China’s Xinjiang authority urges ‘Sinicisation’ of Islam amid ongoing suppression of ethnic minorities

Xinjiang’s top Communist Party official stated on Thursday that the “Sinicisation” of Islam in the Muslim-majority region in northwestern China is “inevitable”, Reuters reported.

Talking to reporters at a briefing on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing, regional party chief Ma Xingrui reiterated the need for Islam in Xinjiang to be Sinicised and praised the economic development in the region.

The official also refuted allegations of forced labor and cultural genocide, and highlighted the need to “coordinate security and development” in the face of ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorist forces.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly pushed the “Sinicisation” of religions including Islam, Buddhism and Christianity, urging followers to pledge loyalty to the Communist Party above all else.

This comes amid ongoing accusations of human rights abuses, including the damage or destruction of two-thirds of mosques in Xinjiang since 2017.

Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering around 10 million in Xinjiang, have faced continued persecution and ideological crackdown from the Chinese Communist Party.