Chinese Muslims told to preach Communism in mosques
The Chinese government has recently intensified its control over the country’s Muslim population, and the latest move involves instructing mosques to promote communism as well.
According to reports, state officials in the northern province of Ningxia have been holding meetings with mosque leaders, telling them to integrate communist ideology into their sermons.
This move is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing efforts to “Sinicize” religion, which involves forcing religious groups to adopt Chinese culture and Communist Party ideology. The government has been cracking down on Islam in particular, with reports of mosques being demolished and Muslims being sent to internment camps for “re-education.”
The officials have reportedly told the mosque leaders that they should “guide the believers to love the party, love the country and to obey laws and regulations.”
They have also been instructed to promote “patriotic education” and the “core socialist values” in their sermons.
This move has been met with resistance from some Muslims in Ningxia, who feel that it goes against the principles of their faith.
They argue that their religion is separate from politics and that the government has no right to interfere in their religious practices.
The Chinese government has also been accused of using religion to promote its own political agenda. In Xinjiang province, where the majority of the population is Muslim, the government has been accused of using Islamic symbols and language to promote its policies while cracking down on the practice of Islam itself.
The international community has expressed concern over the Chinese government’s treatment of its Muslim population.
The United Nations has called for an end to the internment camps in Xinjiang, and several countries have criticized China’s human rights record.
This latest move to promote communism in mosques is likely to further exacerbate tensions between the Chinese government and its Muslim population.
It remains to be seen how the mosque leaders in Ningxia will respond to these instructions, and whether they will be able to resist the government’s attempts to control their religious practices.