The Thinking Muslim

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This week we shall be looking at the situation of the Muslim’s in China. Welcome to the first podcast of The Thinking Muslim, follow the show on @thinking_muslim and do remember to subscribe. For the past few years news about the plight of the Uyghurs in the restive north-western region of Xinjiang, known as East Turkestan, has gradually worsened. The destruction of Mosques; the use of technology to monitor every movement of the population, the banning of fasting in Ramadan, the introduction of Han Chinese visitors to each home to observe the family unit, the closing of Islamic seminaries have all been documented as the Chinese state attempts to disassociate Islam from the daily practice of ordinary believers. But it is the introduction of camps, what the Chinese government euphuistically calls ‘re-education centres that have focussed minds around the world that nothing less than the annihilation of an entire religious and cultural identity is taking place in full view of the international community. The Uyghurs have always resisted Chinese rule and their heroism in the face of Chinese imperialism predates 1949 when Chairman Mao brought the Communists to power. The Uyghurs suffered under the repression of the Cultural Revolution, where religion was suppressed. But in recent years, China’s rapid development has allowed it to acquire sophisticated forms of state control, never seen in the history of authoritarian rule. The state regulates every inch of the lives of its Muslim population, on a scale and ambition that informs us about the type of world China is trying to create. To try and understand more about the Uyghurs and their struggle, this week I am pleased to have as our guest on the Thinking Muslim Podcast, Arslan Hidayat an Uyghur activist and campaigner currently based in Turkey to talk to us about the extent to which Muslim Uyghurs have been subject to China’s programme of repression. Arslan has been active for many years, bringing to the world’s attention the situation in East Turkestan, long before it was adopted by the mainstream press. He remains in contact with members of the community and has become a source of information for many. He can be found on Twitter, @arslan_hidayat and I would encourage you all to follow him. You can also access my medium page here https://medium.com/@thinkingmuslim/the-thinking-muslim-podcast-a-conversation-with-uyghur-activist-arslan-hidayet-20fe43015154

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The idea behind this podcast was born out of a realisation that the although great Islamic content can be found on the internet generally and via podcasts specifically, this content sometimes lacks depth. If you, like me, value the need to explore a topic from first principles, attempting to look beyond the surface level idea then inshallah this is a podcast for you. 

I am an academic by profession and value the requirement to create a space for understanding beyond the hyperbole that dominates modern discourse on Islam. 

Over the coming weeks, I hope to engage a number of thinkers, academics and scholars in conversation on a number of themes to  appreciate the ideas that make up Islam as a thought system. We shall be exploring the Qur’an, hadith, Islamic economics, history, its application to the contemporary situation as well as how it informs Muslims to explore international relations. 

Please subscribe and we shall soon be up and running. It's worth adding, this podcast may also help non-Muslims that seek to understand Islam.