The 'Hijra' in Tibet

By Janet Levy
On a recent trip to Chinese-occupied Tibet, I discovered striking parallels betw
een Chinese Communist methodology and goals and the Hijra -- an Islamic expansio
nistic strategy to suppress and supplant non-Muslim societies and pave the way f
or complete submission, or Islamization. Chinese Communism and the Hijra involve
expansionism, policies of cultural engineering and abrogation. Both represent a
threat to the ideals of freedom and democracy.
The Hijra (which I examined previously) replicates Mohamed's pilgrimage from Mec
ca to Medina. It is a Koran-sanctioned struggle for world domination by Islam, i
nvolving millions of Muslims who live outside Muslim countries and are stealthil
y and gradually endeavoring to eradicate non-Muslim cultures and governments to
institute Islamic shari'ah law. This demographic jihad, in which polygamous marr
iages and Koran-sanctioned liaisons produce countless offspring, gravely threate
ns the free world. It challenges the principles of free speech, freedom of relig
ion, equal rights for women, and other freedoms and human rights taken for grant
ed by Western, Judeo-Christian societies.
Chinese Communism, with its eerily similar methodology, goals, and end results,
represents a comparable threat to Tibetans. Although the Communist Party mandate
s restrictive reproductive policies, China's massive population has been mobiliz
ed for political expediency. Clearly, ideological differences exist. Islamic Hij
ra is justified by a theo-politico-legal doctrine outlined in sacred Islamic tex
ts, while the Chinese strain of Communism today is marked by a tightly restricti
ve authoritarian political structure that limits personal freedom and civil libe
rties. But the Communist strategy merits careful examination as a parallel threa
t to the existence of free societies within the Chinese sphere of influence.
During my trip, it was readily apparent from observation, in guarded discussions
with Tibetans, and from the menacing omnipresence of an occupying Chinese army
that the 1950 Communist Chinese invasion of Tibet -- and the brutal suppression
of Tibetans for more than twenty years afterward -- negatively altered life in t
he region. The "Roof of the World," as Tibet is sometimes called, has been subje
cted to vast changes to its demographic landscape and the dilution of its cultur
al uniqueness. For centuries, Tibetan Buddhism, renowned for elaborate rituals a
nd intricate philosophical debates, permeated all aspects of traditional Tibetan
society. But with the Communist occupation and government incentives that encou
raged large numbers of Han and Hui to migrate to the region, Tibetans are now a
minority in their own land. The indigenous Buddhist culture has been diminished
. A way of life and national identity defined and shaped by religion have been f
undamentally altered by a Chinese policy aimed at controlling and systematically
destroying its influence. Religion, extremely important in Tibetan everyday lif
e and culture, is now used as a means to control its devout population.
History
In 1950, following the creation of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese r
egime declared its intent to "liberate the oppressed and exploited Tibetans and
reunite them with the great motherland." A few months later, the People's Libera
tion Army (PLA) invaded Kham in Eastern Tibet and proceeded to Lhasa, the capita
l to the south. In 1951, under great duress, ecclesiastic and secular Tibetan le
adership signed an agreement relinquishing their country's sovereignty and agree
ing to become part of China.
Over the next decade, a series of rebellions and a guerrilla war were decisively
squelched by the PLA. In 1959, the Chinese bombed Lhasa's major monasteries as
well as Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, the highly revered pol
itical and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people believed to be the reincarnati
on of Buddha himself. The Communists threatened to kill the Dalai Lama and bomb
his main residence at the centuries-old Potola Palace, where generations of Dala
i Lamas had resided. Shortly thereafter, the Dalai Lama fled to exile in India,
where he remains today with an expatriate community of close to 130,000 follower
s. By 1962, the armed conflict between the Chinese Communists and Tibetan rebels
ended with the defeat of the markedly outnumbered and poorly armed Tibetans. By
that time, thousands of Tibetan monks had been executed or imprisoned, and thou
sands of monasteries, temples, and artifacts had been destroyed or looted. Marti
al law was declared, and Tibetan rulers were replaced with loyal Chinese officia
ls.
Throughout the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), when all of China was subjected
to the economic reforms of collectivization and central planning, Tibet suffered
a similar fate. The disruption of traditional agricultural practices caused mas
s starvation. More than 6,000 monasteries and vast numbers of religious artifact
s, statues, and sacred texts were destroyed. Tibetans were coerced to renounce t
heir religious beliefs, and certain religious practices were banned. Monks and n
uns were persecuted and forced to forsake their sacred vows of celibacy and enga
ge in sexual activity or marry. Thousands were imprisoned and tortured, and an e
stimated one million Tibetans died.
In the 1980s, restrictive government policies were loosened, limited religious p
ractice was permitted, and Tibet was opened to tightly regulated tourism. Monast
eries were rebuilt, and economic activity was normalized. Still, life without th
e leadership and guidance of the Dalai Lama was intolerable for many Tibetans, w
ho began to demonstrate for greater political freedom. The rebellion was brutall
y suppressed by the Chinese army, leading to hundreds of deaths and thousands of
arrests. Displaying photographs of the Dalai Lama was eventually banned, and re
strictions increased.
In 1996, China launched the "strike hard" program for the "patriotic re-educatio
n" of religious leaders. Under threat of imprisonment or deportation, monks and
nuns were required to study Communist ideology, place the Chinese motherland abo
ve their religion, and denounce Tibet's independence and the Dalai Lama. In one
instance, monks were forced to stomp on a photograph of the Dalai Lama or risk a
beating.
Prior to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, violence erupted after monks in L
hasa demonstrated for a week, calling for greater religious freedom and independ
ence from China. Tibetans were warned that visits were prohibited to religious i
nstitutions where unrest had occurred and that those who violated the ban would
be subject to job dismissal and salary suspension. The city of Lhasa was placed
under curfew, and tourism was curtailed for one month.
Current Situation
Today, Tibet's economy is almost entirely based on subsistence agriculture and t
ourism. Limited arable land contributes to the country's poverty, and agricultur
al activity consists mainly of raising livestock and cultivating grain. The chal
lenging mountains, pristine scenery, and interest in Tibetan Buddhism and local
handicrafts have brought tourists to the area, but certain areas are off-limits
to foreigners. The Chinese government recently discovered mineral deposits of zi
nc, copper, and lead valued at $128 billion that could double China's reserves o
f these minerals and reduce their need for foreign imports.
The Chinese are busily rewriting Tibetan history and refer to the day they overt
hrew the government as the "liberation" of the Tibetan people and the beginning
of "democratic reform." A prominent monument in Lhasa signifies fifty years of "
liberation." Flying the Tibetan flag is prohibited.
For the last two decades, the Chinese have made further inroads in Tibet in thei
r attempts to change its unique culture and bring it more in line with China's p
olicies and agenda. Chinese settlers are still encouraged, often with government
assistance, to come to Tibet, and a recently opened train line links Lhasa with
mainland China. Tibetans complain that Chinese merchants control most of the to
urist shops in the capital.
It is clear that the authority of the Chinese government is sacrosanct. China se
lects all candidates for influential religious positions, disregarding time-hono
red Buddhist reincarnation requirements for leadership roles. Monasteries are cl
osely monitored, as are the reading of religious texts, the practice of rituals,
and the observance of festivals, where large numbers of potential protesters co
uld gather. Tibetan monks are forced to renounce the Dalai Lama, their sacred le
ader, and swear allegiance to the State. The Chinese government tightly restrict
s the number of monasteries and their renovation, as well as the size, compositi
on, and mobility of the monk population. Monks' quarters are subject to random s
earches, and monks live in fear that informants dwell among them. If arrested fo
r political activity or possession of prohibited religious texts, monks may not
reenter monastic life. All monasteries must be commercially viable through fees
from tourism or other money-making enterprises. Human rights organizations have
been denied access to Tibetans, and it has been reported that monks constitute 8
0% of political prisoners in the country. Over 11,000 monks and nuns have been e
xpelled from Tibet.
During my visit, a 30-year-old native furtively explained marked changes to the
educational system over the past sixty years. During her parents' generation fi
fty years ago, instruction was conducted exclusively in Tibetan. When this young
woman was of school age in the late 1980s, lessons were given half in Chinese a
nd half in Tibetan. Today, students are required to speak Chinese, all classes a
re conducted in Chinese, and Tibetan is offered as an elective language. Symboli
cally, signage in Tibet, even for native Tibetan artisan shops, is written in la
rge Chinese letters (usually in red) with significantly smaller Tibetan characte
rs on top.
Conclusion
The threatening presence and actions of the Chinese authorities and their suppre
ssion of the traditional Tibetan way of life and religious practices have led to
decades of unrest. Under the Chinese Communists, Tibetans have been denied the
right to self-determination and freedom of speech, assembly, and movement. The v
ery survival of the racial, cultural, and national identities of Tibet is threat
ened, and the Chinese are committed to ending religious practices through reeduc
ation and propaganda.
As with Islamization, the goal of the Chinese Communists in Tibet is demographic
neutralization and insidious cultural destruction and replacement over time. Su
btle forms of indoctrination gradually expose and familiarize the population wit
h a new set of expectations and values until a critical mass is achieved to engi
neer a complete takeover. Both ideologies are militaristic and life-prescriptive
, enforcing the supremacy of their goals and justifying the subjugation and anni
hilation of those who rebel against their respective doctrines.
The Dalai Lama has said that he "fears more deaths in Tibet unless Beijing chang
es its policies toward the Chinese-controlled region." The cultural genocide of
the Tibetan people is proceeding full speed ahead with little news coverage and
limited humanitarian intervention. Sadly, the world has not focused on the despe
rate plight of Tibetans in their remote corner of the world, and the situation d
oesn't look hopeful. If world attention fails to focus on this Chinese "hijra,"
it may be too late for the survival of the people of Tibet and their unique cult
ure.
Page Printed from: http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/the_hijra_in_tibet.htm
l at July 29, 2010 - 03:06:38 PM CDT