Arabic, Muslim symbols ordered taken down in China's capital
Authorities in the Chinese capital ordered halal restaurants and food stalls to remove Arabic script and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, part of an expanding national effort to "Sinicize" its Muslim population.
The campaign against Arabic script and Islamic images marks a new phase of a drive that has gained momentum since 2016, aimed at ensuring religions conform to mainstream Chinese culture. The campaign has included the removal of Middle Eastern-style domes on many mosques around the country in favour of Chinese-style pagodas.
It is not just Muslims who have come under scrutiny. Authorities have shut down many underground Christian churches, and torn down crosses of some deemed illegal by the government.
The government says its actions in Xinjiang are necessary to stamp out religious "extremism". Officials have warned about creeping Islamisation, and have extended tighter controls over other Muslim minorities. China, home to 20 million Muslims, officially guarantees freedom of religion, but the government has campaigned to bring the faithful in line with Communist Party ideology.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/arabic-muslim-symbols-ordered-china-capital-190731072007867.html
