Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Imam, Saddam, Hajj, and Medina are among dozens of baby names banned under the ruling Chinese Communist Party's "Naming Rules For Ethnic Minorities," an official confirmed last week. Also, references to the star and crescent moon symbol in children’s names are all unacceptable. Children with those names will be denied household registration, a crucial document that grants access to social services, healthcare and education.
Xinjiang is home to the Muslim Uighur minority, actually to roughly half of China’s 23 million Muslims, and one of the most militarized regions in the country. China blames religious extremists for a slew of violent incidents in recent years which have left hundreds dead since 2009. That’s the reason they conduct police raids on Uyghur households, place restrictions on Islamic practices, and curb the culture and language of the Uyghur people—including videos and other material. For example, young men are banned from growing beards in Xinjiang and women are forbidden from wearing face veils. Uighur rights groups complain of severe restrictions on religion and freedom of expression in Xinjiang and they condemned the name ban.
A full list of names has not yet been published and it is unclear exactly what qualifies as a religious name. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), an employee who answered the phone at a police station in the regional capital Urumqi confirmed that "overly religious" names are banned and any babies registered with such names would be barred from the "hukou" household registration system that gives access to health care and education. Asked if names of Islamic scholars were acceptable, the employee replied: "Get him to change it; it's the sort of thing that [could be regarded as] promoting terror and evil cults."
"In setting limits on the naming of Uyghurs, the Chinese government is in fact engaging in political persecution under another guise," Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exile World Uyghur Congress group, said. "Yultuzay, for example, is seen by the Chinese government as carrying separatist connotations, to do with religion," he added. "They are placing limits on Uyghurs' religious beliefs." “If the government is serious about bringing stability and harmony to the region as it claims, it should roll back – not double down on – repressive policies,” Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
A Communist Party official in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was demoted for not daring to smoke in front of religious people, a sign of his timidity in fighting against religious extremism. Also, the communist party secretary for Chaka Township’s Bekchan village was relieved of her duties for taking her marriage vows—known as “nikah” in Muslim culture—in her own home. Those are only two examples among 97 officials recently charged with disciplinary violations.
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