FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

China is taming its Muslims, not eradicating Islam

China is taming its Muslims, not eradicating Islam

Re: “Muslim in China’s Little Mecca fear eradication of Islam”, Insight, July 18.

This full-page article claims that China is oppressing the Hui-Muslim minority in Ningxia by “cutting off Islam at the root”.  
In fact China’s ethnic minorities have privileges that are equal or better to those enjoyed by the Han, the majority population of more than one billion. For example, minorities can have more than one child when the Han cannot. The renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou, a Han who also designed the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony, was fined millions of yuan for having an extra child. The minorities also have special quotas to study at university without having to compete for places with Han candidates. But when they make trouble, the government uses iron rule to efficiently maintain order and peace for China’s 1.3 billion population – something we don’t see in Thailand or the Western world.
In Thailand, we have allowed Muslims in the South to teach religious content rather than the Thai language (very few southerners can speak Thai). This leads to religious piety and fosters fanaticism which in turn spawns extremism and violence.
Myanmar is home to the latest example of violence concerning minorities, which is getting worse because Suu Kyi is failing to handle the problem properly.
May I suggest that the Western world learn a trick from the Chinese here, rather than condemn them.
Prasan Stianrapapongs

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