The Spatial Cleansing of Xinjiang: Mazar Desecration in Context
Rian Thum, “The Spatial Cleansing of Xinjiang: Mazar Desecration in Context” Made in China Journal, 24 August 2020. Summary Rian Thum explores the destruction of mazars, a religious and historical landmark, throughout Xinjiang. Mazars are physical locations that take the form of community centers, cultural and historical archives, and most commonly graveyards. These sites are […]
Counterterrorism or Cultural Genocide?
Matthew P. Robertson, “Counterterrorism or Cultural Genocide?” Made in China Journal, 12 June 2020. Summary Matthew P. Robertson argues that current CCP policies toward Uyghurs are focused on cultural genocide, and counterterrorism has been intentionally invoked as the cover. Introduction Since 2017, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has embarked on a rapid and intense securitisation […]
Chinese Strategy for De-Radicalization
Zunyou Zhou, “Chinese Strategy for De-Radicalization,” Terrorism and Political Violence 31, Issue 6, 9 June 2017: 1187–1209. Summary This article discusses the ideas and structure behind China’s de-radicalization campaigns in Xinjiang and its effectiveness. Abstract China is fighting a tough battle against separatist terrorism perpetrated by militant Muslim Uyghurs in the far-western region of Xinjiang. […]
Controlling Religious Knowledge and Education for Countering Religious Extremism: Case Study of the Uyghur Muslims in China
Dilmurat Mahmut, “Controlling Religious Knowledge and Education for Countering Religious Extremism: Case Study of the Uyghur Muslims in China,” Forum for International Research in Education 5, no. 1, 2019: 22–43. Summary This article discusses the history of how the PRC Government has viewed Islamism, and in the wake of increased radical terrorist attacks at the […]
Cultural and Political Disciplining inside China’s Dislocated Minority Schooling System
James Leibold and Timothy Grose, “Cultural and Political Disciplining inside China’s Dislocated Minority Schooling System,” Asian Studies Review 43, 7 January 2019: 16–35 Summary This article discusses the teacher-student dynamics and the manner in which students are disciplined in China’s minority schooling system that has been in place since 1985, which houses Tibetans, Uyghurs, and […]
Islamic Veiling in Xinjiang: The Political and Societal Struggle to Define Uyghur Female Adornment
James Leibold and Timothy Grose, “Islamic Veiling in Xinjiang: The Political and Societal Struggle to Define Uyghur Female Adornment,” The China Journal 76, 2016: 78–102. Summary This article discusses the current attempts by the PRC Government to police how Uyghur women in Xinjiang should dress and its cultural norms. Abstract The Islamic veil is arguably […]
Islam by Smartphone: Reading the Uyghur Islamic Revival on WeChat
Rachel Harris and Aziz Isa, “Islam by Smartphone: Reading the Uyghur Islamic Revival on WeChat,” Central Asian Survey 38, Issue 1, 26 September 2018. Summary The main argument of this article contends that by analyzing the predominant themes in conversations with Uyghurs on WeChat, one can find meaningful characteristics of Uyghur identity, which has been […]
“Eating Hanness”: Uyghur Musical Tradition in a Time of Re-Education
Amy Anderson and Darren Byler, “‘Eating Hanness’: Uyghur Musical Tradition in a Time of Re-Education,” China Perspectives, 1 September 2019: 17–26. Summary This article shows how the PRC Government has attempted to erode Uyghur culture by first making a state-curated version that exotifies Uyghur culture, and then completely erasing it by assimilating it with Han […]
If You Don’t Know How, Just Learn: Chinese Housing and the Transformation of Uyghur Domestic Space
Tim Grose, “If You Don’t Know How, Just Learn: Chinese Housing and the Transformation of Uyghur Domestic Space,” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 6 July 2020. Summary Dr. Tim Grose discusses measures the CCP has taken to eliminate the Uyghur identity in Xinjiang. Abstract The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is eliminating and replacing (Wolfe, Patrick. 2006. […]
The Formal Side of Informality: Non-State Trading Practices and Local Uyghur Ethnography
Rune Steenberg, “The formal side of informality: Non-state trading practices and local uyghur ethnography,” Central Asian Survey 39, no. 1, (2020):46-62. Abstract “The mass incarceration, political reeducation, and intensified repression of Uyghurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region since 2016 has been one of the most controversial developments in the People’s Republic of China […]