Before it's gone: Western China's Xinjiang {Uyghur} region sees unusual culture slipping away

The Mercury News ^ | Jan. 19, 2003 | Joshua Kurlantzick

[rmlew]

XINJIANG, China - In five years of living in and traveling around Asia, I frequently scoffed at foreigners' stories of places that had been ``ruined'' by modernization, of destinations I had to visit before they were wrecked. For instance, while some people visiting Bangkok thought it an ugly, modern city, I saw a metropolis that had managed to expand without losing its uniquely Thai identity.

[rmlew]

Contrary to the beliefs of some, there are moderate Muslims. The Turkic and Steppe peoples had tolerant diverse cultures before the introduction of Islam and continue to do so today.
It behoves us to learn about a a collection of related ethnic groups who can not only balance the Wahabbist and Khomeninist Islamisms but also wish to contain China. Incidentally, the Turkic arc from the Caspian Sea to the Gobi desert contains huge oil and natural gas reserves.

http://www.uyghurinfo.com/
http://www.khazaria.com/turkic/index.html

[rmlew]

Png and pass on

[a_Turk]

ping.

Second hard drive crash, ping list not backed up, hope I am not pinging folks who had asked to be removed :)

[Sparta]

Thanks for the post rmlew, thanks for the ping a_Turk, FYI HighRoad for your Nazi China ping list.

[aristeides]

Urumchi is also where those mummies were found that appear to be red-headed European types and were buried with what are now scraps of what appears to have been plaid cloth. Since this is where Tokharian was spoken about 1000 AD, and since Tokharian was an Indo-European language that has certain affinities to the Celtic languages, those mummies are probably examples of the Tokharian-speakers.

I.e., at least one other civilization has already died in this region, and been replaced by the Turkic Uighurs.

[ASA Vet]

"on the verge of being decimated"

"every Xinjiang site I expect to be gone in five years,"

So which is it? 90% will remain or all will be gone in 5 years?

[Mortimer Snavely]

Sounds like a long term job opportunity for MIT and associated ideologues.

[ppaul]

The People Advancing Bravely to the Great Socialist Future!

[xJones]

The Ugly Han Chinese, the Uyghurs are getting squeezed out and their ancient culture destroyed. And they are discriminated against in education and loans with favor going to the Chinese. But this article makes them sound very resilient which is encouraging.

However, you can feel comfortable mentioning that you are American, since the Uyghurs generally are extremely pro-U.S.

Well thank God, there's one place left, even if it is in a far-away corner of China.

[a_Turk]

Turkey has chosen to be pro-Chinese in this and is working to lift the pressure off the Uygur by promoting peaceful coexistence.

Face it, we'll have to wait for the Chinese to beat themselves, which will probably take a couple of centuries..

[The Energizer]

Thanks for the ping . . .

[rmlew]

Check out http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/831442/posts

[rmlew]

If the place is striped of culture and the people replaced, does it matter if some buildings remain?

[Nogbad]

Ping