: China’s Crackdown on Muslims Threatens its Gains

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According to a recent Amnesty International report, China has been taking advantage of the current political climate to make sweeping arrests of Muslims in China’s far west. It’s not the first time China has taken such action, although hardly any terrorism can be traced to the region. Many of the abuses, which will be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights, are similar to those of other religious minorities, such as the Falun Gong. Strict government controls over religious doctrine (training Imams, urging Muslims not to fast, etc.) and accusations of complicity with Osama bin Laden have frightened regional Muslims into submission. Cooperation with India has also replaced a long-standing lean in the region towards Muslim Pakistan. With two of China’s most recent foreign policy successes locked up (WTO admission and the 2008 Olympics), China appears to be testing the limits of religious subjugation, an endeavour made easier by worldwide anxiety over Muslim extremism.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.