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ABSTRACT
The conversion of Han Chinese in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to Islam is a complex and dynamic process that goes beyond the mere adoption of a new faith. Potential converts undergo a multifaceted journey involving learning about Islam, reflecting on Hui and Han ethnic cultures and customs, and understanding the historical relationship between Islam as a religion and ethnic Hui Chinese people. Through this process, Han converts gradually develop a pluralistic and multilayered identity that encompasses their Han ethnicity and Muslim faith. The article emphasizes the importance of daily inter-group interactions and the use of various strategies to resolve conflicts while adhering to Islamic beliefs. It introduces a theoretical framework consisting of discursive, local, and configurable values to analyze the nuances of everyday experiences among Han converts. This framework provides a structured approach to understanding the complexities of identity formation and enrich ongoing discussions within the Islamic anthropological research community.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the invaluable insights provided by the two anonymous reviewers. Our heartfelt appreciation extends to Robert Shepherd for his meticulous editing of our draft paper. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to all the interviewees with whom we had the privilege to speak. Their enduring feedback has significantly enriched our study over the years.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Notes
1 Cf. Van Nieuwkerk, Citation1995; Köse Citation1996; Beit-Hallahmi and Argyli, Citation1997; Sultan, Citation1999; Adnan, Citation1999; Hermansen, Citation1999; Rambo, Citation2003; Haddad et al. Citation2006; Roald Citation2012.
2 Cf. Lofland and Stark Citation1965; McGinty Citation2006; Zebiri Citation2007; Jensen Citation2008; Younis and Hassan Citation2017; Krotofil et al. Citation2022.
3 Cf. Anway Citation1995; Shatzmiller Citation1996; Qiang Citation2014; Mossiere Citation2016; van Es Citation2019; Van Nieuwkerk Citation2006.
4 Eire Citation2016; Wang, Citationforthcoming.
5 Asad Citation1983, Citation1986.
6 Cf. Geertz Citation1968; Gellner Citation1969; El-Zein Citation1977; Asad Citation1983; Mahmood Citation2005, Citation2009.
7 Cf. Eickelman Citation1978, Citation1992; Abu-Lughod Citation1989; Soares Citation1996; Henkel Citation2005, Citation2007; Marsden Citation2005, Citation2007; Schielke Citation2009; Simon Citation2009; Das Citation2010; Janson Citation2011; Amira Citation2012.
8 Rambo Citation1993.
9 Qiu Citation1996.
10 Lin Citation1983; Bai Citation2003.
11 Chen Citation1928.
12 Eire, Citation1996; Wang and Han, Citation2023; Wang, Citationforthcoming.
13 According to the PRC’s Seventh National Census (Citation2021), there are approximately twenty-three million Muslims in China of a total population of 1.3 billion. Only India and Ethiopia boast larger minority Muslim populations.
14 Xiang and Ma Citation2019.
15 Cf. Roald Citation2004, McGinty Citation2006; Jensen Citation2008; Krotofil et al. Citation2022.
16 The conversion process entailed significant events during their conversion journey, as well as the challenges they faced at familial and societal levels post-conversion, e.g., wearing a hijab, interactions with born Hui/Uyghur Muslims.
17 See the Seventh National Census, Citation2021.
18 Xiang and Ma Citation2019. Economic interactions have helped facilitate the movement of Muslim populations, both domestically and internationally, in China’s coastal trading areas. It is within this context of increased domestic and international mobility of Muslim populations that conversion occurs, facilitated by faith-seeking and marital influences.
19 Yang Citation1999, 194-195.
20 Turner Citation1967, Citation1969; Van Gennep Citation1977 [Citation1960].
21 Yamasaki Citation2014.
22 Gladney Citation1996 [Citation1991], Citation1997, Citation2004.
23 Ma Citation2013.
24 Ma Citation2013. After 1949, members of official ethnic minority groups were given preferential policies. For instance, Muslims were allowed to bury their dead, while Han people had to practice cremation.
25 Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926 - 2022) was an Egyptian Islamic jurist, thinker, hadith scholar, Qur'an exegete, educator, and religious reformer. He is widely known as a moderate thinker.
26 Chen Citation1928.
27 Many Hui Muslims began rekindling their religious fervor and deepening their understanding of Islam in the early 2000s. Notably, Hui people often assess each other's religiosity to reaffirm their own religious devoutness. For example, in a recent study it examined Muslim migrants residing in Xi'an Hui Fang asserted their sense of belonging by comparing and scrutinizing their religious practices with those of other Muslims. See Gillette Citation2000; Ma 2006; Wang and Han Citation2023.
28 The Five Pillars of Islam are profession of faith (shahada), prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage (haj).
29 Roald Citation2004.
30 Gladney Citation1996 [Citation1991], Citation1997; Lipman Citation1998.
31 Judd Citation1989; Zhang Citation2009.
32 Cf. Roald, 1992; Sultan, Citation1999; Fodeman et al., Citation2022.
33 Cf. Anway Citation1995; Shatzmiller Citation1996; Mossiere Citation2016; van Es Citation2019.
34 Ma Citation2014.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Qiang Ma
Qiang Ma is a faculty member of the Institute for Western Frontier Region of China, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Haichao Wang
Haichao Wang is a postgraduate researcher and teaching assistant in the Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Usman Khan
Usman Khan is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Xi’an International Studies University, Xi’an, China. He can be contacted at [email protected].