'Sinicisation' of Islam 'inevitable' in Xinjiang, says top Chinese official

Ma Xingrui, Xinjiang's top Communist Party official said on Thursday (Mar 7) that the "Sinicisation" of Islam in the Muslim-majority region in northwestern China is "inevitable". Notably, Sinicisation is an act or process of making something more Chinese in character.

The regional party's chief speakingon the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing told reporters,"Everyone knows that Islam in Xinjiang needs to be Sinicised, this is an inevitable trend."

China is accused of human rights violationof more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. The US has even accused China of mass detention, torture, forced labour and genocide in Xinjiang.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The Western nations have alleged that China abused people in Xinjiang, including mass incarceration, forced labour, compulsory sterilisation and the destruction of Uyghur cultural and religious sites.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for the "Sinicisation" of religions including Islam, Buddhism and Christianity, urging followers to pledge loyalty to the Communist Party above all else.

A report published by an Australian think-tank highlights that about two-thirds of mosques in Xinjiang have been damaged or destroyed since 2017.

Ma, the former governor of Guangdong province who was transferred to Xinjiang in 2021, and other regional officials praised region'seconomic development during the news conference.

They also refuted US allegations of forced labour and cultural genocide and stressed the need to "coordinate security and development"

Watch:North Korea leader Kim Jong Un orders heightened war preparations

He noted that the region was open to foreign tourism and investment, further adding that the three forces — ethnic separatism, religious extremism and violent terrorist forces — are still active now, but "we cannot be afraid (to open up) because they exist".

In the aftermath of a spate of violent ethnic protests, Beijing launched a harsh security crackdown in Xinjiang in 2017.

Several rights groups have alleged that the Chinese crackdown saw over a million people from several Muslim minorities detained in re-education camps.

"We have carried out a severe crackdown on terrorist activities, promulgated and implemented anti-terrorism laws to ... combat various forms of terrorism," senior Xinjiang parliamentarian Wang Mingshan said.

(With inputs from agencies)