China’s Stringent Measures on Weddings, Funerals, and Study in Xinjiang: A Closer Look at the Crackdown

Sholpan Amirkhan and her aunt were shocked to see her brother-in-law Nurlan Pioner being carried into the Jimunai County People’s Court in western Xinjiang, China, near the border with Kazakhstan. Pioner, once a beloved religious leader in their community, looked frail and emitted a strong odor. He seemed barely conscious and struggled to sit up straight as he was placed in the defendant’s cage for a bail hearing. Pioner, a respected molla who conducted important religious ceremonies in Arabic, had been detained for 14 months and was now a shadow of his former self.

Amirkhan and her aunt couldn’t recognize the man that sat before them, paralyzed and sitting in his own urine. Just a few months ago, he had been a healthy and active member of the community. Despite his role as a state-appointed leader, the judges described him as a criminal who had led others in the Kazakh community towards extremism. Eventually, Pioner was sentenced to 17 years in prison on multiple charges related to disturbing social order and promoting extremism.

The verdict provided by the court after his sentencing shed light on the systematic repression of minority cultures in Xinjiang. It detailed how routine Islamic practices were criminalized, and how individuals like Pioner were retroactively prosecuted for actions that were once accepted. The court portrayed his activities as extremist and linked them to illegal behaviors, with prosecutors claiming that he had led others astray.

Since the crackdown on ethnic minorities in Xinjiang began in 2017, a significant portion of the Uyghur and Kazakh population has been detained, with many facing prosecution. The number of prosecutions in Xinjiang soared in 2017, making up a large percentage of total prosecutions in China. The court system in Xinjiang shifted its focus towards “prevention” and “de-radicalization” measures, targeting individuals and communities based on religious and cultural practices that were once considered routine. The prosecutors portrayed these activities as part of a larger extremist plot aimed at destabilizing Chinese society.

This shift in narrative and the aggressive prosecution of individuals like Pioner highlights the harsh reality faced by minority groups in Xinjiang. Traditional practices and cultural norms are now being labeled as criminal, leading to widespread detention and imprisonment of individuals who were once respected members of their communities.