Mullahs trying to ban laughter?

April 10, 2014 Mohammed Abbasi

Militants want ban on laughter, crying, says Chinese governor REUTERS The governor of China’s Xinjiang region. — Photo by Reuters BEIJING: The governor of China’s restive region of Xinjiang wrote on Monday that Islamist militants were trying to ban laughter at weddings and crying at funerals, as he appealed to people to stamp out the “tumour” of extremism. Xinjiang has been beset by violence for years, blamed by the government on militants and separatists. Exiles and many rights groups say the real cause of the unrest is China’s heavy-handed policies, including curbs on Islam and the culture and language … Continue reading Mullahs trying to ban laughter?

Uighur and Taliban militancy is bringing together Beijing and Washington DC

March 18, 2014 Mohammed Abbasi

Afghanistan: as China forges new alliances, a new Great Game has begun A common interest in central Asia over Uighur and Taliban militancy is bringing together Beijing and the United States by William Dalrymple of The Guardian A Chinese security officer scrutinises pedestrians in Urumqi, the capital of the Uighur autonomous region of Xinjiang. Photograph: Rooney Chen/Reuters As the disappearance of flight MH370 dominated the headlines across China, a party of senior US officials and AfPak experts arrived in Beijing last week for discreet talks with their Chinese counterparts. They were there as part of a little reported but crucial new Sino-American dialogue on Afghanistan, discussing … Continue reading Uighur and Taliban militancy is bringing together Beijing and Washington DC