On October 29 the China Islamic Association held a symposium on the publication of Selected Annotations of the Quran. Chen Ruifeng, Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, chaired the meeting and delivered a speech.
Chen conveyed the central government’s policy promoting the “localization” of the Quran. He said that the new Chinese version of Selected Annotations of the Quran represents a significant step towards the “Sinicization” of Islam. The localization initiative aims to “integrate Islam more closely into Chinese social culture.”
At the meeting it was decided that, for the sake of “standardizing religious training,” the book would be designated as a textbook at Islamic colleges in China. Plans were drawn up for “innovative research” into the teachings of the Quran within the academic community “to align with modern societal needs and to promote the healthy development of Islam in China.”
A staff member of the China Islamic Association noted that, in the past, the government lacked sufficient authority to create the Chinese version of Quran. “Now, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the government believes the time is ripe. Although the currently circulated full translation is a transitional version, a more standardized version will soon be released. For older versions, the government has adopted a strategy of natural elimination by gradually replacing them through controlled distribution.”
Critics believes that what the Chinese government did is not merely translation adjustments but rather reflects deeper political motives. The CCP’s ultimate goal is to remove Islam’s core doctrines and reshape them to align with Communist Party ideology. This effort is aimed at eroding the cultural independence of Muslim communities in China, facilitating so-called “ethnic integration,” and eliminating any potential threats to the Party’s rule through means of cultural assimilation.
Source: VOA, November 14, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-religion-koran-20241113/7862945.html