Historical Ethnic Conflicts and the Rise of Islamophobia in Modern China

Abstract

In this paper, I show that narratives of historical conflicts between the Han Chinese and Muslims have been deployed to justify anti-Muslim sentiment and practices in modern and contemporary China. My study analyses Han Chinese narratives during and after the Northwest Muslim Rebellion – the largest ethnic conflict in 19th-century China. The historical narratives about the rebellion have passed down inter-generationally and have been reiterated and reconstructed to fuel modern-day bias against Muslims in the 20th century and beyond. My study contributes to the debate of Chinese Islamophobia by revealing how narratives of ethnic conflicts could help legitimize hostility against Muslims in modern China.

Keywords: Islam; China; Hui people; Northwestern Muslim Rebellion; islamophobia