Here's something you may not have realized... "More than 22 million Muslims live in China. The religion came to this large country more than a thousand years ago through Mongolia, Arabia, Persia and Turkey along the famous Silk Road and spice route. Amazingly, Islam is a recognized religion by the Chinese communist government. In fact, the government divides the country’s Muslims into 10 different minority groups. As a minority, the groups are given special privileges and the freedom to practice their religion. Muslims are allowed to have two children instead of the government order of just one. The government also subsidizes most schools teaching the Quran." Here is the link to the article: http://www.tconline.org/Stories/Nov02/muslims.htm
what is so special about this? they are also persecuted in far western china and some are trying to seperate.
are you against china's population control policies? i dunno i think they are very necessary in order for china not to be held down by insane population growth.
i'm against any government that would tell my wife how many children she and I could have. yes..i'm against that big time. i'm also against the consequences if you break that law in China. i'm far too western to think in the mindset that would justify that sort of "regulation."
I think we should applaud China for having population control. It might sound cruel, but it's best for the planet. A billion people can become a few billion in a matter of generations if left unchecked. I'm not sure earth can support so many people with it's limited resources. The poverty and shortage of food would be horrible. Look at India. It's already very improvished as it is, but with it's continual population growth, their standard of living can only get worst.
yeah resources ... theres something like 200 million ppl in america and we consume like 30 % of the world's resources. thats just disgusting. for every super sized value meal we eat (and throw away half of) there's millions of people across the globe starving to death and we have the audacity to say they should have population control??
Americans are a consuming people. We've reached a certain standard of living that we are accustomed to. If it gets to a point where overpopulation affects this lifestyle, we should look into procreation limits for Shawn Kemp.
Yes, everyone knows that U.S. consumption has been and continues to be directly responsible for overpopulation in Asia and other developing countries. You see, those guys are so pissed off at our consumption, it just makes 'em want to go and make a baby.
I would post a link but, since most of the links that I could post would be to websites that are censored by the PRC, here's some copies. Perhaps we can get bbs.clutchcity.net banned as being politically uncorrect? Keep in mind that the majority of Chinese Muslims are Uyghurs. from Religious Repression in China Uygurs 'suffering gross abuses of rights' etc...
Paul Theroux's Riding the Iron Rooster (great book) tells of the writer's one-year journey through China by train. One of his trips leads to the country's far west/northwest areas, which is like another planet. Completely different cultures than the Han Chinese----closer to the spice and silk trade routes of old, where the people are predominantly Muslim. Closer to Afghanistan and Pakistan, easily, and mostly outside Beijing's influence. Osama's probably hiding out there, eating grapes: "Hey, can I get some moo goo gai pan out here? What do you mean, 'no'? This is China ain't it?"
What happens if a couple in China has more than one child? I've heard that if a couple aheres to the one child rule that the government will pay for everything, school, college, health, etc. of the child. I've heard that if they have more than one that these amenities are taken away. I've also heard that Chinese couples who do have more than one child will sometimes kill the second and some will kill the first if it's not a boy. Now don't take it out on me if this is not true but it's just what I have heard. I am askin you all to dispell any of these if they are untrue.
Nice article from Time Asia: http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501020325-218371,00.html and Pictures: http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/xinjiang/photoessay/4.html (I'll be honest. I can't tell the difference between the Uighers and the Chinese.) Also: http://www.time.com/time/asia/news/magazine/0,9754,179526,00.html ...In any case, the war in Afghanistan will probably increase violence in Xinjiang. Roughly 300 Uighurs from China have trained in Afghan terrorist camps; although Beijing hasn't dispatched the army to quell unrest in Kashgar for a decade, the trainees will someday bring their new skills home. Uighurs bold enough to speak often sympathize with the Taliban. Many tell me the evidence against Osama bin Laden is insufficient, that a strong U.S. is attacking a weak Afghanistan. "If this becomes a war against Muslims," says a bazaar trader, his hair still wet from washing before afternoon prayers, "then we stand with them." Yet opposing the U.S. puts them in an awkward position. Uighurs also know that Washington consistently condemns China's human rights abuses, even against separatists. The same trader who promised to stand with the Taliban later says, "Your army is so close, why doesn't it just attack China too?" There are signs of religious radicalism in the region, especially the growth of Wahhabism— the creed of the Taliban— but few Uighurs suggest creating an Islamic state. Their women can drive. They wear colorful hats. Mostly, Uighurs don't want to be subsumed. A half-century ago, Xinjiang was the homeland of a people, with Uighurs comprising the vast majority. Today, official figures say Xinjiang is 40% Han Chinese; the real figure is probably higher and climbing every day. It is, however, a land divided. Uighur and Chinese children in Kashgar attend separate schools. Uighurs run the bazaars, Chinese run the new multistory shops on broad new boulevards. Many Uighurs live in earthen courtyard homes and relieve themselves in chamber pots, while Chinese live in cement apartments with indoor plumbing. Chinese and Uighurs exist in different times, literally. All Chinese I met set their watches to Beijing time, while Uighurs set theirs two hours earlier in accordance with their Central Asian neighbors. Kashgar might be the only Silk Road town lost in time down to the minute.
I had never heard of anyone else who read that book. I thought it was great. I don't even know it is in print anymore. I thought it was fascinating. I really liked the part about all the inventions and discoveries the chinese made and then basically abandoned or hadn't changed from since.
Ottomaton, I had no idea as to the degree of opression of muslims in China. I was under the impression that they were now more accepting. The Chineese constantly tell the world at international meetings that they are changed from their past selves. Yet, after reading that article it is evident that they are hypocrites. Ignorant thing to say...Some of the Chineese may have been forced into terrorism (as this often occurs when youngsters grow up in an oppressed system), but you can't imply that the entire Muslim Chineese population would be willing to accept a religious extremist, like Osama.
China is known not to take any sh*t, either from students or muslims. You mess with them, they will hunt you down. Same with the Russians when they stormed that theatre last year and killed all those Chechen widows. Israel uses their tanks against kids throwing rocks. The Serbs just murder them outright. Meanwhile, we act coy about profiling at home, but decimated two muslim countries on our war on terrorism. You do what you have to do for national security.
Well, that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Was that sarcasm, or am I supposed to be happy with the company that post put us in. Geez, America the Beautiful and her "new friends".
Just stating the facts. Other countries have problems with terrorist and they deal with it by force. We have a terrorist problem and we deal with it by force as well. I'm not here to support what Israel or China is doing. I believe we all have a terrorist problem and that they should deal with it the best they can. I'm not crazy about our actions leading up to Iraq, but if what we do results in a better and safer world, then I'm all for it. However, I don't think we have the moral high ground to judge others on this aspect.
Good point. This is the position most Americans have taken, but that doesn't change the fact that America is still a "bully" in the eyes of the world. Sometimes Americans must open their eyes rather then turn their back. The Iraq situation could have been avoided. China is doing the same thing that Iraq was supposedly doing to its minorities, but America will never interfere with Chineese affairs. It seems hypocricy runs in every powerful nation. They only take action when there is an attainable benefit.
