China renames hundreds of Uyghur villages with Communist terms
The People’s Republic of China has been systematically erasing Uyghur village names in the Xinjiang province, replacing them with names that reflect communist ideologies and Mandarin language. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, about 630 villages have had their culturally and Islamically significant names changed. For instance, “Aq Meschit” (White Mosque) was changed to Unity Village, and “Dutar” (name of a traditional musical instrument) to Red Flag Village. Names that suggest Islamic heritage like “Mazar” (Shrine) and “Meschit” (Mosque) have become increasingly rare, and names like “Khalifa” and “Xelpe” (both meaning ruler) have been eradicated altogether. This renaming initiative is part of China’s broader efforts to assimilate the Uyghur population and erase their cultural and religious identity, which has led international human rights groups to accuse Beijing of committing crimes against humanity. Moreover, this act continues despite Xinjiang’s status as an autonomous region, a condition that has not offered genuine sovereignty or protection from cultural suppression by the Chinese government. The Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim and culturally Turkic, have faced severe persecution and measures aimed at assimilating them, with the Chinese government frequently correlating their heritage to terrorism.
The People’s Republic of China has erased a number of village names that are culturally significant to the Uyghur people, replacing them with communist language, according to a report from the Human Rights Watch.
The names of about 630 villages in the province of Xinjiang have been stripped of any references to Islam or uniquely Uyghur culture. Instead they have been secularized into Mandarin and replaced with terminology that is ideologically consistent with the PRC.
For example, the Aq Meschit Village, meaning “white mosque,” has been diluted into the new Unity Village. Similarly, the village of Dutar, derived from a cherished musical instrument in Uyghur culture, has been renamed to Red Flag Village. Following this pattern, common village names such as Mazar (Shrine) and Meschit (Mosque) have grown increasingly few. Khalifa and Xelpe, two once abundant designations that both mean “ruler,” have been completely eradicated.
Described as “part of a broader government effort to erase Uyghur Culture in Xinjiang,” groups such as the Human Rights Watch and Norway’s Uyghur Hjelp, have accused the Chinese government of committing crimes against humanity.
A History of Persecution
The Uyghur People make up a majority of the population in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Culturally Turkic, the Uyghurs have been a majority muslim people since the 10th century. Xinjiang, similar to Tibet, is considered an “autonomous region” meaning that it has the ability to implement self-governing legislation. Despite this apparent sovereignty, Xinjiang is hardly free from the overarching Chinese government. In the last 20 years, the People’s Republic of China has tried to squash Uyghur culture, implementing assimilation programs and often associating their culture with terrorism.
For decades the Uyghurs have sought a more permanent and official separation from Beijing. In retaliation, the PRC has sent flocks of Han (Chinese) settlers into Xinjiang, hoping to suppress the Uyghur population. With a looming military presence in both Xinjiang and Tibet, the full extent of abuses is unknown and contact with other nations has been greatly restricted.
In 2014, the Chinese government launched the “Strike Hard Campaign against Violent Terrorism” program against the Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims. Arbitrarily dragged to jails or internment camps in the name of reeducation, millions have been spoon fed communist rhetoric and forced to suppress their traditional values. In many areas, growing beards and reading the Qur’an has been criminalized, with others being barred from overseas travel.
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The latest imposition of communist ideology in village names is only a small peace in the history of alleged mistreatment against the Uyghur people. Following in the footsteps of groups like the HRW, the high commissioner of the United Nations agreed in 2022 that the PRC has committed a series of human rights abuses in their forceful assimilation of Uyghurs into mainstream communist culture.
The Chinese government denies these claims, citing counterterrorism and a desire to protect people from extremists as its motives.
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