Owned by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Global Times is an English tabloid that faithfully articulates China’s nationalistic perspective on international issues. On January 5, 2019, it reported that Chinese representatives had held a meeting with members of eight Islamic associations in China and based on mutual approval, Beijing had decided to undertake a five-year work plan to ‘sinicise’ Islam.

No details regarding the identity of Islamic associations that had participated in this meeting were furnished and neither was any road map of the “five year work plan” shared by Global Times. The only clarification it provided was that the two sides had “agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to sinicise the religion.” [Emphasis added]. While this statement seems to say nothing much, it certainly does convey a lot.

While Beijing has made the sweeping statement that Islam isn’t compatible with socialism, it hasn’t cared to substantiate this skewed assessment with specifics. Islam regards social responsibility as part of one’s service to God and that’s why Zakat or almsgiving is considered the third [amongst five] pillars of Islam. Zakat is obligatory and prescribes payment of fixed proportions of a Muslim’s possessions for the welfare of the entire community, and in particular for its neediest members.

This is why Beijing’s claim of Islam being incompatible with socialism lacks substance and it’s a pity that Islamic nations haven’t taken umbrage to this utterly malicious observation. In fact Beijing’s factually deficient discourse lends credence to the widely accepted view that instead of........

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