam in China must have a Chinese orientation and that faiths in the nation must conform to the socialist society advocated by the governing Communist Party of China.
Xi visited the volatile Xinjiang region, where Chinese security forces have worked for years to quell demonstrations by Uygur Muslims against settlements by Han Chinese from outside the province.
Xi spoke with authorities during his four-day trip to the area, which began on July 12. The state media said that he emphasised developing a strong feeling of community for the Chinese nation by promoting exchanges, contacts, and integration among diverse ethnic groups.
Xi emphasised the need of enhancing the governance ability of religious matters and achieving the healthy growth of religions.
According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, he stated that greater efforts should be made to defend the premise that Islam in China must have a Chinese orientation and to adapt faiths to socialist society.
Xi stressed that the natural religious requirements of believers must be met and that they must be unified firmly around the party and the government.
In recent years, the president has advocated for the “sinicization” of Islam, which generally refers to aligning it with the goals of the ruling Communist Party.
Xi urged for the education and guidance of all ethnic groups in order to enhance their identification with the homeland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China (CPC), and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
China has been accused of systematic imprisonment of Uygur Muslims in camps, which Beijing defines as centres for deradicalization and education.
China accuses the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) of carrying out multiple terrorist assaults in the region.
Beijing further minimises western claims of severe human rights crimes against Uygur Muslims and refutes US and EU claims of a genocide against Muslims in the province.
Michelle Bachelet, the head of the UN Human Rights Council, recently visited Xinjiang following a protracted negotiating process with Beijing to investigate reports of the incarceration of over a million Uygur Muslims of varying ages as part of China’s campaign on Islamist terrorists.
At the conclusion of her visit to Xinjiang on May 28, Bachelet stated that she had raised questions and concerns regarding the application of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, as well as their broad application, in particular their impact on the rights of Uygurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.
