Last month, the Islamic Association in Anhui Province, northern China, concluded a training course for talented young mosque imams titled "Dual Communication," with the participation of Islamic circles in Hefei, the provincial capital.

The seminar was attended by Han Li, Deputy Director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of the province, as well as members of the provincial Islamic Association. The course included over 90 trainees from young imams from various cities and regions within the province.

 Dual Communication

Han Li emphasized that enhancing the construction of talents "with dual communication" (referring to individuals responsible for advocating religion and national unity) in the Islamic community of the province is of great practical significance. It addresses the community's need for the systematic enhancement of the Sinicization of Islam in the province, maintaining harmony and stability within the Islamic domain, and is essential for comprehensive and strict governance of Islam in the province. This should align with standards of political reliability, religious achievement, moral capability to persuade the public, and effectiveness in critical times.

 Enhancing Education and Training for Islamic Talents

Efforts should also be made to enhance the education and training of Islamic talents, establishing and improving a harmonious and multi-level community, sustaining a training system for religious talents, refining and enhancing their ability to understand religious matters and rulings, adapting these to serve the cause of Islam and national unity, and developing teams of talents in the Islamic community to meet the demands of the era.

 Connecting with Reality

This training course employed a mix of special lectures and preaching methods, linking them to practical realities and showcasing the humanitarian and social aspects of Islam while emphasizing the principle that "loving one's country is part of faith." Experts and professors were invited to provide comprehensive explanations of the recommendations from the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party and the important recommendations made by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Anhui Province. The invited experts stressed the importance of Sinicizing Islam and focusing on interpretation, preaching, and related tasks.

Sinicization

The trainees stated that through the training, they deepened their understanding of promoting the Sinicization of Islam in China and enhanced their political, ideological, and practical awareness of patriotism. They pledged to actively practice the core socialist values in their future work, inherit and advance excellent traditional Chinese culture, and unite and lead the majority of Muslims to make greater contributions to enhancing the healthy legacy of Islam and striving to solidify its foundations.

Alongside the training course, various activities were organized, including visits to historical sites in Anhui Province.

Historical Overview

Islam reached Anhui during the reign of the Song and Yuan dynasties (907 – 1368 CE) and continued to spread and develop during various historical periods. During this time, many mosques were established, amounting to about 42 mosques during the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911 CE). Some Islamic activities were recorded, but they were limited to gatherings of Muslims around the mosques.

According to a survey conducted during the Republican era (1911 – 1949 CE), specifically in 1936, there were 158 mosques in the province, most of which were in northern Anhui, and the number of Muslims was approximately 250,000.

Anhui Islamic Association

On January 23, 1983, the regional Islamic representatives conference was held in Hefei, and the Anhui Islamic Association was officially established. Furthermore, several local national Islamic organizations were created one after the other, and democratic management committees were formed in the major mosques.

Islamic associations at all levels actively assist the government in implementing the policy of religious belief freedom, training clergy, striving for self-support, participating in social welfare, expanding external exchanges, uniting Muslims, leading them to love their homeland and religion, and jointly participating in socialist modernization. This aims to enhance national unity and play a positive role in promoting religious harmony, maintaining social stability, and building a harmonious society.

Religious Activities

The Islamic Association of Anhui held "preaching" competitions and "Quran recitation competitions" in the years 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2011, respectively. The association also organized imams and Muslims from all over the province to actively participate in National Unity Month and promote progress, as well as activities for the "Religion and Harmonious Construction in Anhui" forum, among others. Imams used Fridays to go to mosques to conduct preaching activities and held tours for religious lectures, achieving good social results.

Today, Anhui Province has 198 mosques, 302 imams, and 29 national groups, including one national religious group, which is the Anhui Islamic Association. Additionally, there are ten ethnic minorities that adhere to Islam in Anhui, particularly the Hui ethnic group, which has a registered population of approximately 420,000 people, representing 93% of the ethnic minority population in the province.