China Ramps Up ‘Sinicization’ Campaign to Bring Islam in Line with Communist Party Ideology

In a sweeping effort to reduce foreign influence and strengthen the Chinese Communist Party’s control, the Chinese government has been aggressively pushing for the “sinicization” of Islam across the country.

More details in the following report:

China has been pursuing a ‘sinicisation’ policy to make Islam in China more ‘Chinese’, leading to transformations such as the removal of ‘foreign’ architectural features from mosques and the introduction of Chinese-language equivalents for Arabic ‘halal’ signs in restaurants, East Asia Forum reported in an article yesterday.

It mentions that, under President Xi Jinping’s directive, mosques are being stripped of their traditionally Arabic architectural features, such as domes and minarets, which are being replaced with more “Chinese-style” pagoda roofs. Muslim restaurants are also required to remove Arabic-language “halal” signage in favor of Chinese-language equivalents.

“The forced renovations of mosques have been accompanied by a series of interventions into the lives of mosque communities,” the text states. This includes measures to ensure religious education aligns with “socialism with Chinese characteristics” and restrictions on teaching Arabic.

The sinicization campaign is justified by the government as a means of combating the “infiltration of ‘foreign forms of Islam'” and safeguarding China’s national stability and development. However, critics argue it is part of a broader effort to assimilate ethnic and religious minorities into a state-defined version of Chinese identity loyal to the Communist Party.

“The term ‘sinicisation of religion’ was first used by Xi Jinping in 2015, not long after the inauguration of the 2014 ‘Strike Hard Against Violent Terrorism’ campaign in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” the text notes.

While the campaign has been less overtly coercive outside of Xinjiang, where mass detention of Uyghurs has occurred, it still poses a significant threat to the cultural and religious practices of Muslim communities across China.

“Of particular concern to many are the restrictions on teaching children about Islam, which remains tightly intertwined with Hui heritage — a potentially existential threat to cultural transmission,” the report states.

Ultimately, the sinicization of Islam appears to be part of the Communist Party’s broader agenda to assert its ideological supremacy and eliminate perceived threats to its power and vision for a “modern Chinese community.”