Chinese Muslims and the Global Ummah: Islamic Revival and Ethnic Identity Among the Hui of Qinghai Province

233 Pages·2017·5.82 MB·English

by  Alexander Blair Stewart

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Chinese Muslims and the
Global Ummah
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a The global spread of Islamic movements and the ascendance of a Chinese state
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0 that limits religious freedom have aroused anxieties about integrating Islam and
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8 protecting religious freedom around the world. Focusing on violent movements
2 like the so- called Islamic State and Uygur separatists in China’s Xinjiang Prov-
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0 ince threatens to drown out the alternatives presented by apolitical and inwardly
at focused manifestations of transnational Islamic revival popular among groups
o] like the Hui, China’s largest Muslim minority.
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e This book explores how Muslim revivalists in China’s Qinghai Province
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D employ individual agency to reconcile transnational notions of religious ortho-
n doxy with the materialist rationalism prevailing in the People’s Republic of
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S China. Based on about one year immersed in one of China’s most concentrated
a, and conservative urban Muslim communities in Xining, the book puts indi-
i
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r viduals’ struggles to navigate theological controversies in the contexts of global
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if Islamic revival and Chinese modernization. By doing so, it reveals how attempts
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Ca to revive the original essence of Islam can empower individuals to form peaceful
f and productive articulations with secular societies, and further suggests means of
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y combatting radicalization and encouraging interfaith dialogue.
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i As the first major research monograph on Islamic revival in modern China,
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e this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Anthropology, Islamic
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ni Studies, and Chinese Studies.
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[
y Alexander Blair Stewart works at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
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d and is Visiting Lecturer of Anthropology at the University of California, San
de Diego, US.
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Routledge Contemporary China Series
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a 142 Economy, Emotion, and Ethics 149 China’s Peasant Agriculture
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0 in Chinese Cinema and Rural Society
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8 Globalization on speed Changing paradigms of farming
2 David Leiwei Li Jan Douwe van der Ploeg and
:
6
0 Jingzhong Ye
t 143 Social Attitudes in
a
o] Contemporary China 150 China’s Changing Economy
g Yu Chen, Wei Fang, Liqing Li,
e Trends, impacts and the future
Di Paul Morrissey and Chen Nie Edited by Curtis Andressen
n
a 144 Media Power in Hong Kong
S 151 China’s Energy Security
a, Hyper- marketized media and A multidimensional perspective
ni cultural resistance
r Edited by Giulia Romano and
o Charles Chi- wai Cheung
if Jean- François Di Meglio
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Ca 145 The Identity of Zhiqing
f The lost generation 152 Chinese Muslims and the
o
y Weiyi Wu and Fan Hong Global Ummah
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i Islamic revival and ethnic
s
r 146 Teacher Management in China
e identity among the Hui of
v The transformation of
ni Qinghai Province
U educational systems
Alexander Blair Stewart
y [ Eva Huang, John Benson and
b Ying Zhu
d 153 State Propaganda in China’s
de 147 Social Entrepreneurship in the Entertainment Industry
a
o Greater China Region Shenshen Cai
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w Policy and cases
o Yanto Chandra 154 Assessing the Balance of Power
D
in Central- Local Relations in
148 China’s Approach to Central China
Asia Edited by John Donaldson
The Shanghai Co-o peration
Organisation
Weiqing Song
Chinese Muslims and the
Global Ummah
Islamic revival and ethnic identity among
the Hui of Qinghai Province
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First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Alexander Blair Stewart
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1 The right of Alexander Blair Stewart to be identified as author of this work
0 has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
2
y Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
r
a All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
u utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
n
a known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
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0 any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
1 from the publishers.
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2 Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
6: registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
0 without intent to infringe.
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a British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
o] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
g
e Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
i
D Names: Stewart, Alexander Blair, author.
n Title: Chinese Muslims and the global Ummah : Islamic revival and ethnic
a identity among the Hui of Qinghai Province / Alexander Blair Stewart.
S
a, DChesincari psetiroiens: ;N 1e5w2 Y| Ionrckl u:d Reos ubtilbeldiogge,r a2p0h1i6c.a l| Sreefreieresn: cReosu atnledd igned ceoxn. temporary
i
n Identifiers: LCCN 2016000877| ISBN 9781138646384 (hardback) |
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o ISBN 9781315627588 (ebook)
if Subjects: LCSH: Hui (Chinese people)–Religious life–China–Qinghai
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a Sheng. | Ummah (Islam)–China–Qinghai Sheng. | Islamic renewal–China–
C
Qinghai Sheng–History–21st century. | Hui (Chinese people)–China–
of Qinghai Sheng–Social conditions–21st century. | Qinghai Sheng
y (China)–Social conditions–21st century.
it Classification: LCC BP63.C52 Q2578 2016 | DDC 297.0951/47–dc23LC
s
r record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016000877
e
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ni ISBN: 978-1-138-64638-4 (hbk)
U ISBN: 978-1-315-62758-8 (ebk)
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y Typeset in Times New Roman
b by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
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a I dedicate this book to my beloved wife and oldest son, who
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0 patiently endured one year of my absence during my time in
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8 China and another year of virtual absence while I wrote
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6: this book.
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Contents
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a Acknowledgments x
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2 1 Xining’s Islamic landscape 1
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6 The ethnographic context: seeking universality between Han
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at majority and ethnic minority 6
o] A methodology of crossing boundaries 7
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e The Hui ethnic category 10
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The Hui within the Chinese state 14
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a Religious revival and Hui identity 17
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a, Subjective transformation and public manifestation of Islamic
ni revival in China 18
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o Outline of the book 21
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f 2 Old teaching, new teaching: a historical overview of Islam in
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y China 23
it Origins of Chinese Islam 24
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er Structure of traditional Chinese Muslim communities 25
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ni A brief history of Sufism in early modern China 26
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Muslims in the People’s Republic 29
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y Selective memory among modern Chinese Muslims: “it is better
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d now” 35
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d The development of Yihewani 36
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o History of Salafiyya in China 39
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w Characteristics of Salafiyya 42
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D Dueling scripturalists: conflict between Yihewani and
Salafiyya 44
Tabligh Jama’at: in the footsteps of the sahaba 48
viii Contents
3 Huizu (回族) learning to be Muslim (穆斯林): reaffirming
and redefining modern Islamic identity 53
Mr. Ma: an ethnic Muslim 55
Reaffirmed Muslims 58
The lonely road to authenticity 72
4 Rectification of names: imams, mosques, sects, boundaries 74
7 The role of ahong 75
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0 Min Ahong: the uncrossable borders of traditional Chinese
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y Islam 79
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u Jin Biao Ahong: Xining’s foremost Yihewani cleric 81
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a Ahmed Ahong: from urban strife to village life 84
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0 Ma Ahong: new shepherd of Xining’s Salafiyya 89
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8 Isa Ahong: from Yihewani to Tabligh Jama’at to undercover
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: Salafiyya 92
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0 The role of a Salafi lay imam: a consultation on Islamic law 98
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g 5 Performing the path of the sahaba: walking with Tabligh
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i Jama’at 102
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n Sectarian considerations: what Tabligh Jama’at is not 105
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S Conflicting modes of revival: Tabligh Jama’at versus
a, Salafiyya 109
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r Methods of jama’at 111
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f Going out and looking in: lessons from my jama’at 116
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Ca Tablighi performances 122
f Individual reform 123
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y An insider’s critique: Ayoob and Tabligh Jama’at 125
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s Tabligh Jama’at and Islamic revival in China and beyond 127
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n 6 Paths to Islam and Salafiyya: harnessing the transnational
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[ to empower the individual 133
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b China’s new Muslims: individual transformation in pursuit of the
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e universal 137
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a Seeking answers and authenticity: converts to Salafiyya 154
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nl Founding Salafi mosques 162
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o Conversion as rational self-d iscovery 164
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7 Secular nation/imaginary ummah: Chinese Muslims in the
national public sphere and transnational imaginary 167
Mr. Han: A retired cadre devoted to study of Islam 171
Guo: an up- and-coming Salafi bureaucrat 174
Contents ix
Guo’s Yihewani “hard sect” wife 175
Muslim revival and the CCP gospel of development 177
Ilyas: an international businessman in support of democracy and
human rights 181
Xinjiang: Chinese Muslims’ internal other 183
Osama: foreign exchange student and al-Q aeda sympathizer 185
Islam and the transnational imaginary 187
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0 8 An ummah of individuals 192
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y In search of authenticity 194
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u Religious and secular morality in Chinese society 196
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a Islam and the discourse of national development 200
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0 Identities and communities: ethnic, religious, transnational, and
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8 universal 203
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t References 207
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] Index 213
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