This is a reconstruction of the history of the Muslim community in China known today as the Hui or often as the Chinese Muslims as distinct from the Turkic Muslims such as the Uyghurs. It traces their history from the earliest period of Islam in China up to the present day, but with particular emphasis on the effects of the Mongol conquest on the transfer of central Asians to China, the establishment of stable immigrant communities in the Ming dynasty and the devastating insurrections against the Qing state during the nineteenth century. Sufi and other Islamic orders such as the Ikhwani have played a key role in establishing the identity of the Hui, especially in north-western China, and these are examined in detail as is the growth of religious education and organisation and the use of the Arabic and Persian languages. The relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the Hui as an officially designated nationality and the social and religious life of Hui people in contemporary China are also discussed.

This second edition of Dru Gladney’s critically acclaimed study of the Muslim population in China includes a new preface by the author, as well as a valuable addendum to the bibliography, already hailed as one of the most extensive listing of modern sources on the Sino-Muslims. China's ten million Hui are one of the Muslim national minorities recognized by the Chinese government. Dru Gladney's fieldwork among these people has enabled him to identify diverse patterns of interaction between their rising nationalism and state policy.

Islamic myths and collective memory are very much alive in today’s localized struggles for identity, and are deployed in the ongoing construction of worldwide cultural networks. This book brings the theoretical perspectives of myth-making and collective memory to the study of Islam and globalization and to the study of the place of the mass media in the contemporary Islamic resurgence. It explores the annulment of spatial and temporal distance by globalization and by the communications revolution underlying it, and how this has affected the cherished myths and memories of the Muslim community. It shows how contemporary Islamic thinkers and movements respond to the challenges of globalization by preserving, reviving, reshaping, or transforming myths and memories.

This book explores the fascinating and complex histories of Islam and China. Meticulously researched and captivating, it provides a comprehensive history of the encounters and relationship between these two great civilizations, as well as the unique development and indigenization of Islam within China. The work looks at the early interactions between Arab Muslim traders and the Tang dynasty in the 7th century, shedding light on the establishment of the first Muslim communities in China. The narrative then progresses through subsequent dynasties, examining the ebbs and flows of Muslim influence, integration, and indigenization. It looks at the emergence of the Hui and other Muslim ethnic groups, who play a central role in the story of Chinese Islam. By delving into their customs, beliefs, and distinctive practices, the authors unveil the intricate process of indigenization, where Islam becomes deeply rooted in Chinese culture and society. One of the unique features of this collection is the nuanced analysis of the impact of major political events as well as gradual social changes on the process of adoption and transmission of Islam in China. The authors also highlight the role of economic activities, Chinese Islamic scholars, and key architectural landmarks in this multifaceted history. Part of the Global Islamic Culture series that looks at integrated and indigenized Islam, this book will be of interest to students and researchers of religion, Islamic studies, religious history, political Islam, cultural studies, Islamic law and Asian studies. It will also be useful to readers who are interested in world religions, theology and cultures.

This book was written to suggest an appropriate mission strategy by identifying key issues that impact urban ethnicities through an urban socioanthropological lens. This book is based on the author’s sixteen years of living in China, where he conducted missionary work in urban areas. The book discusses the author’s interactions with enclaves of ethnic minorities who had recently arrived in the city after migrating from rural areas. The minorities’ struggles to balance cultural assimilation and tradition preservation are highlighted throughout. The book explains that similar phenomena occur within Korean American communities in Los Angeles as well. Based on these observations, the author states that immigrants in many cities face similar social issues and find similar resolutions to them. Though there are many negative aspects to urban areas, readers will see some positive features of cities that can contribute to effective evangelism. The book highlights three main points: (1) Ethnic urban dwellers evolve into many more diverse ways than commonly thought. (2) Ethnic groups are actively choosing the future of their community types. (3) Modern cities create many new communication channels interethnically and also across social strata within ethnicities.

This volume engages the concept and related notions of cultural hegemony, cultural erosion, cultural hybridity and cultural survival by considering whether five regimes in Asia deploy policies aimed at extirpating the language, religion, arts, customs or other elements of the cultures of non-dominant peoples.

Liu Zhi (c1662-c1730), a well-known Muslim scholar writing in Chinese, published outstanding theological works, short treatises, and short poems on Islam. While traditional Arabic and Persian Islamic texts used unfamiliar concepts to explain Islam, Liu Zhi translated both text and concepts into Chinese culture. In this erudite volume, David Lee examines how Liu Zhi integrated the basic religious living of the monotheistic Hui Muslims into their pluralistic Chinese culture. Liu Zhi discussed the Prophet Muhammad in Confucian terms, and his work served as a bridge between peoples. This book is an in-depth study of Liu Zhi's contextualization of Islam within Chinese scholarship that argues his merging of the two never deviated from the basic principles of Islamic belief.

This groundbreaking book explores resistance against the harsh policing of sexuality in some Muslim societies. Many Muslim majority countries still use religious discourse to enforce stigmatization and repression of those, especially women, who do not conform to sexual norms promoted either by the state or by non-state actors. In this context, Islam is often stigmatized in Western discourse for being intrinsically restrictive with respect to women's rights and sexuality. The authors show that conservative Muslim discourse does not necessarily match practices of believers or of citizens and that women's empowerment is facilitated where indigenous and culturally appropriate strategies are developed. Using case studies from Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Israel and India, they argue persuasively that Muslim religious traditions do not necessarily lead to conservative agendas but can promote emancipatory standpoints. An intervention to the construction of 'Muslim women' as uniformly subordinate, this collection spearheads an unprecedented wake of organizing around sexualities in Muslim communities.

One hundred great folk tales and fairy tales from all over the world about strong, smart, brave heroines. Dismayed by the predominance of male protagonists in her daughters' books, Kathleen Ragan set out to collect the stories of our forgotten heroines. Gathered from around the world, from regions as diverse as sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe, from North and South American Indian cultures and New World settlers, from Asia and the Middle East, these 100 folktales celebrate strong female heroines. Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters is for all women who are searching to define who they are, to redefine the world and shape their collective sensibility. It is for men who want to know more about what it means to be a woman. It is for our daughters and our sons, so that they can learn to value all kinds of courage, courage in battle and the courage of love. It is for all of us to help build a more just vision of woman.