9 Comments

1. 

   Bruce Humes

   July 24, 2017 at 1:53 pm

   This post on “halalification” is indeed fascinating. It does offer some real insight into what Chinese society is talking about these days.

   Reading it, one almost forgets that this is Chinese social media. There are various arguments, pro and con, and the way they are presented, it sounds fairly “balanced,” like something you’d read on Twitter in the West. “Let one hundred flowers bloom,” as Mao Zedong famously said in the 50s — before cracking down on anyone expressing unPC attitudes, and persecuting and even jailing hundreds of thousands of those “blossoms.”

   The issue here is that the columnist fails to point out to readers how significant it is that “halalification” is being openly discussed, and not banned, by the authorities. Based on my experience, almost any critical comments related to one of China’s ethnic minorities is highly sensitive and likely to be scrubbed almost immediately.

   Therefore, an important yet unexplored story here is: Why are the authorities allowing this topic to be discussed openly? Does this indicate their neutrality regarding this phenomenon? Or are they subtly using social media to critique this contemporary aspect of Muslim culture? And how long will they allow such a sensitive topic to be freely discussed before they — inevitably — begin to censor such entries?

   In the future, I look forward to Ms. Koetse alerting readers to such aspects of “media management,” and her efforts to “decode” these signals.

   Reply
   • 

     Jie

     September 7, 2017 at 10:59 am

     According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, “” search results are not shown.
     Sorry, the sticker has been deleted
     Sorry, you do not have permission to view the content.

     Huh.

     Do you really understand China?

     Reply
2. 

   The other

   July 25, 2017 at 12:08 pm

   This article demonstrates why Westerners are so wrong in assuming that China is an ethno (Han supremacist) state. They’re actually riffing off a stereotype of East Asians as an extremely racist people, without bothering to learn the facts.

   Reply
3. 

   Jane

   July 25, 2017 at 6:56 pm

   Sigh.. I would never think that a standard halal certificate will make such a ruckus. Moslems only eat halal foods, just like vegetarians only eat non meat foods. Why would it then expand into segregation in other parts of life? Look at Singapore, it’s a secular country but we’d still get to know which food is halal, which isn’t. The PRC government need to do something, so the problem will be solved once and for all. Either it’s allowed to do so, or just ban it nation wide. I really feel like it’s funny how the majority of people who are non Moslems would feel discriminated against; I didn’t know minorities are capable of discriminating against more powerful majorities

   Reply
4. 

   Joey

   July 26, 2017 at 9:46 pm

   Halal food is the only food I trusted in China, especially from street vendors.

   Reply
5. 

   Funtik-fuf

   July 31, 2017 at 9:53 pm

   the problem is not with the food here — it’s with the presenting of it. of course, halal food deserves to be cooked and sold everywhere in this world, same as all the other types of food, but when people start segregating the society then you know something’s very wrong with it. it is totally okay for any diet to have its own cafe, but different tables, delivery boxes and checkout counters are clear evidence of the separation. it seems like people who demand separate tables to eat don’t want to be associated with or be equaled to other people. which is not good.

   Reply
6. 

   SpeakTheTruth

   August 11, 2017 at 8:53 am

   So Chinese people in China can’t even protect the Chinese culture of eating pork?

   Reply
7. 

   Always Worried German

   September 2, 2017 at 4:32 pm

   Ha! The Mohammedans are doing the same thing they started about 10 years ago in Europe. Be very careful, China, or you’ll end up like us.

   Reply
8. 

   jixiang

   January 7, 2018 at 5:42 pm

   “Only when we as the Chinese people integrate together, can our country be unified as an undivided family.”

   Right, only when everyone speaks the same, thinks the same and eats the same can China be a happy family.

   Sigh.

   Reply