Islam Around The World!!! Give Your Contribution

[lizhong]

Salaam! I am from China as Brother Aladdin, but from a different province, Yunnan. Yunnan borders on Vietnam, Burma and Laos, not far from Thailand. The distance between Yunnan Province and Zhejiang Province is as far as France and Egypt. I don’t know Aladdin in true life, however, he posted the BBS’s website on a Chinese Muslim BBS so it guides me here and I believe more and more Chinese Muslim who understand English will visit here.

I’d like to make additional remarks on some questions you asked him.

(1) About Muslim population in China. 20 million is rather accurate (of cause, some of them are nominal Muslims). Some world Islamic organizations use false references, which tend to magnify Muslim population in China. These references claim there were 50 million Muslim in China before 1949. As you know, before 1949, China is in the charge of Chinese Kuomintang (now it is in Taiwan), and Kuomintang’s governance of China was in a mess. None population census was conducted in reality. So the number of 50 million is merely a guestimate, which is too rough to hold water, and to believe at all (I guess at that time there was several million Muslims). Due to China's isolation from the world long, Islamic organizations often refer to Taiwan’s false information, and this is the point.

The major event having impact on Chinese Muslim population is the anti-Qing Dynasty Muslim uprising in the mid-1800s, when the uprising failed many people were killed. Before the uprising, take the example of Yunnan Province, every one out of eight are Muslims. And now there are 600 thousands Muslims in Yunnan Province making up 1 to 1.5 percent of the total provincial population, 40 millions.

(2) Chinese Muslim can be classified into two categories: Xinjiang Muslim (or Muslim speaking Turkish Languages, or Turkish Muslim) and inland Muslim (or Muslim Speaking Chinese, or somethmes, Hui Muslim). The former includes six ethnic groups: Uigur, Kazakh, Tatar, Uzbeks, Kirghiz and Tajik; while the later covers: Hui, Dongxiang, Baoan and Salar (the population of Dongxiang, Baoan and Salar is relatively small, and they tend to think they are branches of Hui). Hui and Uigur are the two biggest Muslim communities and make up 80 to 90 percent of the total Muslim population. As for Hui, Swahili is a very good reference frame. According to the prevailing idea, just like Swahili is developed from intermarriage between Arab, Persian and local Bantu in Africa, Hui came from intermarriage between Central Asian mainly speaking various Persian Languages, Persian, Arab and Han. Han is the majority of Chinese accounting for 95% of the total, and when we say Chinese we usually mean Han, for example, Chinese language refers to Han language. These ten ethnic groups are usually called “ten Muslim ethnic groups” and the population of Muslim is calculated using that of the ten Muslim ethnic groups. Undoubtedly, Many people out of the ten Muslim ethnic groups believe in Allah including many Han people and they are very good Muslims. However Han Muslim fails to develop into a community independent of the “ten Muslim ethnic groups” so they have less influence on the majority of Chinese, the Hans. In China, Islam is traditionally regarded as the faith of ethnic minorities while most Chinese are non-believer——neither Islam, nor Christianity, nor Buddhism, nor Taoism, and even, nor communist.

There are also other people believing in Islam, even as far as Tibet. Muslims with the registered permanent residence in Tibet are about some thousands (besides, there are maybe dozens of thousands inland Muslim doing business there), whom are the offspring of inland Muslim and local Tibetan. They speaks Tibetan in ordinary life as well as religious activities, some of them have difficult to speak fluent Chinese. In Lhasa Masjid, Imam usually lectures first in Arabic and then in Tibetan to make what he tells understood.

There an ethnic group named “Dai” living in Xishuangbanna at the southern of Yunnan Province, Dai observes water-splashing festival as Thailand people and they share common cultures and religion. Some inland Muslims settled down here when their trade caravan on the way to Thailand was robbed by bandits. They married Dai women, formed two villages there. They are called “Paxi” or “Paxi Dai” or “Hui Dai”. In Chinese “Hui” has the meaning of “Muslim” and some scholars believe in Dai language Paxi has the meaning of “Persian”. All there indicates there are Muslims, as well as in the eyes of people around them. What the most interesting is, their Masjids are made of bamboo. Each of them all has three names: Chinese name, religious name (or Islamic name) and Dai name.

Chinese Muslim mainly lives in the Northwest of China including Xingjiang and Ningxia, Central North China and Chinese Central Plains as well. South and Southeast including Shanghai and Zhejiang Province are sparsely Muslim-populated relatively.

(3) Chinese Islamic Association, as well as its branches over the country, is the only Muslim organization In China. As you know, China is a country devoid of freedom of association. The authority is alert to any kind of association, even associations such as alumni association. As for Chinese Islamic Association itself, on one hand, you can’t count on it; on the other hand, it is indispensable and contributes a lot for Muslim. Things are just like that. By the way, I must say Christian in China has got a severer situation then other religions including Islam. And there is no denying that the situation is getting better since reform and opening-up.

(4) The main problem of Chinese Muslim is not the lack of religious professionals such as imams and ahungs, but the getting-away of the faith and the undevelopment of education, science and economy. In fact, near ten Islamic institutes aiming to bring up imams have been set up sponsored by the central government and by the aid of Muslim world, located in Beijing, Xinjiang and zhenzhou etc.. Besides, Chinese Muslim has the tradition to train young Muslims for imams in Masjids. Further more, many Arabic language schools have been established in some places where many Muslim lives in, and some of the graduates can serve Islamic activities where others act as Arabic-Chinese interpreters for Arabic companies doing business in China such as Guangzhou and shenzhen. On the other hand, how to educate the younger generation, ordinary of they, to be faithful Muslims remains (rather than Islamic professionals) a problem. Due to historical complex, Chinese Muslims are reluctant to learn Chinese culture or accept national education (common education) in some place and in a certain degree , so here is another problem, too. Education, including religion, science and technology, to ordinary Muslim is an urgent affair.

I make efforts to give you a picture of Chinese Muslim as objectively as possible. Brother Aladdin and I like to answer your questions concerning Chinese Muslim. Anyone who understand Chinese can click these Chinese Muslim websites: www.salamacn.net, www.Islamcn.net or www.kyaz.com. Your visit will be warmly welcomed. More and more Chinese Muslim brothers and sisters will visit the BBS, too.

[lizhong]

[b:04d6e99a54]self introduction [/b:04d6e99a54]

I’d like to introduce myself in a few words for brothers and sisters on the board in response to the administration’s question. I belong to Hui community, and it almost means I am a Muslim by birth. As I referred before a Muslim with Han identity in China commonly is a reverter.

My family lives in a township in the center part of Yunnan Province. After finishing my middle school, I enterred a university in Beijing and afterwards I came back working as an engineer in a design institute in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Provice.

My family name is Li. My grandfather’s grandfather is not a Muslim by birth. He was an ethnic Yi with the family Name of Pu living in the mountains in the neighborhood of a Hui Muslim district. Later, he got down and married my grandfather’s grandmother while became a Muslim. The children of them named Li perhaps because my grandfather’s grandmother’s family name was Li and the later descendants are all named Li. Today, they intermarry with other Muslims and develop into a big Muslim family.

However, Li is not a typical name of Hui Muslim. When the Ming Dynasty asked Muslims to adopt Chinese name, they usually used the first Chinese character of their original name. For example, the offspring of a family named Mohammed or Mustafa now named Ma. They are many Muslim distinctive names used by Chinese Muslims including Na, Sa, Ha etc., which come from Nasr al-Din, Salih, Hasan and the like respectively, while others picked up a name casually just because the name was popular, or it was an empire’s name, or an empire granted it, to avoid being regarded as non-natives. Nevertheless, why my grandfather’s grandmother’s family name is Li remains a mystery for me. Maybe the history of my family gives a picture how Islam develops in China.

[lizhong]

[b:876f71fd5b][u:876f71fd5b][i:876f71fd5b]<b>written by Aladdin [/b:876f71fd5b][/i:876f71fd5b][/u:876f71fd5b]</b>

Alaikum Asalaamu

there live more than 20 million muslim in China mainland. In accordance with the Constitution of the P.R.China, chinese muslim enjoy the freedom of religion, common chinese could claim any legal religion, at the same time, they could claim neither of them, and keep an antitheist. but, employee of the state are forbidden to show that they are believer, and the official religion of China is Communism. one of the vice premiers of China was born in a muslim family, but he is a member of China Communist Party(CCP), preseving some muslim habitude.

the Chinese Islamic Assotiations are entitled to monitor any enterprise which are licensed to produce halal. and the Islamic Assotiantions take charge of the quota of people to Hajj annually.

In Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, even teachers and students are prohibited from Islamic way of life, they are forbidden to salat and fast in school, because the goverment worry about the East Turkish disunionist. Xinjiang is special.

Many traditional chinese know little about Islam and Muslim, they even believe that pig is totem of Islam. most Muslim live in Northwest of China, many are illiterate, many parents do not hope their children go to school lest children be brought up antitheists. as a result, many tradditional Chinese think Islam ignorant and behind the time. Thanks to 911 miserable attack and Taliban, much more common Chinese considered Muslims are voilent,resulting from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. and the East Turkish disunionist is another reason why common Chinese dislike Islam.

As to Muslims in Taiwan, a seperated province of China, where lives about 60 thousands muslim. Most of them were emigration from China Mainland since 1949. I once talked to a sister whose husband work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan authority. I think Muslims in Taiwan must enjoy more freedom than that of Muslim from China Mainland. At any rate, the Taiwan authority dont prohibit officer from Islam.

[lizhong]

I have planned previously that someone should comment on the topic first and I make additional comments, only on behalf of myself rather than Chinese Muslims.

China is a country having considerable freedom of belief but not as much as some countries and regions including Hong Kong of course. I mean, practicing religion is free but preaching or publicizing it have been limited in a degree such as you can’t practice or preach religion outside approved religious sites including Christian churches, Buddhist and Taoist temples, and Masjids (in terms of this point, “family gathering” of Chinese Christian is illegal. This is why US government often accuses Chinese government). You can’t have media such as television and radio stations for religious purpose. Religious publications are permitted to circulate inside the religious communities but not in public bookstores. However, as for the last point, it is not observed strictly and the Koran and Bible are easily available in public bookstores. You can’t set up primary school or high school with religious lessons (however, many private Arabic schools admitting high school graduates are set up by Muslims and approved by the government while Christians and Buddhists don’t have the like schools, it seems there is a preference towards Muslims granted by the government in this respect. The reason may be Islam is related to minority problem, which is a serious one to be treated in China). This is a general picture of religion in China.

But, I am NOT INTERESTED IN the governmental policies. Since Chinese Christians do pretty well in absorbing new members under the same conditions, why can’t we? Several days ago, I talked with a Han Muslim (reverter) brother and both of us believe some Muslims in China use their energy in the wrong directions. They usually react far overly, emotionally and unduly towards some things that they deem profane Islam such as holding illegal or unapproved demonstrations, but, on the other hand, they lack the drive to preach as many Christians have done. If there are, the profanations are from misunderstanding and are not ill-natured in many cases. The Muslims’ behavior is in no means helpful to preaching Islam. Hence, even under the current conditions, if we do things in a right way, there is a great room for non-Muslim Chinese to revert. I am told that “family gathering” of Christians have been given a tacit consent while some Muslims seems afraid of taking such gatherings because some unapproved activities including demonstrations have defamed Muslims. There is a joke I was told in my hometown: the Huis (Muslims) are afraid of the Hans (non-Muslims), the Hans are afraid of the government, and the government are afraid of the Huis. Sound funny?

As for the image of Islam in China, I must confess twenty years ago were better than now. Why this happened? Because Bali Bombing and the like events have defamed Islam. I HATE these people who carried out Bali bombing not because I am interested in whether those killed or wounded are innocent or not (of course they are innocent but I am not interested), but because their actions do no good to Islam at all which only extinguish the traces of good impression towards Islam among some non-Muslims (if there are) and prevent more people from embracing. And I call on them to cease such actions immediately and unconditionally for the sake of Islam.

As for how common Chinese view Muslims, I’d like to quote a brother’s word, “My classmates have sympathy for Muslim counties but look down on it”. The argument is pretty typical especially for the last point. Why this happens? In my humble view, most Muslim countries are undeveloped even including Saudi Arabia who is wealthy but not good at science and technology (maybe Malaysia is the only exception who does good both in economy and religion, I am so gratified with this because Malaysia is the third semi-conductor exporter in the world and can produce automobiles). China is a country in rapid development and so that some Chinese tend to look down these who don’t. A girl with the net name of Zhenzhen visited Turkey and Egypt lately because Chinese citizens can tour the tow countries after a tourist agreement between China and them. Some of the impression she got are good while some are bad, and the bad is, in her words, “people there liter time away at café and are lazy” (I don’t mean to be impolite, my desire for the countries to be more developed is in no ways less than the brothers and sisters there. I do believe to be developed and to be religious are of equal importance, and this is true of Muslims in China). However, she gets interested in Islam after back, visits Islamic forums, discuss with us, and take the full advantage of the long vacation due to SARS to study Islam (It seems that she works in tourist line). Insha’ Allah, she may become a Muslim. Even now she is not a Muslim yet, she has sponsored four Muslims students in primary school or high school.

[Ali]

Assalaamoalaikum

There are some muslims (chinese/tibetan . i Can't tell the difference) in Pakistani madrassas. Also in some of the universities there are chinese people who speak Urdu fluently, not only that they write poetry too.

Ibn Insha (A pakistani traveller) went to China and was to visit a place where they taught Urdu to children so he had some books, but after meeting the children he knew that their Urdu was not rudimentary and therefore he never gave the books to the kids, cause the books were very elemantry.

-- Ali

[Taminah]

Biesmillahi Irrahmaan Irrahiem.

assalamu aleikum dear brothers,

marschallah I more and more come to the discover that there are many chinese Muslims in this Dunya. I am a converted Chinese muslim living in Holland.

It is indeed a truth for my experience that the Muslims are not known in general and "kept away" from the society in China. For the years I have been living in China I have never heard from the term of Muslims. Only the name of Hui minority was known to me, which I heard it was one or the minorities in China. It gave the impression that Muslims didn't even excist. It is only when I converted (Alhamdoellilah) to be a Muslim that I found out that there are so many Muslims in China too.. In the Netherlands the majority are Muslims from Marocco or Turkey, there are some Indonesian and Somalian Muslims too. Allahoe Alem, but as far as I know I am the only Chinese Muslim walking around in Holland.

Indeed education of the youth is a very important issue. We are obliged in the Islam to gain knowledge and not to be as unknown and follow others without using own mind.

What about the chinese muslims speaking urdu.. I would like to know some information about this. As I am planning to learn Urdu to Inschallah.

May Allah guide us and keep us to the right Path.

Taminah

[Angel]

assalaamu alaikum bro Taminah,

Glad to meet u here inshallah i am Muslim from China too..a born HUI inshallah.

Now we have a little forum about Muslims in China named JumhuriyatulIslaamiyah China[/color:664d32ca77] under this Forum:http://allaah.info/assajadah/index.php

It would be a great pleasure to have u join us and share ur conversion inshallah.. Welcome bro.. May u like here inshallah..

May ALLAH Tabaraka Ta`Ala spread His Wings of Mercy and Compassion on U and ur family inshallah..

care,

sis Angel

[lizhong]

Biesmillahi Irrahmaan Irrahiem.assalamu aleikum dear brothers,

marschallah I more and more come to the discover that there are many chinese Muslims in this Dunya. I am a converted Chinese muslim living in Holland.

It is indeed a truth for my experience that the Muslims are not known in general and "kept away" from the society in China. For the years I have been living in China I have never heard from the term of Muslims. Only the name of Hui minority was known to me, which I heard it was one or the minorities in China. It gave the impression that Muslims didn't even excist. It is only when I converted (Alhamdoellilah) to be a Muslim that I found out that there are so many Muslims in China too.. In the Netherlands the majority are Muslims from Marocco or Turkey, there are some Indonesian and Somalian Muslims too. Allahoe Alem, but as far as I know I am the only Chinese Muslim walking around in Holland.

Indeed education of the youth is a very important issue. We are obliged in the Islam to gain knowledge and not to be as unknown and follow others without using own mind.

What about the chinese muslims speaking urdu.. I would like to know some information about this. As I am planning to learn Urdu to Inschallah.

May Allah guide us and keep us to the right Path.

Taminah[/quote:6e4df585b9]

al-salaam Alaykum dear brother:

You are the second overseas Chinese converted Muslim I meet on the internet. and the other is one living in Germany.would u like to make known with him? if so, please vist here, his net name is Han Muslim:http://www.gawaher.com/i2/index.php?act=ST&f=78&t=766&st=15

No Chinese Muslim take Urdu as their mother tone, but there are some chinese muslims studying in Iislamabad

nternational Islamic University who learn Urdu. DO u mean u want to know somebody speaking Urdu? I try to find one for u.

I don't believe you are the only Chinese Muslim in holland, the only reason is that we are not well-informed and communicated. so please visit our forum, it is the only Chinese muslim forum in English as far as I know. i hope more and chinese Muslims overseas can hold together by it.

[naseeha]

I started off this thread just to tell every one about islam in my country and insha allah to find out about how islam was brought to your respective countries insha allah

Lemme give you all the full story ok... i read on...

<b>ISLAM IN TRINIDAD</b>

Well today the state of islam in my country is both good and bad...

But first let me tell you about the history of islam in Trinidad...

Trinidad started of as a plantation society, you know what thismeans... yes <b>Slavery!!!</b> So islam came to these shores firstly by the africans. However the plantation owners didnt want the africans to retain their old ways... so they were stripped of everything... EVEN ISLAM!!!!

When slavery was abolished in 1845 the plantation owners had to recruit more labour... so they turned to india... and the indians re-introduced islam into the country, and they maintained it... but introducung the indians caused a major social division... for years there has been racial tension between the blacks and whites... now that the indians were here the blacks didnt like them because they were not black, and the white didn't like them because they were not white.

Can any one guess what effect this would have on islam...

Yes

<b>LITTLE OR NO DA'WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!</b>

Islam remained an "indian" thing...

There was alot of problems here because what happened was that... Because the social society was divided by Race, the indians stuck together, both HINDU indians and MUSLIM indians...

well brothers and sisters you will wanna go and scream when i tell you what happened next...

you ready for this....

<b>MIXING OF RELIGIONS!!!!!!!!</b>

I AM NOT KIDDING......

THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED!!!!

SUBHANALLAH....



Even to today there are many customs practiced by the older muslims that have roots in hinduism... You see back then they didnt have much books they were too poor so they only got their info from their imam, who was not necessarily educated....

Anyways... this racial tension is still very evident in trinidad... back in 1990 a group of muslims of african descent tried to over throw the government...YES... DISASTER FOR THE DA'EES

now the kuffar started looking at islam as terrorism, and started looking at muslims of african descent as being "gangstas"...

But in recent times there has been alot of these things still going on... but something pretty amazing happened and is still happening....

<b>THE YOUTH REVOLUTION!!!!</b><<<<--- I MADE THIS UP HAHA!!!!

A few decades ago ppl looked at islam as something for the old ppl, today there are many youths (of all races, working together) in the country who are starting to get very vibrant in islam.. they are going to gain the knowlegde and they are spreading islam to their peers...

Today there are MANY young muslims who are very vibrant in islam... there is this one girl who's parents beat her because she is muslim... and still her faith is strong SUBHANALLAH!!!

may allah reward her for this jihad...

ameen

Yes i admit these old racial lines are still here, yes i admit there are still alot of people who come to islam because they want to be in a "gang" but i also admit quite forcefully... there are many faithful people in trinidad here today... all trying to please allah....

maybe some of you can help them... i will include their websites below ok

Even though islam in trinidad has a colourful past there is one thing that remained constant that is <b>the committment of the ppl</b>. I told you about the committment of the youth... here's one little thing to show the committment of those people who lived nearly 50 years ago...

these ppl were poor and could not afford cars... you know what they did... they would use a bicycle (not motorbike) and ride for as long as 50 miles or more... just to go to an islamic class... as i mentioned above they didnt have much books... but they had the iman.... may allah grant them immediate entry into jannah on yaumal fasl... ameen

so you see ppl... today in trinidad is faced with many obstacles... but we continue to move forward... it is difficult .... but ALLAH IS WITH US!!!! we are faced with alot... but we can bet through....

I hope that i can call on all of you that read this message to help us...

visit these sites that i mentiones....

email them...

chat with them...

maybe you can offer some help...

maybe you can ask if they need help...

maybe you can meet and greet a new brother

maybe , together, we can strengthen the ummah....

<b>AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM WA RAHMATULLAHI WA BARAKATUH</b>

____________________________________________________

<b>Websites from trinidad</b>

http://www.naseeha.com

http://www.youthofislam.com

http://www.mohammedtt.com/islam/index.htm

[Muslimah]

as salam alykom naseeha

Mash aAllah very interesting presentation. I merged the thread with an already existing one for more benefit hope u dont mind:o

we need to call people from New Zealand to give input here.

naseeha the thread starter changed sorry sorry sorry:o it is very simple I can just split and merge in a different way to have u back as starter u want me to do this???? I am ready........:confused: