China and Religion

The restrictions discussed in this article do not seem inordinate considering that past history has shown whenever any religious group attains political power Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist or Hindu for example, it implements a regime of persecution and religious fanaticism far worse that anything the Chinese authorities are undertaking with these prophylactic measures to protect their secular values. We daily read about the persecution of the Rohingya by Burmese Buddhists, of Palestinians by fanatic Zionists motivated by a devotion to Biblical real estate, of non Muslims being systematically persecuted in Islamic countries and Muslims and other non-Hindus in In India by the Modi government and here in the US the ultra-right white supremacists as well as the crypto-fascists of the Republican party are motivated by a dogmatic and anti-humane Christianity that supports military actions and both subornes and often openly advocates the denial of the human rights of those it condemns. Marxist-Leninists have moved on beyond the simple minded superstitions of religious beliefs (the opium of the people) and while we defend the rights of those so inclined to follow their religious beliefs as long as they do not try to impose them on others it is still the responsibility of a secular state to regulate religious activity to ensure the rights of others are not violated by religious intolerance. The Chinese Communist Party and Government are trying to fulfill this obligation as best they can. As with any human activity there are bound to be mistakes made and hopefully the Chinese authorities will listen to constructive criticism of its policies when this criticism is not part of the usual ant-Communist and anti-Chinese propaganda emanating from the US and other imperialist governments and the bourgeois MSM.

NYTIMES.COM

A Crackdown on Islam Is Spreading Across China

A secret Communist Party directive has led to restrictions on Islamic practices far from Xinjiang, the western region where Uighurs have been brutally repressed.

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