MUSLIM MINORITIES                                                                     

Yojana Sharma on Islamic Revival in China

A grassroots Islamic revival among Turkic ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, north-west China, is being closely watched by the Beijing government. China is concerned that the development could fan a separatist movement in the region. While Beijing insists that the separatist movement of the Uigur ethnic minority, who have been calling for an independent homeland of "East Turkestan" for decades, represent a tiny minority, recent reports out of Xinjiang say that China has resorted to a severe crackdown on religious activity in the region. In April, for example, the local communist authorities banned publication of any books or cassettes on Islam without official approval.

"All books dealing with Islam must be published by the Xinjiang People's Publication House after approval from the authorities", the official "Xinjian Daily" said. "It is absolutely forbidden to publish books and cassettes that go against the policies and laws of the country."

Analysts said religious books and cassettes were increasingly being smuggled across the border from the Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan all former Soviet Republics as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Even state-sanctioned religious activity has revealed an Islamic revival, albeit in a typically controlled manner. For example, this year a record number of Chinese Muslims were sponsored by the State-run Bureau of Religious Affairs in Beijing to travel to Mecca for 'Haj. At least 1,000 had applied this year a dramatic rise over the average 200 annually travelling to Mecca since 1949 when the Communists came to power. Religious leaders among the Muslim community do not play the same role in the Uigur nationalist movement as Tibetan monks play in Tibet's struggle.

Nonetheless, the perceived threat posed by the rise in "religious fanaticism" has led to a clampdown on what Beijing and local communist authorities say are "illegal and reactionary activities" among religious leaders in Xinjiang. Only these "politically loyal" religious leaders would be allowed to serve in mosques.

Analysts link the resurgence of religious fervor to the collapse of the Soviet Union, which has led to Muslims in the Central Asian republics taking a more important role in local politics making it easier for Xinjiang Muslims to seek assistance from over the border, including religious texts and arms. The May 7 edition of the Xinjiang Daily cited an increase in bombings and "terrorist activities" in the region, claiming that extremists were "using the cloak of religion to incite holy wars". Referring to a "revived dynamism" and "intensified infiltrative, splittist and subversive activities", of the nationalist groups, the paper quoted local Communist Party leaders as saying that separatism.

The Association of Indian Muslims of

America, Silver Spring, USA's Memorandum

to President of India, 20 May, 1996

The anti-minority government of the Shiv Sena Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra... recently completed one year in office. In this one year, this government has violated many basic human rights of the Muslim citizens in Maharashtra. A few notable examples are:

In January 1996, the Enquiry Commission headed by Justice Srikrishna to enquire into the horrendous anti- Muslim violence in Bombay in December 1992 and January 1993, was abolished by the State Government.

In February 1996, Mr. Manohar Joshi, the Shiv Sena Party Chief Minister of Maharashtra, led a 20,000 strong contingent of his followers, with the abetment of the Maharashtra police, in a march to the ancient shrine at the tomb of the revered Muslim saint Baba Abdur Rahman Malang. They desecrated the shrine known for religious rites and forcibly converted the shrine into a century as Haji Malang shrine, performed Hindu shrine supposedly for a Hindu saint, Baba Machandar Nath. This incident is very similar to the forcible demolition of the ancient Babari mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992.

In March 1995, the Shiv Sena/BJP Government of Maharashtra deleted the names of several thousand Muslim citizens of Bombay from the electoral rolls.

In March 1995, the Shiv Sena/BJP Government of Maharashtra abolished the Minorities Commission of the Government abolished the Urdu Academy. These State in December 1995, the Shiv Sena/BJP acts of the Government of Maharashtra have created an atmosphere of tremendous insecurity and fear among the Constitution of India we appeal to you to take effective Muslims in Maharashtra. In the name of the steps to prevent the Maharashtra Government from violating the human rights of Muslims. We also appeal to you to roll back the unjust decisions of the Maharashtra Government.

and religion were the main factors affecting Xinjiang's stability. Beijing had hoped to counter such activity Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan aimed at when China last month signed a treaty with Russia. securing a lasting peace along its long border with the former Soviet Union. But activists acting independently from the Kazakh Government, claim they have more than one million supporters across the border and that 27 secret organizations are active in China.

Such claims may have triggered the latest crackdown on suspected terrorists and separatists in the province which led to 1,700 arrests during a six-day purge.

(Source: The Pioneer, 18 July, 1996)