I’ve never understood the affinity between communists and Islamists. When it comes to spirituality they are polar opposites- Communists are atheists, and Islamists are religious fanatics. Communists believe in a GOD-less society, a life governed by their leaders. Islamists, on the other hand, believe in a GOD-centered life, a life governed by Imams and Clerics. One thing they have in common, however, is the penchant for persecuting those who do not believe as they do.

Religious persecution and intolerance runs as rampant in China as it does in countries like Iran.

Being Christian (or Muslim) for that matter is not a good thing in China. And practicing your faith in other than government sanctioned house ‘Churches’ is forbidden. Professing your faith can even get you expelled from school, which is what happened to a young teen, Chen Le, in Xianjing, in northwest China (although he was recently invited back).

According to ChinaAid, a U.S. based advocacy group, Chen Le was expelled after he refused to renounce his Christian faith and signed a document asserting that he was indeed Christian.

Chen Le, a 2nd grader from Class 8 of Senior High School, was found by Bazhou Public Security Agency and other related agencies to have engaged in Christian gatherings. His school was notified that it should educate the student and persuade him to mend his ways. However, efforts from the class advisor and some leaders from the school in educating him have all failed and this student persists in his belief that he should not renounce his Christian belief. He can’t promise that he will not believe in Christianity or attend Christian activities. He also claims that if the school wants him to write a statement of self-criticism and self-introspection of examining his error of attending religious activities as a high school student, he would rather not attend this school. Given the above situation, this school advises him to transfer to other related schools.

High School Division
Huashan Middle School
2nd Agricultural Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
Date: October 20, 2009
Seal: 2nd Agricultural Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

“The above is true.”
Chen Le, Signature
Date: October 20, 2009

As a result of his expulsion, he was also been barred from taking college entrance exams.

The ethnic Muslim Uyghurs, in Xianjing, have also been targeted.

...young people under 18 have been barred from attending mosques in Xinjiang, and are expected to eat during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Those who fight for the rights of religious minorities are also not safe. Human rights activist and lawyer Gao Zhisheng was kidnapped by the police and has not been seen since February 4, 2009.

Gao Zhisheng has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities for defending the persecuted. He has been an unyielding voice for justice in the Chinese courts.

ChinaAid recently confirmed that Attorney Gao is alive, allegedly released on parole, though his condition and whereabouts are still unknown.

Members of unofficial churches have been attacked and beaten and had their Church property destroyed.

According to church members, police and government officials including Zhangzhuang township Party secretary Gao Xuezhong and vice-county governor Duan Yumin were among the attackers.

They said the attackers smashed windows, doors, kitchen utensils, refrigerators, and motorcycles.

“Some of them were beating people up, while others were breaking glass,” a worshiper surnamed Bai said.

“They used an excavator to push down the courtyard walls and to demolish our newly built meeting hall,” she said.

“We were driven out. When we went back afterwards we found that all the money and the cell phones from inside our bags had been taken.”

And trying to lodge a complaint gets them nowhere.

Authorities in the central Chinese province of Henan are turning down attempts by members of unofficial Christian churches to appeal actions taken against them, a lawyer familiar with their cases has said.

I’m not sure why people feel so threatened by those who do not tow the proverbial party line (no pun intended), be it communist or Islamist, but there are those who will continue to fight for religious freedom for those who have none.