China Rewrites Islam
From May 10 to 16, 2026, the “2026 Training Course on Adhering to the Direction of Sinicization of Islam in China” was held at the Central Institute of Socialism in Beijing.
In its latest effort to sanitize and control Islamic practice in Chinese-occupied East Turkistan, the Chinese government recently concluded a seven-day intensive indoctrination session for Islamic clergy. While state media portrays these sessions as “educational,” they represent a calculated escalation in the systematic erasure of Uyghur religious identity, a process the CCP calls “Sinicization”.
From May 10 to 16, 2026, the “2026 Training Course on Adhering to the Direction of Sinicization of Islam in China” was held at the Central Institute of Socialism in Beijing. The event was attended by 45 Islamic clergy members and teachers from across the country, including figures such as Muhtirem Sherip, Vice President of the China Islamic Association.
Details of the event were posted on the official website of The Islamic Association of China (also known as the China Islamic Association) which is the official government-supervised national organization for Muslims in China. Headquartered in Beijing, it serves as the primary body overseeing Islamic religious affairs, mosques, and clerical training across the country under the direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) United Front Work Department.
Behind the polished language of the official report, the curriculum reveals a clear intent to prioritize Communist Party loyalty over religious faith. The sessions included courses on “Xi Jinping Cultural Thought” and “Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on Religious Work”.
Participants were instructed to lead religious believers toward a “correct” view of the country, history, and culture. In practice, at Kashgar Times, we have documented that this “correct view” involves the criminalization of traditional Uyghur identity and the replacement of Islamic greetings like “Assalamu Alaykum” with Mandarin phrases like “Ni Hao”.
A central theme of the training was the cultivation of so-called “dual-knowledgeable” (shuangtong) talents. This term refers to religious figures who are expected to be as proficient in CCP ideology as they are in religious doctrine.
During a seminar held as part of the program, seven student representatives spoke on topics including:
Casting a Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation.
Islamic “Dual-Knowledgeable” Talent Cultivation.
Integrating Islam with Confucianism (Yi-Ru Hui Tong).
This focus on “integrating” Islam with Chinese philosophies is not about mutual respect; it is about the structural dismantling of Islamic theology to ensure it serves the state’s political goals.
While state propaganda uses these training sessions to project an image of thriving religious life, the reality on the ground in East Turkistan is vastly different. As we have previously reported, the CCP has implemented:
Mass bans on fasting during Ramadan.
The destruction or repurposing of thousands of mosques.
Mandatory “Self-Reporting” for religious behaviors such as wearing a skullcap or attending religious lessons.
By framing this indoctrination as “achievement,” Beijing attempts to hide the reality that religious practitioners are being forced to pledge their loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party over their own faith.
Why This Matters
The Chinese regime does not see these policies as a violation of rights; it publishes them proudly as a roadmap for the future. These training sessions at the Socialist Academy are a core component of a long-term strategy to ensure that the next generation of religious leaders in East Turkistan functions as a mouthpiece for the occupying regime.
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