China Is Forcing Muslim Children To Abandon Overly Religious Names

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

"Muslim children in China’s Xinjiang region must drop names deemed to be “overly religious” under a new policy in the atheist Communist country.
The order, announced during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, applies to children younger than 16, according to Radio Free Asia. Officials said the measure is part of an effort “to curb religious fervor” in the region......

China is home to some 23 million Muslims, less than 2 percent of the overall population. Many Chinese Muslims face daily Islamophobia in the officially atheist country."

To read more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/china-muslim-names_us_5936e1a8e4b0cfcda91824d0?section=us_religion

Classic intolerance in action.

[marylandblue]

1. How does making them change names change their beliefs?

[guillaumeb]

2. I have no idea.

Forced homogenization?

As insane as banning hijabs or banning beards.

[hrmjustin]

3. their names are just as much of the faith as their beliefs are.

[hrmjustin]

4. intolerance and pure stupidity on the part of the government.

[guillaumeb]

5. Perhaps an attempt to distract from labor unrest and economic problems.

Similar to what the GOP does in the US.

[hrmjustin]

6. Yes a trait they share with their authoritarian friends in the GOP.

The Chinese Government doesn't understand that by doing this they only strengthen the faith of those they oppress

[guillaumeb]

7. Both China and Russia attempted to eliminate faith after their respective revolutions.

But many thousands of years of religious belief cannot be eliminated by legislative fiat.

[hrmjustin]

8. And the Russian government with the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church is trying to get rid

of the competition of the church.