First patriotism, then religion; China to the country’s Muslims
Beijing: The ruling Chinese Communist Party has called upon Muslims in China to give more importance to their country and patriotism than their religion.
Wang Yang, the top Chinese Communist Party leader in charge of religious affairs, called on the country’s Islamic associations and Muslim community to ‘maintain the correct political direction and uphold patriotism’.
Wang Yang is also the head of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and a member of the Party’s top Politburo Standing Committee.
Wang Yang raised this issue in an official meeting with the China Islamic Association.
Chinese state media reported that Wang Yang said the Chinese Communist Party’s basic policies on religious matters should be fully implemented and Islamic leaders and Muslims should be rallied behind the party and the government.
Wang Yang called on the new leadership of the China Islamic Association to ‘maintain the correct political direction, uphold patriotism and socialism, develop Islam in China while strengthening the Chinese orientation, and work to reconcile Islam in China with the socialist society’.
It is also noteworthy that the reaction of the leader of the Chinese Communist Party comes days after the release of a UN report that the Chinese government has committed serious human rights violations against the minority Uyghur Muslims in the western Xinjiang province.
On August 31, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report on this.
Content Highlight: Chinese communist party tells its Muslims to put patriotism first