From Newsweek
by Conor Gaffey
Islam is the most popular religion in China among young people despite a government crackdown on Ramadan and historic persecution of the Muslim Uighur minority, according to a new survey.
Of the five religions recognised by the atheist state, Islam has the largest proportion of followers under 30, with 22.4% of Chinese Muslims fitting this age bracket, according to the China Religion Survey carried out by a research centre at Beijing’s Renmin University.
Around 23.3 million Muslims live in China, making up 1.8% of the total population, according to Pew Research Center data from 2010. The Center predicts the Muslim population to grow to around 30 million by 2030.
The new statistics come on the back of China imposing controversial measures on Muslims observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The Communist Party has reportedly banned teachers, students and government employees in Xinjiang province from fasting, though Chinese authorities have denied these accusations.
The government has also reportedly instructed Muslim shopkeepers and restaurant owners tosell alcohol and cigarettes in order to combat “religious extremism” in Xinjiang, which is the largest of China’s administrative regions and has a majority Uighur Muslim population.
Xinjiang is a hotly-contested area of China. Hundreds have died in recent years in clashes which China has blamed on Islamist terrorist groups, while the Uighurs say they are repressed by Beijing’s policies.
Despite such restrictions, the survey also found that 60% of people working at places of worship considered government regulations on religious freedom to be fair.
In addition to Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and Taoism are the other officially recognised religions in China.
Catholicism was the second-most popular religion among under-30s, while traditional Chinese religions Buddhism and Taoism were most popular among over-60s. Overall, Buddhism has the highest amount of followers in China, according to the survey.
