China has for decades feared the power of organized religion. But
religious suppression has intensified in recent years under the rule of
president Xi Jinping—alongside a broader crackdown on civil society—according to a report (pdf) by Freedom House released yesterday (Feb. 28). For example, Chinese authorities have systematically been destroying churches and taking down crosses, while persecution against Muslims in the western Xinjiang region has become “very high.”
Buddhism and Taoism, however, are different. As “Asian religions,”
the party is able to “harness China’s religious and cultural traditions
to shore up [the party’s] legitimacy,” says Freedom House, and at the
same time use them to “help contain” the spread of Christianity and
Islam. The latter two religions are viewed as “so-called Western values”
by the party, according to Freedom House.
The preference for Taoism and Buddhism over other faiths fits with the
larger crackdown by Xi against Western ideas in China. In education, the
Chinese government is purging Western ideas like democracy and
replacing them with Confucianism, which emphasizes obedience. Xi has also urged families to educate their children with imperatives like “love the party” while cracking down on international-style education. According to Freedom House, Buddhism and Taoism
are in line with the party’s signature campaigns, the “China Dream” and
the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Those two faiths are
compatible with the government’s “Sinicization” drive, says the NGO.
No comments:
Post a Comment