The Chinese speaking Muslims (Sino Muslims) and various groups of nobles and thinkers who sought to save China from its enemies by strengthening the China-Muslim links laid out a variety of strategies in an effort to establish China as a country. Their growth had both political and religious justifications. Each of the three divisions of Sino-Muslims traveled to Mecca. In the Japanese-populated area of north China, two represented the Republic of China and one the puppet government. Each party engaged in malicious propaganda that had an effect on its own government. All of the conflicts intended to convey the political significance of Muslims in the Sino-Japanese conflict. Archived and published materials sources in both Arabic and Chinese clearly present that Sino-Muslims utilized such missions to advance their vision that they had on the Chinese nation thereby playing an important role in both foreign and local affairs. Universal understanding will form a basis of world politics which gave way to Sino-Muslim intellectuals to come at par with the transnational feature of Islam with patriotism to the jurisdictionally bound by the Chinese nation.
Muslim Vision for the Chinese Nation
The main areas of emphasis are based on identity and nation building. The subjects of various encounters given by the author are affiliated to Sino-Muslims (Chinese speaking Muslims). The mission (hajj mission) was both political and religious. Furthermore, the Muslim modernist movement sought to reconcile their traditions with the new ideas such as education, constitutionalism, industrialization and nationalism.
Discussion
Islam was used to unify the Asian people under the Japanese leadership. This was after there was the Russian revolution of 1917 (Gladney, D. C. (1996). This took place in the first mission. The author vividly gives an outline of strategies used by the Japanese leadership to be about togetherness. Individual Japanese individuals converted to Islam. The converts together with the organizations that were private such as Ajia Gikai (Asian reawakening society) and the Kokuryukai (the black dragon society) initiated the cultivation of supportive Japanese sentiments among the Chinese Muslims. The Japanese used the converts to befriend Chinese Muslims. This was aimed at promoting the Japanese military strategy in China and Asia.
The urge to show that the Japanese were in power of controlling regions of China were peaceful was the main purpose of the mission. The Muslims of Chinese were living in peace and harmony under the Japanese leadership (Lipman, J. N. (1997).
Modernization emerged as a result of reforms which were brought about by intellects among the Chinese speaking Muslims. Muslims in China would, therefore, participate in politics as a key political divide; participate in nation building and further healthy relations for a Chinese-Islamic alliance. The Muslim elites envisioned Muslims as participating in all round Chinese nation building based on equality and citizenship. They do argue out that the state of worldwide politics in which strong countries rule over the weak necessitated that the country should support its educational, political, and military reforms (In Gelvin, J. L., & In Green, N. (2014).
Nevertheless, Muslims were perceived to be violent and dangerous. In the northwest, they were seen as fierce, predatory and hard to control. This led to stereotyping and discrimination by non-Muslims. The modernists argued out that their character was of importance to the development of China as a nation. This method was highly appreciated and was used by various political leaders who encouraged all ethnic groups to play their role as Chinese citizens and praise Muslims for their patriotism, unity and strength. The Sino elites as well propagated the rhetoric’s about Muslims as having inherent qualities to be natural and important members of the nation.
Anti-imperialism was a major set up by the Chinese speaking Muslims. They held on the idea that a Chinese Islamic alliance was a necessity in fighting off imperialistic forces globally (Haley, L. A. (1995) Muslim elites were recruited in a project to awaken the Muslims in fighting global imperialism. This was linked to China’s goal of gaining independence. The Muslim modernists argued out that China and Muslim based nations formed the core of weak countries thus they had to form a special relationship. They had to work hard to eliminate discrimination and build their nations. Muslims in China re-established connections with the Muslims outside China. This was aimed at stabilizing China and building its urge and quest for independence.
There was the formation of the Muslim students’ organization (in Beijing) by Xue wembo in 1930. The organization aimed at promoting the development of the Sino Muslim community in China with major emphasis on religious revival and political empowerment. This organization was renamed by Xue to Chinese Huizu youth organization in order to counter various opposition forces to ban Sino Muslims named Huizu.
Muslims were patriotic to the Chinese government. They always fought for the well-being of the Chinese nation. They, therefore, vacated territories controlled by China enemies specifically Japan. This was echoed in the missions’ delegation diary by Xue Wenbo. Before moving from Hong Kong, where influential Muslims met with delegates who had vacated Japanese occupied Manchuria and eastern China. All these efforts are expressed by the author as carrying the grave responsibility of salvaging and ensuring the survival of the Chinese nation.
On the other hand, the Muslim aimed at spreading their religion. The author vividly explains the expectations of the delegation in the event of success in the war with Japan. Much power is said to be at the disposal of Bai Chongxi, Muslim military general with a high ranking based in Chiang Kai-sheiks government. Due to this political empowerment, Muslims could, therefore, have a great chance of gaining support as they wrote to the audience to gain support in war from the Middle East that was China against Japan. They expressed that war with japan will lead to growth of Islam in China; All this is echoed in the delegation’s diary being focused on by the author.
The Chinese nation failed to fight enemies due to dividing religious beliefs. The nation is stated to be weak by the delegates in their diary. This was seen as a dangerous situation since only those with a shared faith could fight similar impurities in the society. Therefore, the Muslims sought to spread the Islamic faith and its spirit of devotion as the only means of saving the nation. Spreading Islam in China would be a blessing to the entire nation (Lipman, J. N. (1997). The delegation asked for support in the countries they visited to support their fellow Muslims in China. As per the delegates, the Japans aggression in China was taken as one against Islam by highlighting Muslim suffering. The publications were even made in countries such as Egypt in their newspaper Al-Ahram. This initiative was aimed at gaining support for the well-being of China as a nation. The enemy being addressed by delegates as per the author was Japan. The Muslim nations and China were weak and therefore they required union and common political goodwill to fight their oppressor which was Japan.
Delegates played a role in the China nation building project by reconciling various Muslim communities with the Chinese government. While in the Middle East they selflessly acted as intermediaries between the Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang and the Chinese government. This was facilitated by Wang, a student in turkey by then. He urged the government of China to establish diplomatic relations with Ankara (Hofmann, M. W. (2001). He further took his interest in recruiting Muslim youths to study in Nanjing.
All past ills in the Chinese Xinjiang government were caused by the local overlord and the mighty Soviet Union. The author expresses this as an issue discussed by the delegates at Mecca when they mat the Uyghur exiles. They therefore, expressed their goodwill to the exiles and assured them of support (Haley, L. A. (1995).
Students were also on a mission against the Japanese sponsored missions. Therefore, they sought to pressure the Japanese sponsored students not to give an account of their sponsorship as they talked to the Saudi king on their visit to Mecca. They expressed deep determination of all Chinese people to resist Japanese (Haley, L. A. (1995). After that, they invited the Japanese sponsored delegates for dinner and lectured them on their mistakes in going to Mecca. They advised them to postpone Hajj trips having sworn by their faith to never support Japan (Hofmann, M. W. (2001).
Throughout, the author depicts Muslims as patriotic individuals who are focused in saving their nation. Furthermore, he explains the various situations and activities they put in place just to salvage China from its enemies. Seeking support and initiating unity between China and the Muslim states. Having a close look in the matter, great scenes of patriotism are depicted by Muslim delegates. They do organize mission visits just to ensure China is free from oppression. This is a great achievement in the quest for freedom and independence.
Contrary to their mission, Muslims take the opportunity of spreading their religion. This is seen as a radicalization act by the Muslim believers. Since they hold on an ideology that divided faithful citizens cannot fight together for the well-being of the nation. This was to seek the spread Islam as a common religion among the inhabitants of China in order to fight against the Japanese invaders.
Conclusion
The Muslim delegates in China made China’s independence a success. They as well built strong ties between China and Muslim states despite being unsuccessful in spreading Islam in China. Furthermore, unity and patriotism is the only way by which a nation can fight its enemies successfully.
References
Gladney, D. C. (1996). Muslim Chinese: Ethnic nationalism in the people's republic. Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.: Harvard Univ. Press.
Haley, L. A. (1995). Lost was the key. Murfreesboro, TN: Greenleaf Publications.
Hofmann, M. W. (2001). Religion on the rise: Islam in the third millennium. Beltsville, MD: Amana Publications.
In Gelvin, J. L., & In Green, N. (2014). Global Muslims in the age of steam and print.
Lipman, J. N. (1997). Familiar strangers: A history of Muslims in Northwest China. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
