China tries to combine Islam with Confucianism in Xinjiang

Focus of meeting was to discuss need to reinterpret Quran in a way that is consistent with contemporary Chinese ideals

BEIJING, China – Chinese authorities had convened a meeting in Urumqi, Xinjiang, to discuss the integration of Islam with Confucian principles.

The meeting, held in late July, was part of a five-year initiative launched in 2018 but not yet fully implemented.

According to insiders, the focus of the meeting was to discuss the need to reinterpret the Quran in a way that is consistent with contemporary Chinese ideals.

Professor Wang Zhen of the Chinese Central Institute of Socialism, which organized the event, noted that the Sinicization of Islam in Xinjiang should reflect the historical development of societies.

This institute, which is under the Communist Party’s United Front Working Group, plays a central role in shaping China’s religious policy and was instrumental in drafting the sinicization plans.

Historically, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has perceived religion, especially when it implies higher authority, as a challenge to its dominant position.

Uighur Muslims have been increasingly suppressed under various pretexts.

David Stroup, an expert in Chinese studies at the University of Manchester, notes that the main goal of Sinicization is increased state control, which aims to bring everything under the control of the state.

The comprehensive 32-point plan identifies areas of concern, such as the spread of religious extremist ideology, the design of mosques with foreign influence, non-native dress among Muslims, and the overuse of halal labels.

A Sinicized Uyghur edition of the Quran is also proposed.

A popular 1980s translation by Muhemmed Salih was removed from bookstores in 2010 and replaced with a more expensive version that drew widespread criticism.