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The Hui Muslim community that China has begun to identify as a threat. Photo/REUTERS
JAKARTA – Hui Muslims are one of the Islamic ethnic groups who are now starting to be identified as a threat by China .
Because of this, the Chinese government often issues controversial regulations that are against freedom of religion. The latest regulation is a prohibition for Muslims to fast during Ramadan.
Launching from Radio Free Asia, the prohibition of fasting in Ramadan is shown for the two major Muslim ethnic groups in China; Uighurs and Hui.
Different from the Uyghur ethnic group, who often face discrimination from the Beijing government, Hui Muslims are an ethnic group that has always been close to and protected by the indigenous Chinese.
Unfortunately, this protection does not apply to the prohibition of fasting during Ramadan. The Beijing government has considered ethnic Muslims in China as a threat that must be resolved through forced assimilation.
Until the entire Islamic culture in China will be eliminated and the entire society will only adhere to the culture set by the government. This rule is almost the same as that which has been applied in North Korea for a long time.
Condition of Hui Muslims in China
Unlike the Uighurs who are only in Xinjiang, Hui Muslims are not limited by territory. They live in various corners of the city of China and mingle with the natives.
The Hui Muslim group is unique in that they represent the only one of China’s 56 officially designated national groups whose religion is one of the unifiers of identity.
Hui Muslims also speak Mandarin and consider it their “Mother Tongue”. In addition, they have also begun to assimilate with the Han tribe (native Chinese).
Their mosques, a harmonious blend of traditional Chinese dynastic architecture with Islamic motifs, are a perfect manifestation of the assimilation of Hui Muslims.