This is a guest post by Ben Hazm
Amidst all the hype about China’s Olympic triumphs, you may have missed the story that Beijing has banned its Muslim citizens from observing the Ramadan fast. Muslims in the Xinjiang province have been ordered not to fast, with one official declaring:
The county committee has issued comprehensive policies on maintaining social stability during the Ramadan period. It is forbidden for Communist Party cadres, civil officials (including those who have retired) and students to participate in Ramadan religious activities.
Locals report instances of being prevented from worshipping in mosques and, in some cases, being forced to eat.
China has a long history of repressing its Muslim citizens who are predominantly concentrated in the western provinces of the country. The right to fast is, of course, one of basic religious freedom.
All this underscores the triumph of secular states which are largely pretty good at safeguarding the religious practice of all faiths and none. Western liberal democracies might not always function perfectly, but when it comes to ensuring religious freedom and providing space for a plurality of views, it’s hard to find anyone who does it better.
Didn’t the left once tell us we needed greater Chinese power to counteract pernicious American influence in the world?
