Of course I don't approve of rioting, but the Chinese government has been crapping on the Muslim Uighur minority for a very long time, dispossessing them in their own land (as it has done to the Tibetans, moving ethnic Han Chinese in as a matter of state policy). ABC News tonight aired footage of a mob of Han Chinese beating a lone Uighur with sticks. Mind you, this blog is one of the last places you will find me supporting Muslim rioters, but for pity's sake, who could blame the Uighurs for fighting back? Writes one Uighur leader in exile:
Uighur resentment at government policy has only intensified with the razing of an ancient centre for Uighur culture: the Old City of Kashgar. The Old City, which has served as a cradle of Uighur civilisation for centuries and which was an important stop on the Silk Road, is being reduced to rubble, and its population of 220,000 Uighurs is being forcibly moved to cinderblock apartments on the outskirts of the city. Uighurs were not given a voice in the project, and are being forced to watch in silence as their homes, and their history, are bulldozed away.This crescendo of the destruction of Uighurs' culture is what brought Uighurs to the streets. Though they must have known they would be subjected to extreme force, the Uighurs' desperation seems to have outweighed their fear. Theirs was a desperate call to be heard, in the face of an authoritarian regime that crushes any dissent. Theirs was a call for freedom and justice.
Question: Why is it cause for celebration and cheer in the West when the Tibetans riot against Chinese oppression, but a cause for alarm and condemnation when the Uighurs do the same thing? If the Uighurs were trying to establish a Taliban-like state, that would be one thing. But I've not seen evidence that they want anything more than to be treated with justice, especially in their own historic land. If you have other information, please share it.
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I hate to say this, but the Han Chinese are inculcated from a young age to consider any other ethnic group as "dirty, stupid, liars, and prone to stealing"
Its good to know that China is now one of the top countries as far as numbers of immigrants to the US then, isn't it?
To answer Rod's question I think disdain/fear of Muslims is becoming something of a "core value" for conservatives. Islam is the new Communism.
I do feel sympathy for the Uighurs, but also concern about the violence. This is about the same as what I felt for Tibetans. (Some of their protesters I think truly did turn violent.) However for others it's different because Islam, in any form, is a dangerous force to be neutralized while Buddhism isn't.
Not all Muslims are "Terrorists" and Uighurs are definitely not among them. "Terrorism" is a by product from the break up of Ottoman empire under Anglo-french effort with support from Arab nationalists. Oil money fallen in the hand of a subjugated backward people (read Arabs) with no experience of self rule for 5-8 centuries, has proven to be a dangerous cocktail.
9/11 participants: Arabs
Osama, Jwahiri: Arabs
Taliban extremism: funded by Arab wahabi's and CIA during fight against soviets in Afghanistan
Israel problem: created by Arabs when they betrayed and back stabbed Ottoman Turks, so they should blame themselves, instead now they suddenly start brotherhood and Hizb-ut-Tahrir (all started by Egyptian and Palestinian Arabs) and want to establish Caliphate?!!
Non-Arab Muslims are generally not prone to this disease of random violence. It is the Arab treachery and back stabbing in the historical context armed with oil money that reinforces itself on world stage as "Islamic terrorism". And indeed these oil rich states are protected and propped up by none other than the US army. So, now lets see, where does this problem come from then?
Hi Rod,
I am shocked that you are supporting a riot where innocent citizens, women and children got killed. If minority feels oppressed by government, they do many things, protest, form rebel military force. But killing innocent people are not an opinion. That's call terrorism.
Imagine black people in Oakland riot and kill 100 whites, or native indian cut off the your wife's head ( I support you family are the immigrant to North America and you are the majority race here now).
Let me hear you say you support them.
Thank you
I am totally against violence, especially against civilians.
but funny thing Ken said Uyghur of protesting, form rebel military force
indicates how naive Ken is and ignorant of Chinese totalitarian regime.
the protest started peacefully to begin with and lasted for two hours when armed riot police started harsh crackdown, in turn fueling violent response.
don't you think thousands of people taking to the street demanding human right mean something?
I am an Uyghur myself. I suggest that you search websites and investigate whether China tolerate dissents towards Communist party.
with your western mind and experience, you need to do some research before you can come up with a better perspective about Chinese attitude toward towards disfranchised people like Tibet and Uyghur.
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