Syringe Jihad in China. "China: Demonstrators demand security after needle attacks," from CNN, September 3 (thanks to all who sent this in):
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Thousands of Chinese demonstrators crowded the streets of Urumqi in western China on Thursday to protest what they say is a lack of police protection, witnesses said.Over the past month, more than 400 ethnic majority Han Chinese have been stabbed with tainted syringes by Uyghurs, the Muslim minority, according to local news reports. The stabbings fueled Thursday's protests by Han Chinese in the capital of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Many of those attacked with the hypodermic needles were hospitalized, but there have been no reports of deaths, the reports said.
Fifteen suspects have been detained for allegedly carrying out the stabbings, a senior official said Wednesday, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency. Of the 15, four have been formally charged, Xinhua reported.
A source told CNN that "countless" police and soldiers have deployed to Urumqi and so far, the demonstrations have been peaceful.
A local woman told CNN that the stabbings were ethnically motivated and that government text messages to citizens have warned that the syringes contained an unknown disease....
Not "ethnically."
I don't believe it at all. Nothing that comes from the Chinese is reliable.
This is one of those conflicts where, right aside, it's difficult to feel close to one side or another. If the Uighurs weren't Muslim, I'd be all on their side completely. The Han have invaded and taken over their country, the same thing they did in Tibet. It's really just slow motion genocide (and sometimes, not so slow motion, at least in Tibet). Both Sinkiang and Tibet should be free of Chinese rule. Believe me, you wouldn't want to be a minority group in China, be it ethnic or religious.
A variation on the punji stakes used by the Viet Cong.
No deaths .. at least, not yet, until whatever those needles are tainted with does its work.
Go China...well not really, but in this case....
Go China!!
The general rule is thus: A defeat for Islam is a win for Humanity.
Latest from Aljazeera:
They say that the Uighurs socially motivated-public health drive administering free H1N1 swine flu vaccination program was broken up my government thugs that terrorized the beneficent Uighur volunteers, many of whom were arrested and or injured in the government led riot.
There is a special plea put out for funds to support Uighur charities, so they can continue their good works despite the government interference with their humane activities.
I think that was the general translation, but then I could be wrong.
What, no mention of the fact that the Chinese are denying Uighur's their religious freedoms? I look forward to your next tome "Why China isn't the world's most tolerant country." Thanks in advance Mssr. Spencer.
Goodness! There probably are places in China Proper where hypodermic needles get re-used without so much as being passed over a candle flame or wiped with alchohol. This was common practice in a country that "progressives" long touted as a model for all developing countries.
Couldn't happen to a nicer gummint that used to accuse everyone else of germ warfare.
Tu Ba Lu Wan Sui! Wan Sui! Wan Wan Sui!
"A local woman told CNN that the stabbings were ethnically motivated and that government text messages to citizens have warned that the syringes contained an unknown disease...."
An "unknown disease" is scary enough, add to the fact that apparently their government has every citizens cell phone number? Did I read that right? ...now that's scary, too!
DustanH:
Is stabbling people with hypodermic needles a normal way to protest religious curbs? Please let me know when you come up with an article on that.
Unknown disease... Test these poor, unfortunate victims in about six weeks time and find out whether they're HIV positive.
Seymour, please don't compare Sinkiang to Tibet. The Tibetans have a great culture, I agree they don't deserve Chinese oppression. On the other hand the Chinese are the only ones in the world who know how to handle Mohammedans, at least in their own country. Unfortunately the're doing business with Sudan, a country where no human rights for non-Muslims exist.
This is the main reason why the Chinese govt. does not not approve of any religion in the country!! Coz it always ends up with some strife between ppl. I am not Chinese, but i have been living in Beijing for many years now. There are many Xinjian restaurant and you shld see how the local beijingers visit them and have their meals. The muslim community in Beijing get along pretty ok as far as I know.
But China is very careful with everything. They want every bad thing thats happening to stop so that the world will see the good that China has to offer. They are doing their very best to keep a clean, beautiful, war free developed country.
Whatever the issue is, the muslims cannot hurt ppl with snake poison. thats wut they have bene injecting innocent ppl in public unawares!!
They give the world a bad impression.
Now in China even Christianity is spreading gr8tly and some churches are being approved already. The chinese govt. want all to live peacefully but not try to attack the govt. in any way. The law is very strict.
So I no matter wut ethnic, i believe ppl must addhear to authorities coz they do their best to provide good food, and everyonther comforting facility to its ppl!! I believe China knows wut they are doing and will not do anything unfair.
We see china in a very wrong manner. hope it changes soon.
cheers.
I wonder where these anti-Chinese sentiments come from? How much do people here really known about China apart from what the media says? How much do people really know about Chinese politics?
There is a lot of positive discrimination towards minorities in China. Whereas the Han Chinese have to abide by one child policy, minorities are exempt from this policy and can have as many children as they want.
There are many programs to promote and preserve minority culture in China. There are officially about 56 ehtnic minorities in China: Achang, Bai, Blang, Bonan, Buyei, Dai, Daur, De'ang, Derung, Dong, Dongxiang, Evenk, Gaoshan, Gelao, Hani, Hezhen, Hui, Jing, Jingpo, Jino, Kazakh, Kirgiz, Korean, Lahu, Lhoba, Li, Lisu, Manchu, Maonan, Miao, Monba, Mongol, Mulao, Nakhi, Nu, Oroqen, Pumi, Qiang, Russian, Salar, She, Shui, Tajik, Tatar, Tibetan, Tu, Tujia, Uyghur, Uzbek, Va, Xibe, Yao, Yi, Yugu and Zhuang.
Survey shows that their population grows 7 times faster than that of the Han Chinese. Some ethnic minorities in China live in what are described as ethnic autonomous areas. These "regional autonomies" guarantee ethnic minorities the freedom to use and develop their ethnic languages, and to maintain their own cultural and social customs. In addition, the PRC government has provided preferential economic development and aid to areas where ethnic minorities live.
You are probably better much better off being part of a minority in China than a Han Chinese!
So if China treats its minorities so badly, why is there no problem with the other 54 minorities? The following minorities live in Xinjiang: Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui, Kirghiz, Mongols, Dongxiangs, Daurs, Pamiris, Xibe, Manchu, Tujia, Uzbek, Russian, Miao, Tibetan, Zhuang, Tatar and Salar. Do you see these minorities joining the Uyghurs in their struggle against China?
Both Xinjiang and Tibet have been part of China before they declared independence after China declared itself a Republic.
Tibet and Xinjiang where only independent for a few years before China reclaimed this territory (Tibet was independent from 1912-1949, parts of Xinjiang were independent from 1933-1934 and 1944-1949). Not even the whole of Xinjiang was declared independent, but merely a few provinces who were under control of the Muslim seperatists. Their independence lasted not even a decade. When the Uyghurs took control of these provinces they treated the non-Muslim population (not only the Han Chinese, there are many more non-Muslim Chinese minorities in Xinjiang) the way you know too well: murder, rape and forced conversion.
Also Uyguhrs arrived later in Xinjiang than the Han Chinese. The Han Dynasty took control over Xinjiang from the Xiongnu 60 BC, who probably took it from the Yuezhi. The first historical reference to an Uyghur tribe was centuries later during the Wei Dynasty (386-534). Later from 742-848 the Uyghur Khanate occupied part of northern Xinjiang and Mongolia, while the Tibetian empire took control of Southern Xinjiang. Later in the 11th century the Khitan Empire took control of Xinjiang, and a century later the Mongols under Genghis Khan took control over the region. Later the Dzungar Empire which was a collection of Oirat tribes ruled over Xinjiang from the early 17th century to the mid 18th century. From this period afterwards under the Qing Dynasty, it became once again part of China.
Honestly, Nakal and Seymour Paine, you sound a lot more Xenophobic and racist agaist Chinese, then any Chinese I know is xenophobic and racist against Tibetans or Uighurs. Most Chinese don't care about politics or any affairs which govern the world. They are happy as long as they can earn some money and live a peaceful life. Tibet and Xinjiang are much too far away for most Chinese. Most Chinese probably don't even care what happens in the next county, let alone in the next province, even less what is happening a few provinces away. Most Chinese probably think that the whole country is mostly peaceful, not being aware of any ethnic tensions in remote places. What do you think the state propaganda and censorship is for? Spreading hate? Of course not, it is all about maintaining peace and harmony within the country.
Truly I don't understand why China is regarded as dangerous by Western countries. China has no interest in world domination nor is China expansionistic.
I do not condone China's behavior in Tibet, but am more than happy how they handle things in Xinjiang.
For the Chinese government welfare of individuals is secondary to the welfare of the country as a whole. They have no illusions about having to make or being able to make everybody happy.
If Western countries would not be so concerned about making everybody happy, they would never have adopted the Dhimmi attitude they have now.
This business with the needles, if it is a true report, is downright creepy.
Because it reminds me of something that was said by Abu Hamza the hook-handed Muslim 'preacher', in the UK, THREE YEARS AGO.
Here's the link to the report and discussion at jihadwatch:
http://jihadwatch.org/archives/009782.php
And here's the original article, which can still be read today at the Times online: dated January 13 2006.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article787810.ece
Two excerpts, quoted there, from a video sermon by Abu Hamza that was preached *in Britain*:
(1) “We ask Muslims to . . . bleed the enemies of Allah anywhere by any means.
"You can’t do it by nuclear weapon, you have to do it by kitchen knife, no other solution.
You can’t do it by chemical weapons, you have to do it by mice poison”.
And here's the kicker:
(2) "The first phase is called the Shawkat al-Nekaya, *it is called the needle of bleeding [the enemy]* {my emphasis added - dda}.
"Like you imagine you have one small knife and you have a big animal in front of you . . .
"You have to stab him here and there until he bleeds to death...".
Also, I was reminded of a case in Canada, not very long ago, when a Muslim woman working for a food processing company, was discovered to have inserted NEEDLES into small lunch-size packs of pork, which were often bought by schoolchildren.
As for China: Chairman Mao was one of the most evil men who have ever burdened this planet.
His successors have not been much better: ruthless, greedy dictators with an eye out for no.1.
Midget - who sounds like an apologist for the Chinese plutocracy/ dictatorship - may spout the official line, but to be quite, quite frank, although I would prefer living in China to living in any Mohammedan land (since China unlike dar al Islam permits music, representational art, pork, alcohol, statues and uncovered women) I nevertheless think China's human rights record toward minorities and Christians *has* been, overall, throughout the past sixty years, absolutely appalling. There is neither freedom of speech as we in the west understand it, nor freedom of religion; I am far freer as a Christian in Australia that any Christian is in China.
And the lao gai exist, and the house church christians are harassed and persecuted.
And unless and until the Chicom dictators are prepared to LET GO AND PUBLICLY ACCEPT THAT TAIWAN IS A SEPARATE COUNTRY AND WILL REMAIN SO, they get no trust whatever from me.
I am no apologist for the Communist Chinese government. However the past few years there is increasingly negative publicity in the Western media about China and Chinese. This is starting to reflect more and more on the overseas Chinese communities who have nothing to do with communist China.
I live in the Netherlands, where until a few years ago Chinese were regarded as the model immigrants. Because of all the negative publicity about China, even though Chinese still aren't causing any trouble they are beginning to be treated worse than the despised Turkish and Maroccan communities in the Netherlands. Whereas all kind of leftists stand up for the Muslims to prevent them from feeling insulted, they freely insult the Chinese community.
In a reaction to Geert Wilders publication of Fitna, there was a wave of bad publicity and insults towards the Chinese community (Sjaak Bral's insulting column as a reaction to Fitna in one of the Dutch leading newspapers caused an outrage among the Chinese Community, but there were many similar publications).
Dumbledoresarmy, what is your problem with China? Unless you travel to China and settle there you will never have to worry about being governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). CCP has no interest in expanding it's borders beyond those which China held during the Qing dynasty and clearly you do not live in that region. And even if you would live in China you probably would not notice any repression from the Chinese Government. The only problem you probably would have would be restriction on the websites you can visit. (No internet porn for you, sorry)
Taiwan is officially called ROC: Republic of China (ROC), whereas Mainland China is called Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Not sure if this is still true, but atleast until a few years ago a single united China was part of Taiwan's official political program. The population of Taiwan themselves are at least divided about whether Taiwan should become part of the Mainland again (and ofcourse under which rule).
In the prelude to the Olympic Games many Taiwanese artists performed in the song Welcome to Beijing (can easily be found on youtube). Most Taiwanese still have strong ties with Mainland China and they can freely travel to China.
Do you know anything about the history between ROC and PRC? Before the civil war in China Taiwan has long been part of China. The Nationalists under leadership of Chang Kai Shek fleed to Taiwan after being defeated in the Mainland. They even still have the original flag of China. Why did the Nationalists lose from the Communists? Because they rather fought the Communists than the Japanese during WWiI. Whereas the Communists focussed their efforts against the Japanese, the Nationalists did not. The Chinese people suffered greatly under the Japanese occupation (read about the rape of Nanking if your interested), so naturally they would rather side with the party which fought the Japanese instead of the party that cared more about the internal power struggle than their own people.
Of course Mao Ze Dong's rule and the Cultural Revolution afterwards was disastrous for the Chinese. But that didn't effect the West in the least. They probably only learned about it after China started to open up.
Dumbledoresarmy, can you name a single country in the world which officially recognizes Taiwan as a separate country? I know none. Here in the Netherlands they are not allowed to have an ambassy or a consulate. In 1971 the ROC was no longer recognized by the UN as the government of China and chose to recognize the PRC as the governmet of China. As a consequence Taiwan lost it's seat in the security council.
Historically China has plenty of reason to mistrust the Christian movement. Christian Missionaries used to play dirty roles in China.
In the past they have stolen many of Chinese secrets and actively persued to destroy the Chinese economy, something which they succeeded in very well. Millions of Chinese died because of the famine caused by the resulting collapsed economy.
How many times did the West backstab Imperial and Republican China? History is filled with them. I don't think evil communist China backstabbed the West even once.
Sure human rights are not the same as in the West, sure they use excessive force in Tibet, sure they don't trust the Christians in their country (and historically Christians have proven over and over again that the Chinese cannot trust them), sure they will never tolerate the Vatican having power over it's people, but that doesn't make them a threat to the West.
Dumbledoresarmy, I challenge you to come up with prove that the human rights record towards the other minorities have been absolutely appalling. I bet you cannot come up with substantial evidence.
I have no particular fondness for the CCP and there are enough things I don't approve, but the attitude of many Westerners towards China is just ridiculous.
Oh, Dumbledoresarmy, I bet you feel the Australian government made a prime example of how to treat minorities or other ethnicities.
I bet your government has always treated the Aboriginals in an outstanding manner, never forcing them to take up any religion, right?
Midget
FYI I have a Chinese uncle (my father's sister married a Chinese emigre in 1962 when such marriages were quite rare and controversial), and thus have two Eurasian cousins.
My younger brother is married to a nice young lady from southern China, who has migrated to Australia; their first child will be born soon.
I have known many other Chinese-Australians; and have Chinese Christian friends in Singapore.
So you cannot accuse me of hating ethnically Chinese people. I do not hate my sister-in-law and my cousin.
I simply *do not trust* the current *regime*, the successors of Chairman Mao. And it isn't just porn sites that they block. Your insulting implication that I am a user of internet porn, is beneath contempt -FYI I am a practising Christian and I have *never* visited an internet porn site in my entire life nor do I ever intend to do so. You can, of course, choose to disbelieve me; you probably will, since you seem to be convinced that all Christians qua Christians are eevil.
Your tu quoque (the claim that because Aboriginal people were treated badly in Australia in the past, an Australian has no right to criticise or question anything that the current Chinese regime has done to the Tibetans) I will simply ignore. Aboriginal people in Australia are equal with non-Aboriginal people before the law. They vote. In certain parts of Australia they are able to swing the vote. And they are NOT forced to adopt any religion.
And if *you* think that christianity spreads, and spread, in China, from the very earliest times (the Nestorian believers of the early middle ages) to the present day, simply and solely by violence or by fraud or by bribery, and if you are prepared to *justify* and approve the cruelties that the Chinese communist governments - not only Mao but each of his successors - have meted out to perfectly inoffensive and peaceful Chinese Christians - men, women, children, little old ladies - from 1949 to the present day then you know *nothing* whatever about Christianity; you reveal yourself either as a propagandist for the chinese communist party dictators, or as a Christianophobic modern European intellectual; and what is more you are throwing mud on the reputation of the thousands of twentieth century Chinese Christian martyrs.
I am not going to list all my various sources of information about twentieth-century Chinese history (and earlier) because you will instantly denounce any Christian sources, as lies (I suspect that you have been taught that all Christianity is, is lies and sedition). Which would be foolish of you. But I assure you I do know something about Chinese history and literature, art and poetry.
I'm not that sure that you're native Dutch. What you say is exactly what I would expect to hear from an agent of the current Chinese regime, trawling the net to find out what is being said about China-related stories, and then jumping in to present a pre-rehearsed spiel.
Curiously, the methods you use to try to persuade us that everything is just hunky-dory inside modern China, and everything is fine (of course, individual happiness must be sacrificed, if necessary, to the exigencies of Power), and how none of the neighbouring countries needs to worry at all about the intentions of those currently in power, 'we come in peace', and so on, and so forth, with a dose of tu quoque on top to finish off with, remind me rather strongly of the methods of argumentation that are often used on this site by those who wish to apologise for, or deny the manifest evils committed by, the Empire of Islam.