Islam in China : a plural identity within the confines of an empire

Abstract

Islam in China has a broad and variegated character, its origins dating back to ancient times, and yet very little is known about it and generally it receives scarce attention. Whereas elsewhere such a presence would go not unnoticed, in a country as large as China its existence is perceived as far from conspicuous. This neglected, most eastern branch of Islam provides an interesting perspective on questions of cultural identity and strategies of integration. On the one hand, we have a far from univocal Muslim world which speaks different languages and includes ten of the fifty-six different ethnic groups that exist in the People's Republic of China. On the other, we find an institutional and legislative environment governed by powerful imperial politics which are founded on cultural premises far removed from those underpinning any Western legal tradition. This paper offers a synthetic outline of some of the most significant issues pertinent to this subject.