Time has not silenced the voices of separatism. As the recent ethnic violence in Urumqi shows, the eagerness of the Uighurs to cut loose from China has not waned. Fifteen years ago I had entered Xinjiang from Kyrgyzstan, across the Tien Shan Mountains. At the border post Mohammed Ali sought my acquaintance. He could speak some Urdu and practiced it on the busloads of Pakistanis that arrived daily from Gilgit, 450 km away. Proudly proclaiming that he was a Mohammedan Turki and not a Chinese, he complained that the Chinese were harassing the Muslims. Today was Friday and he was not allowed to read the namaaz, for Chinese do not encourage Muslims to pray in the mosque.

Walking through a pale blue gate, engraved with quotations from the Koran, I stepped onto a footpath through a grove of trees that led me to a green-pillared prayer hall wholly devoid of worshippers. However, I was assured by my Chinese escorts that Muslims were making good use of the mosque. They also sought to affirm the secular credentials of China by highlighting the financial contribution made by their government to this 560-year old mosque: five major repairs undertaken since 1949 and new toilets, showers and overhead tanks constructed. A boiler now enables Muslims to have the luxury of hot water in winter. A pilgrimage office offers services to the Mecca-bound Hajis (a record 8,000 had made the journey in the last five years). Blessed are the Muslims who are enjoying the patronage of Communist China! Yet, one of the rudest things you can call a Uighur is “Chinese.”

... contd.