The Chinese government is carrying out its religious persecution with impunity. In his latest attack, he has cracked down on all churches – Catholic and Protestant – in the country by ordering the removal of images of Jesus and their replacement with images of President Xi Jinping, according to a US government report on anti-religious activities . in China.
In the continuing saga of ‘Sinicization’, China has placed emphasis on aligning or shaping all religions to suit the principles of the CCP (Communist Party of China) and the customs of the majority Han Chinese population.
Since President Xi Jinping came to power in March 2013, officials have emphasized adherence to Communist Party values such as speaking only in Mandarin Chinese and rejecting all foreign influence that could threaten China’s unity.
What is sinicization?
Sinicization is the process in which non-Chinese groups or societies are integrated into Chinese culture. This process involves the adoption of Chinese language, culture, ethnic identity, and social norms.
Sinicization is also a part of the Chinese government’s policy of subordinating religious groups to the political agenda of the Communist Party of China (CCP). The policy of Sinicization has been initiated under the leadership of Xi Jinping and has changed the religious landscape of China. Some of the actions initiated by the government include:
1) Keeping CCP supporters as religious leaders
2) Replacing the design of religious places like mosques, churches, etc. with CCP-approved architecture
3) Mixing CCP propaganda with religious principles
4) Outlawing non-CCP supported religious activities
China is officially an atheist country but it recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Daoism, Islam, and Protestantism. The practice of any other faith is formally prohibited.
While the Chinese Constitution (Article 36) mentions that citizens ‘enjoy freedom of religious belief’ and prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, the law regulates religion by restricting state organs, public organizations, etc. This prevents citizens from following any belief.
The anti-religious campaign launched by President Xi is supported by all state-controlled religious organizations.
There is also a perception that domestic religions such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism do not challenge the CCP’s rule, but others do.
Why is China afraid of Buddhists and Christians?
Tibetan Buddhists living in the Tibetan region of China have faced high levels of religious persecution. Chinese authorities keep a close eye on the daily operations of its major monasteries. Despite China’s tight surveillance, there are frequent reports of monks and nuns being detained and tortured for refusing to condemn the Dalai Lama. Followers of the Dalai Lama have also been ordered to replace his photographs with photographs of Chinese leaders. China fears ‘external influence’ from exiled Dalai Lama.
According to a recently declassified US government report, “The government has ordered crosses to be removed from churches, replaced images of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary with pictures of President Xi, and posted signs of CCP abuse at the entrances of churches. have mandated sloganeering, censored religious texts, implemented CCP-approved religious materials, and instructed clergy to propagate CCP ideology.
The Vatican cannot raise the issue of repression of about 10 to 12 million Catholics because it does not have diplomatic relations with China.
The Vatican’s recognition of Taiwan and the controversy over the bishop appointment process in China have been sources of controversy. Recently, the two countries have come to a kind of agreement whereby the Pope has recognized a number of Chinese state-appointed bishops.
By now, Christians have completely rejected government-controlled churches and are instead worshiping independently.
How did China target Muslims?
Muslims constitute about 1 to 1.5% of China’s population. Reports of China’s genocide against the Uyghur population and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have been circulating for years now.
According to China’s 2020 census, there are more than 11 million Uyghurs in the region. The Uyghurs were brutalized because they spoke a language similar to Turkish, and considered themselves culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian countries.
More than a million Uighurs have been detained over the years in a vast network of what China calls its ‘re-education camps’ and hundreds of thousands have been sentenced to prison. Mass sterilization has been carried out to control the Uyghur population and thousands have been recruited by China to work as forced laborers in farms and factories.
Authorities have banned their religious practices in the area and made mosques and tombs non-operational. Despite the outcry from human rights groups and the entire world, China’s atrocities against the Uyghurs have not stopped.
For a long time, Hui Muslims were fortunate to escape the Chinese government’s tight control as the latter focused its attention on Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.
In 2020-21, China targeted the Hui Muslim community by removing domes and minarets from thousands of mosques across the country. Then, as now, Chinese officials felt that the domes were signs of foreign Saudi and Arabic religious influence. They demolished the domes because they were symbols of Islamic architecture – and were not Chinese in origin. This was part of an ongoing effort to traditionalize Muslims as Chinese. As part of the process, mosques were closed and mosque properties were acquired by the government and imams were arrested.
Reactions from around the world
Of course, China has repeatedly denied all allegations and continues to reject allegations that it is oppressing the Uyghur population and other minorities.
America and Western countries have reprimanded China many times. He submitted a draft resolution requesting a discussion in the UN Human Rights Council regarding the Xinjiang report in October 2022. The draft resolution failed by a narrow margin of two votes. But many countries are silent on this issue.
India and ten other countries abstained from the UN vote against China over the human rights situation in the Xinjiang region.
However, officially India took the stance that the human rights of the community should be “respected”. Amid border issues, India has been treading cautiously on geopolitical issues with China at international forums.
The response of many countries to the Uyghur issue is based on political calculations about how they have aligned with China.
