Vice Xinjiang chief: Extremism led to terrorist attacks
- By Chen Boyuan
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 5, 2014
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| Arkin Tuniyazi, Vice Chairman of Xinjiang, says religious extremism is the fundamental cause of the recent upsurge of violent terrorist attacks in the region. [photo / China.org.cn] |
Tuniyazi said China's policies on Xinjiang have been welcomed by local people of various ethnic groups, including the Uygur people, and therefore have "proven to be successful," and those who incite hatred and religious extremism only represent a small portion of people.
Adi Turdi, a Uygur bullet train (CRH, or China Railway High-speed) driver acknowledged that he has been benefited from the government's regional policies, such as education and professional training.
"Being a Uygur did not really help me to get the opportunity to drive a CRH train, but it did help me to communicate with Uygur passengers," said Turdi, who used to operate freight trains, local trains and express trains before being selected as one of only two Uygur train drivers across Xinjiang.
Tuniyazi also confirmed as false rumors that Uygur men were prohibited from growing beards and women were not allowed to wear a veil, after Western media reports alleged that the regional government is tightening its grip on the local people and beards and veils could be associated with terrorist groups as icons of identification.
Confirming both allegations as "untrue," the local-born vice governor said there had never been such a ban and nor would the government consider such a ban.
"Elder Uygur men, especially those living in southern Xinjiang, have the tradition of growing thick beards. We have never thought that it is a problem; it is completely their own choice," said Tuniyazi.
But he said the government does try to dissuade women from wearing a veil, because it represents religious conservatism and was "never a Uygur tradition."
He noted there was a recent trend for more young Uygur women to cover their faces with a black veil in certain parts of the region, possibly under the influence of religious extremism preached to them unlawfully.
"Some scripture interpretations prohibit people from dancing to express their joy at weddings or mourning over the deceased at funerals. I find those rules seemingly out of 'restraint' entirely against nature," he said.
Even so, according to Tuniyazi, the government never enacted any mandatory regulations on wearing veils across the region but only tried to persuade people from wearing them, to prevent them from being led astray.
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