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| Olde Tyme Religion |
| Asia Times: Xinjiang riots confound Islamists |
| 2009-07-28 |
| Why did Islamic establishments and publics let go of the Xinjiang violence so lightly, with barely a murmur or two? The answer lies in the complicated construction of enemies by Islamists. The "West", as a category, has been blamed by radical Muslims as the bane which ruined former Islamic political and cultural glory. So, when atrocities or slights are seen to be committed against Islam and its adherents in a European or North American country, they confirm the pre-existing prejudices and hatreds nursed by the Muslim street and its instigators in positions of power. Sometimes, the "West" is also extended to include countries like Russia, Israel and India - all of whom are viewed by Islamists and their followers to be oppressing Muslims in their respective disputed territories. But China's image as a staunch rival of Western powers and which does not intervene in the Middle East confuses hardline Muslims, who place it in a nebulous mental space. China does not fit neatly into the binary jihadist classification of the world into dar-ul-Islam (a land where Islamic laws are followed and the ruler is a Muslim) and dar-ul-Harb (a land ruled by infidels and where Muslims suffer). That China has so far escaped major jihadist attacks on its soil or its overseas representations in spite of its harshness towards Uyghurs is not a function of its superior counter-terrorism strategies but rather of the label fixation among Islamists. The West, however geographically and politically incongruous a concept, continues to be the favorite dartboard for fiery Muslims. It is a fixation that absorbs the Islamist heat and allows China a free hand to deal severely with the Uyghurs. |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #5 Why did Islamic establishments and publics let go of the Xinjiang violence so lightly, with barely a murmur or two? Because the "west" will bend over and kiss Muslim ass. The Chinese will kick Muslim ass. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-07-28 21:57 |
| #4 Compare wid FREEREPUBLIC > BANGLADESH: "ISLAM-O-MUSLIM" AND RESURGENT ISLAMIST FORCES. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-07-28 18:27 |
| #3 I think the perception is that these aren't real (radical) Muslims. How Islamic can you be when the leader of your movement is a woman who used to be a member of the Chinese Communist Party? There's also China's willingness to retaliate via trade sanctions and denial of aid against countries that cross it. If Pakistan screws with China, the Chinese could end all of their substantial military and economic aid to Pakistan. Heck - it could invade Pakistan to create a buffer zone (or simply to kill* hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis), and mine that whole region. Bottom line is that unlike the West, China doesn't take crap from anyone. * Punitive expeditions have been used by the Chinese for thousands of years. The most recent ones are merely two decades old - against Vietnam. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2009-07-28 15:46 |
| #2 ...something more than just a bulldozer. And they say you don't tug on Superman's cape You don't spit into the wind You don't pull the mask off an 'ole Lone Ranger And you don't mess around with the Chin - apologies to Jim Croce |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-07-28 08:06 |
| #1 Why did Islamic establishments and publics let go of the Xinjiang violence so lightly, with barely a murmur or two? Because Chinese cannot be manipulated via a combination of terrorist intimidation + exploitation of the Judeo-Christian guilt complex. You push them, and they push back with a bulldozer. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-07-28 03:10 |