Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
International

China Bans Muslim Names Like 'Saddam', 'Jihad' For Newborns In Restive Xinjiang

The Canadian Press, 25 Apr, 2017 11:43 AM
    China has banned Islamic names for babies in Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, home to the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. 
     
    According to the move, children with the banned names like Saddam or Midina will not be able to get a residence permit called “hukou”, which is required for access to medical and educational services, it said in a statement.
     
    “This is just the latest in a slew of new regulations restricting religious freedom in the name of countering religious extremism,” the HRW said.
     
    The Xinjiang government claims the names were banned because of their religious connotation, which can “exaggerate religious fervour”, Efe news reported. On April 1, the authorities in Xinjiang had also imposed new rules banning “abnormal” beards or a full veil and warned people of punishments for refusing to watch state TV or radio programmes.
     
     
    Conflicts between the Uighur and the Han, the majority ethnic group in China and who also control the government, are common. Beijing usually attributes the violence to Islamist groups and secessionists whereas Uighur groups in exile consider the conflict to be a result of repression by the Communist regime.
     
    “Violent incidents and ethnic tensions in Xinjiang have been on the rise in recent years, but the government’s farcically repressive policies and punishments are hardly solutions,” said HRW.
     
    “They are only going to deepen resentment among the Uighurs,” it added.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    US Lawmaker Backs Green Cards For Indian Students With Tech Degree

    US Lawmaker Backs Green Cards For Indian Students With Tech Degree
    As part of the effort to retain Indian talent, who come to the US for higher studies with most of them being in the field of STEM, Tillis favoured the idea of giving green card along with their degrees.

    US Lawmaker Backs Green Cards For Indian Students With Tech Degree

    3 British Sikh Men Admit Selling Afghan Asylum Seekers Documents To Enter The UK

    3 British Sikh Men Admit Selling Afghan Asylum Seekers Documents To Enter The UK
    Cousins Daljit Kapoor and Harmit Kapoor, and Davinder Chawla, all three in their 40s, pleaded guilty before their trial. Passports shown by the Afghans all had photos of Sikhs wearing their turbans and border staff failed to spot the difference.

    3 British Sikh Men Admit Selling Afghan Asylum Seekers Documents To Enter The UK

    Three Indian Cities Among Top 20 Global Megacities: Report

    Three Indian Cities Among Top 20 Global Megacities: Report
    Tokyo is expected to remain the world's largest urban agglomeration in 2030, with Delhi and Shanghai maintaining their second and third positions, respectively.

    Three Indian Cities Among Top 20 Global Megacities: Report

    Men Who Fed Cat To Dogs Ordered To Clean Dubai Zoo For 90 Days

    Men Who Fed Cat To Dogs Ordered To Clean Dubai Zoo For 90 Days
    Three men, including two Asians, accused of feeding a live cat to two hungry dogs and uploading the gruesome video of the incident, have been ordered to clean the city's zoo for three months.

    Men Who Fed Cat To Dogs Ordered To Clean Dubai Zoo For 90 Days

    4 Countries Elected To Global Leadership For Open Governance

    4 Countries Elected To Global Leadership For Open Governance
    Canada, Italy, South Africa and South Korea have been elected to join the leadership of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global movement that has led the charge for citizen-centred democracy around the world.

    4 Countries Elected To Global Leadership For Open Governance

    India-Born Businessman Kevin Michel Wins Local Election In Australia

    India-Born Businessman Kevin Michel Wins Local Election In Australia
    Kevin Michel, a Labor party candidate from Pilbara seat defeated Brendon Grylls of Nationals Party, with a 13.7 per cent swing in Labor's favour on a two party preferred basis.

    India-Born Businessman Kevin Michel Wins Local Election In Australia