Religion: Islam Flashcards
Who were the Uighur people? What were they promised in 1949?
- Uighur people were an ethnic group native to Xinjiang in Nothwestern China who were Muslim.
- In 1949 they were welcomed by the ‘peaceful liberation’ by the PLA. They were promised full autonomy by Mao a decade before.
Why was Islam seen as a threat to the CCP?
Their demands for independence were recognise in Xinjiang when it was named the Autonomous Region in October 1955 meaning it a greater local government.
Religious leaders held great power.
What actions did the CCP take against those who practiced Islam during the Great Leap Forward?
GLF activities such as worshiping or reading scripture were reduced to devote more time to economic production.
The regime encouraged the mass migration of Han people into the region in order to dilute the influence of traditional religious beliefs.
What actions did the CCP take against those who practiced Islam during the Cultural Revolution in Xinjiang?
Attacks on mosques were renewed, many were turned into stables or slaughterhouses.
Religious leaders attacked and were given menial jobs like cleaning sewers.
Forced to write self-denunciations and swear loyalty to the regime.
Ordered to raise and eat pigs to make them more Han Chinese (direct challenge to religious sentiment).
What actions did the CCP take against those who practiced Islam during the Cultural Revolution in the rest of China?
Islamic intellectuals were targeted.
Ibrahim Mutte’i was tortured by having volumes of a multilingual dictionary he had edited dropped on his head.
Men were forced to shave their beards.
What motivated the CCP’s policy towards Islam?
The policy was motivated by the fear of Uighur people wanted independence for Xinjiang would ally themselves with them. Given that Xinjiang bordered other Muslim minorities in the Soviet Union, the CCP were concerned that Xinjiang would ally themselves with them.
What were the successes of the policy towards Islam?
- The Immam’s judicial authority was removed and they were forced to attend ‘thought reform’ for indoctrination.
- Uigurs recited ‘Long live Chairman Mao’ in Chinese to avoid punishment.
- Traditional dress was abandonment in favour of ‘Mao suits’ which were drab workers’ overalls.
- New regime controlled by Beijing, compelled Muslim children to leave mosque schools and attend government schools instead.
- Marxism (not the Quar’an) was on the curriculum.
- Zakat (Religious Tithe) was abolished and redistribute too the poor.
What were the failures of the policy towards Islam?
- Followers of Islam fought back - over a thousand people people killed in Gansu. In response, the regime ordered that cadres be more respectful of Islamic customs. This formed the Islamic association of China to encourage cooperation.
- Muslim religious leaders (Imams) held real authority in their communities and therefore represented a clear challenge to communist rule.
