Becoming ‘true’ Muslims in Canada: experiences of Uyghur immigrants

ABSTRACTThis study explores the shifting religiosity and religious identity of a group of Muslim Uyghur immigrants in Canada. The findings reveal that many have strengthened their attachment to their Islamic faith and identity after resettlement. Drawing on data gathered through 12 in-depth interviews and a survey of more than 100 participants, this article suggests that this ‘reconversion’ process results from ‘conversations’ with three groups of ‘interlocutors’. Firstly, their engagement with other Canadian Muslims has pushed them to revisit, confirm, and fortify their Muslim identity. Secondly, their self-reflection on their situation in China has renewed their awareness of their Uyghur Islamic heritage. Finally, their interaction with Christian/White majority others in Canada has reinforced the need to strengthen their Muslim identity. The awareness that they are different from the majorities in their homeland and Canada has contributed to this process simultaneously.KEYWORDS: Uyghur immigrantsIslamidentityreligiositywhitenessCanadian diaspora AcknowledgementsWe want to thank Dr. Ratna Ghosh, at the Faculty of Education, McGill University, Dr. Rebecca Clothey at the School of Education, Drexel University, Dr. Edmund Waite at the Institute of Education, University College London, who gave their very insightful feedback on an earlier version of this paper, and Dr. Amanda Rosini at the School of Religious Studies, McGill University, who helped revising and editing the paper.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Notes1. According to Alessandra Cappelletti (Citation2015), the fact that Muslim Uyghurs commonly drink alcohol in their homeland could be attributed to the influence of the Chinese ‘drinking culture’ as well as ‘a traditionally mild form of Islam, mainly a Sufism belonging to the broader Central Asian Islamic environment’ (p. 152). We argue that the latter element, which is not the mainstream practice among global Muslims, could be seen as the main factor, while looking at the broader picture about the Muslims worldwide described in detail by Shabab Ahmed (Citation2016). Meanwhile, we should not underestimate the role of secularism, which has been glorified by the Chinese Communist Party since 1949.2. Although, traditionally, many Uyghur women do wear headscarves, these fabrics are not the hijab. As James Leibold and Timothy Grose (Citation2016) specifically describe, single-piece headscarves, which are clearly different from the hijab, have been widely used among Uyghur women across the region. These headscarves vary ‘in styles, fabrics, colors, and degree of concealment’ (85), and they may or may not cover the chin, neck, and the ears. They may not fully cover the hair, either. These fabrics are called yaghliq in Uyghur. As the authors argue, such a veiling tradition predates the Islamic turn of Uyghurs. The arrival of the Russian and then the Chinese state powers into the region politicized Uyghur veiling, leading to many Uyghur women abandon their headscarves (yaghliq). However, in the 1990s, Middle Eastern style of Islamic veiling, mostly hijab, started to be adopted by some Uyghur women, again leading to a political scrutiny of the Chinese government.3. The Parti Québécois tried, although in vain, to introduce Bill 62 in 2013 to ban wearing religious symbols for public servants. In 2019 Coalition Avenir Québec passed a similar bill, prohibiting all public sector workers from wearing religious symbols, which is seen by many as targeting religious minorities, especially Muslims.4. One participant who identified ‘Islam’ as their religion did not specify whether their level of religiosity increased, decreased, or remained stable.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, under Insight Grant 435-2017-1102. This work was also supported by Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Société et Culture (FRQSC) as a PhD funding.