Religion verses Political. Muslims are paying the price.

Concentration camps were once the hauntings of World War II that taught society the darkest side of humanity. Once the war ended, people cheered believing the mass death sentences were over. Legal systems were put in place to protect citizens, and technology became the thing destroying people’s privacy. However, there is treachery happening in our time that is masked behind corrupt legal systems and advanced technology.

Whether it is pure human ignorance or unwilling to care, the world has seemed to turn its back on the minor Muslim communities being forced into concentration camps in China. The differing values between Chinese and Muslim’s has resulted in deep tension. The communist party is stripping people of their culture, traditions and language for two years.

With the tough regulations surrounding the media, it has been difficult to source facts that the camps truly exist. However recent satellite images show 260 ‘re-education camps’ in Xinjiang, yet China continues to claim the area as ‘vocational skills training centres.’

Anyone participating in a heavily religious lifestyle such as worshiping at a mosque or attending a funeral was seen as worthy of punishment by the police state. Detainees in the camp were then taught the language and traditions of Han Chinese. The ethnic group covers approximately 92% of the Chinese population and has been planted in its population for more than 3,000 years.

So why is the Chinese communist party against the minor Muslim communities? The primary issue is the differing values towards life. Communism as defined by The Cambridge Dictionary is “the belief in a society without different social classes in which the methods of production are owned and controlled by all its members and everyone works as much as they can and receives what they need.” It closely aligns with the social and political theory Marxism, named after Karl Marx. The theory examines the impact of capitalism on labour, productivity and economic development.

The Chinese communist party is the biggest political party in the world. After being formed in 1921, the party seized control in 1947 after a revolution led by Mao Zendong. Despite its controversial values in the international community, the party remains unchallenged due to its tight rules and brutality in the face of opposition. The party now has power over what people learn at school, watch on TV and the number of children they allowed.

Whereas Islam is a ritualistic and traditional religion, telling its followers to live by 5 pillars in order to lead a fulfilling life.

1. The profession of faith.

2. Praying ritualistically five times a day.

3. Almsgiving

4. Fasting during the month of Ramadam

5. The Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca which must be done once in their lifetime.

Muslims follow these pillars which helps them maintain a sense of community despite their distance across the world. However peaceful these pillars seem, the Islam faith has negative connotations attached to it. Since the string of terrorist attacks, the world has labelled the religion as hateful and it has stuck ever since. Choosing to ignore that the acts of one should not condemn the many.

The religious profiling has led to Muslims suffering from a range of discriminatory acts, including violent attacks, harassment, lessening opportunities in employment, housing and health care. Studies show that there has been a recognised danger growing in the public intolerance against Muslims since 2002. Alongside the statistic that shows one in four Australians holding a negative attitude towards Muslims.

Perhaps this hatred is the reason that society has neglected the religious community, ignoring the facts that have been brought forward. Ultimately allowing more than one million Muslim minorities to be held in the camps for two years.

Despite mainstream media’s ability to share knowledge at the press of a button, many people are still unaware of the culture genocide occurring in China. We believed that humanity learnt from the atrocities that happened during World War II, yet we cannot intervene when a concentration camp is happening in our generation. How many innocent people will suffer because of someone else’s intolerance to difference?