V. S. KUZNETSOV

Doctor of Historical Sciences

China Keywords:, Muslims, Chinese Islamic Society

The general trend towards the politicization of Islam is also evident in the life of the multiethnic community of Chinese Muslims.

First of all, this concerns the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), in which separatist forces have become more active in recent years, under the banner of Islam, advocating the secession of Xinjiang. First of all, it is the "Islamic Movement of East Turkestan "(IMVT), which is associated with terrorist acts, calls to unleash jihad, as well as the inter-ethnic conflict in Urumqi in the summer of 2009.

Internal political stability in Xinjiang is a matter of particular concern to both central and local authorities.

The State Council's White Paper "China's National Security in 2008" states that separatist forces seeking "independence of East Turkestan" pose a threat to China's unity and security.

"We must fully realize that the fight against the three forces (terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism) is an acute, complex, and long - term task," SUAR Prime Minister Nur Bekri said in the government's report at the 2nd session of the Local People's Assembly ¹. "Threats must be" suppressed in a timely manner." nip in the bud and prevent violent terrorist activity." The local population, Bekri insisted, must take "a clear stand (emphasis added) against ethnic separatism and illegal activities carried out under the guise of religion."2

All this gives a special and lasting urgency to the Muslim issue in China.³

At the same time, it should be noted that Muslims also live in other regions of the PRC, and religious extremism does not resonate everywhere among them.

ON THE STREET OF THE BULL

Beijing. Nyujie (Bull) Street.

It has traditionally been a kind of Muslim enclave. Several years ago, this was clearly demonstrated by the banners stretched across the street with the words "Huiming High School", "Huiming reading room", signs such as "Huiming snack bar", "Huiming tea shop".

The phrase "huiming" has a twofold meaning. On the one hand, it is a collective term for all Muslims. On the other hand, it is an abbreviated self - designation of the Muslim Huiming Huizu people, also known as "Dungan"*.

Since in China, Muslims, regardless of their ethnicity, are called musylin ("Muslim"), the phrase Huiming that prevailed in Nyutse gave rise to the idea of the special position of this nationality here.

This time, Niujie was different. Huimin posters and signs did not catch the eye. The street itself and the roadway have become wider and much cleaner. Instead of the old squat buildings, modern impressive buildings have appeared.

But the street is still one of the centers of Beijing's Huimin community. The Hui make up the majority of the 250,000 Muslims in the Beijing area. In the places where their communities live, there are mosques in the capital - Niujie, Madain and Huashi4.

The fact that you are on Nyutse is visually reminiscent of its main attraction - the mosque of the same name.

Historical records show that the Arab scholar Nasurutan built the Nyutse Mosque in 996. The gravestones of two foreign Muslim men in the mosque are a testament to its long history: Ahmed Burdani of the Ghaznavid state that emerged in present-day Afghanistan and Ali Imad ad-Din of Bukhara preached at the Nyutse Mosque and died in Beijing in the 13th century.

The Niujie Mosque is the subject of traditional attention from the Chinese state. In 1474, the ruler of the Minsk dynasty officially granted it the status of a libaysa (mosque) by a special decree. Thus, the cult center of Muslims received state recognition. The significance of Nyutse was also emphasized in a decree issued in 1694 by the ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. And the Chinese government declared the Niujie Mosque an important national historical monument in 1988.

In contrast to mosques on the

* Dungan (self-named Hui) - a small ethnic group living in the Ningxia-Hui and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions and in Gansu Province (China), as well as in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Sunni Muslims. The Dungan language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. ed.).

In the Middle East, Chinese mosques, especially in Beijing, were often built in the Chinese architectural style. For example, the Dunsa Mosque consists of three connected quadrilaterals. The roofs of mosques are similar to the roofs of Chinese temples.

In a conversation with a long-time friend of the Hui people, Feng Jinyuan, a researcher at the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, I asked whether the ethnic identity of Muslims is not manifested when visiting mosques:

- For example, if Hui from China proper ends up in Xinjiang, where Uighurs predominate among Muslims, which mosque will he go to?

Feng Jinyuan said, " If there is a mosque there that is mostly frequented by Hui, he will go there.

IN THE CENTER OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF CHINA

If you go straight from the Nyutse Mosque to the right and turn the corner, you will come out on the square, where you can see a majestic building, which is crowned with a dome.

It is home to the Chinese Islamic Society (CIO), the organizational and governing center of the Chinese Muslim community. The company's peripheral branches are subordinate to it. Once every 5 years, national Muslim congresses are held, where the leadership of the CIO is elected and the program of activities for the next term is adopted.

Those who meet me are shown to the reception area. On the way, we will pass the prayer hall, which is already familiar from previous visits. But I don't see any of the owners I've met before.

Over a bowl of excellent green tea there is a casual conversation.

- How many Muslims are there in China? "I'm checking with the owners.

"Statistics are a delicate matter," says my interlocutor. - It is difficult to name an absolutely exact figure. But, perhaps, the most acceptable way to say this is: in the second five-year period of the XXI century. The number of Muslims in China was about 22 million.

The importance of the Muslim problem for multiethnic China, where different religions are practiced, is not determined by the number of adherents of Islam.

The figures themselves do not reflect the full extent of interreligious relations, nor do they reveal the specifics of social behavior and attitudes of people of a particular denomination. For the PRC, the problem of interreligious relations appears as a hypostasis of the problem of interethnic relations, because for Muslims, Islam is an integral element of their self-identification. This means that the social behavior of Chinese Muslims directly affects the problem of internal political stability of the country.

The significance of the Muslim factor for China goes beyond a purely domestic political problem. Chinese Muslims, being citizens of the PRC, at the same time believe that they belong to the world Muslim community, the Ummah. It, first of all in the person of its leading figures, closely monitors the situation of co-religionists in China.

Let's return to our conversation with representatives of the CIO.

- Some time ago, foreign media reported on clashes in Tibet between Lamaist Tibetans and Muslims. How reliable is this?

- Yes, it did happen. Unfortunately, there are still sectarian conflicts and conflicts in some provinces. They are caused by a lack of mutual respect and tolerance.

They were also not supported by publications in separate publications designed for the general reader. Some of them expressed disrespect for the customs of Muslims. This could not but cause them dissatisfaction.

A few years ago, I recalled, a provincial publishing house published a Chinese-language book, "The Sexual Customs of Muslims." It became infamous and sparked widespread Muslim protests.

And, judging by the words of my interlocutors, insults to religious feelings do not pass without a trace.

- Do you maintain contacts with Muslims in India?

- yes. For example, our guest was a Muslim Professor Rabbani , a well-known scholar in the field of Islamic theology. His works are studied by students of our theological schools. However, in terms of the intensity of our relations, Pakistan is in the first place, not India. In particular, Chinese Muslims study at an Islamic university in Pakistan.

HOW TO" REFORGE " IMAMS*

The ever-memorable "cultural revolution" with its persecution of religion interrupted the process of training ministers of worship, including Muslim ones. To fill the shortage in the 1980s, they were trained in mosques and specially created Islamic theological schools. Such institutions have recently appeared on the ground, according to KIO functionaries. The ranks of clerics have become younger. For example, in Beijing in 2008, among 140 imams, there were only a few people over the age of 70, while the majority were significantly younger - between the ages of 20 and ^40.5

* Imam-cleric (primate at prayer, spiritual leader, head of the Muslim community).

Dongxi Mosque imam Liu Kejie, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Islamic Society, is in his 40s. After the Cultural Revolution, he became one of the first graduates of the Beijing Islamic Institute in 1987.

"Unlike the old imams," says Liu, " who received their traditional Islamic education at the mosque, today's young imams are mostly graduates of official Islamic institutions. We may not be as well versed in religious studies as the older generation, but we usually have a broader view of the world in our prayers and are more responsive to the demands of modern life."

In recent years, the long-standing tradition of religious education among Uyghurs, where the spiritual person-Akhun himself chose students, has also undergone fundamental changes. Now there is no place for "impostors"-ahuns in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, only proven cadres who work politically and spiritually on themselves and are recognized by the government have the right to recruit students.⁶

The first requirement of the authorities for clergymen of any denomination is ai go, that is, "to love the state" - the People's Republic of China.

In addition to purely religious matters, the clergy in Xinjiang are struggling to improve their way of life.

For example, clergy have been involved in AIDS prevention and treatment projects implemented by the Xinjiang Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission in cooperation with Australia since 2008. The Commission said that in 2008, nearly 10,000 imams in a Muslim-majority area were trained in the prevention and treatment of the disease and shared their knowledge with 4 million people in Xinjiang. Imams in Kashgar, Khotan, Aksu, Kyzyl-su and Turfan regularly preach AIDS prevention measures during Friday prayers.

"Islam strongly opposes prostitution and drug use - the main causes of AIDS infection in Xinjiang. I often advise believers to avoid things that might harm them and others, " said Abdurazzak Muhammad, a 35-year-old imam from the village of Tusalla in Khotan. "In addition, according to the Koran, we should try to do everything possible to help others, including those infected with this disease." Since many cannot go to the mosque to pray, says Abdurazzak, akhun uses "both funerals and weddings"to educate about the disease.

"I didn't know anything about AIDS, other than that it kills, until I was trained last year," Abdurazzak agrees. "But now I have a clear understanding of all aspects of the disease and I think I can help people understand them."

"Imams are extremely influential in Xinjiang. When they talk about AIDS while preaching Islam, it has a much stronger impact than our efforts to spread knowledge about this terrible disease, " said Xia Lixing, director of the Office for the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Hotan (XUAR).

In Khotan, a 34-year-old drug addict who stopped using drugs a year ago said that the imam's words helped him realize the devastating effects of drugs and the danger of AIDS: "I didn't really listen to my parents, but of course I listened to the imam."

The Chinese government considers Hajj not as a personal matter, but as an event of national significance.

This is confirmed by the "Rules on Religious Affairs "and the joint"Notification of the Office of Religious Affairs under the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security". Based on these principles, the Chinese Islamic Society issued a special decree on pilgrimage in 2008. It states that pilgrims must be physically healthy, love their homeland, love their faith, be law-abiding, and have sufficient funds to perform the Hajj.

- It's not cheap, - I was told in the IOC-The road for one person costs 22 thousand yuan. To this, you also need to add living expenses, etc. But they do not skimp on expenses. The number of pilgrims from China to the holy sites in the Arabian Peninsula is growing from year to year.

Pilgrimage abroad is not the only means of spiritual communication between Chinese Muslims and fellow Believers in other countries. There are strong cultural contacts between them. It is significant, for example, that Hui Sa Jingliang from Xining (in Qinghai Province in the west-central part of China) won the award at the 34th International Competition of Quran Reciters held in Malaysia.

FAMILY MATTERS

When communicating with Muslims in different countries, when it came to the birth or death of a child, it was not uncommon to hear: "God gave, God took." In a word, the appearance of offspring is a providence of the Almighty. How does this fit in with the Chinese state's "one family, one child" policy? After all, at one time, some ahuns in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region promoted the "one family, one child"policy by personal example.

"Now," they answer me, " the situation is different. In the South-West, North-West, where Muslims live, it is allowed to have 2-3 children.

Birth control contradicts the traditional mentality of Muslims, because, according to Islamic ideas and customs, children are " dar bo-

zhiy". To circumvent state prohibitions, people could resort to customary law - unwritten rules of conduct.⁸

Ildiko Beller-Khan As described how this happened in practice among the Uyghurs of XUAR.

Before the introduction of forced family planning in Xinjiang, Uighurs often objected to their wives 'observing the custom of having children in their parents' home. Now they don't mind, especially if the parents live in another administrative district. So it is easier to hide both pregnancy, and the birth of a child, and its upbringing in infancy. These "unscheduled" children can be registered as children of a childless sibling ⁹.

AT THE REBEL'S GRAVE

The northwestern province of Gansu is heterogeneous in national and religious terms, in particular, one of the areas of compact settlement of Muslims is located here.

This immediately caught my eye at the airport of the provincial capital Lanzhou, where our plane arrived from Beijing. Among the passengers at the airport, a small group of people in white caps and long-skirted clothes stood out. They were Huimin.

The highway connecting the airport to the city was lined with cubic stone structures with a hemispherical dome. It was a mazar, a Muslim cemetery. Tombs, in our sense of the word, these structures can not be called: Muslims do not put in a coffin. A man comes naked into the world-almost naked, wrapped in a shroud, and leaves.

Of the Muslim shrines in Lanzhou, the most revered is the burial site of Ma Mingxin*, the eponymous gongbei, a tombstone.

The Gongbei (tomb structure) is located in a residential area. Eight columns raised a dome with a crescent moon on a rod. Under the dome is a black marble stele with Arabic script. There are rose bushes on both sides. The inscription in Arabic script reproduces lines from the Koran.

Gongbei's caretaker ahong Ma Shishan appeared. He's wearing light-gray, buttoned-up clothes, like an Armenian. On his head - a white cap. His body is dry, he holds himself erect, despite his 85 years, a sparse beard.

There is an opinion that the body of Ma Mingxin, who died in a battle with government troops, was not found. And they put his things in the ground. Gongbei was built over them.

Ahuna asked to enlighten me on this point.

"Here are the remains of Ma Mingxin himself," Ma Shishan assured him.

- And during the" cultural revolution " nothing happened here?

"Gongbei suffered before the Cultural Revolution, in 1958.

Now, thanks to the efforts of co-religionists, traces of damage are not visible.

The memory of Ma Minsin, says ahun, is not only revered by local Muslims. His grave is visited by Muslims from abroad.

My attention was drawn to the side aisle of Gongbei.

"This is a prayer hall. People come here for Friday prayers.

"How many people are there?"

- 200 people.

Of course, this is incomparable to how many people gather in the hall of the majestic Xiguan Grand Mosque, the largest in Lanzhou. The dome of the Xiguan Mosque seems to be doused with liquid gold.

A huge building with a minaret, a dome with a spire crowned with a crescent, proudly rise above the surrounding buildings. All this is a clear embodiment of the religious zeal of local Muslims. And the fact that they are not only members of the world Muslim community, the Ummah, but above all citizens of the People's Republic of China, recalls the maxim of the President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao on the duties of citizens of the People's Republic of China, reproduced on one of the walls in the courtyard of the mosque. It refers to the rules of conduct of Muslims as citizens of the PRC.

A shop in the side aisle of the mosque provides a visual representation of the peculiarities of their life. It sells both ritual accessories and household utensils. In a word, both for the soul and for the body. In the vicinity of Lanzhou, a special breed of sheep is bred. Their meat is purchased by Arab embassies in Beijing.

Lanzhou is famous for its beef chowder with niu houmian noodles. It is prepared only in one restaurant, the secret of cooking is a family secret that is passed down from father to son. Jiang Zemin added to the restaurant's popularity when he was President of the People's Republic of China.

* * *

All the peoples living in China, regardless of their size, make a unique contribution to the changing picture of life in China. The everyday consciousness and social behavior of an ethnic group is often formed under the influence of religion rather than official attitudes of the state. And Muslims as an ethno-religious community are no exception in this respect.

* Ma Mingxin (1719-1781) - founder of the Xinjiao sect ("New Teaching"). The persecution of the authorities led to a mutiny of members of the sect, in which Ma Mingxin died.

¹ China daily. January 8, 2009.

^{Mu Qian.} 2 A call to prayer at Beijing's mosques // China daily, August 15, 2008.

^{Kuznetsov V.} 3 Can China have its own Chechnya? // Asia and Africa Today, 2001, N 5.

^{Mu Qian.} 4 Op. cit.

⁵ He Pin. Xinjiang diqiu musylin shehui xin li di shouzheng fenzhe bao gao (Analysis of Muslim attitudes in Xinjiang) / / Shizu zongjiao yanjiu (Research in the field of world religions), 2008, N 4, p. 106.

⁶ Mu Qian. Prayers help fight deadly desease. // China daily, January 20, 2009.

⁷ Zhongguo musilin (Muslims of China). 2008, N 2, p. 7.

⁸ Uldico Beller-Hann. Customary law under socialism: the Uyghur Xinjiang // HAS newsletter, July 2004, p. 18.

⁹ Ibidem.

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