新疆的宗教信仰自由狀況(五)

五、開展宗教對外交流

在堅持宗教獨立自主自辦原則的同時，新疆還在相互尊重、平等友好的基礎(chǔ)上，積極與世界各國宗教組織進(jìn)行交往交流。對所有尊重中國主權(quán)、尊重中國宗教獨立自主自辦原則的外國宗教組織和個人，新疆各級政府和人民始終持開放和歡迎態(tài)度。

開展宗教學(xué)術(shù)文化交流。新疆宗教界代表多次參加國際學(xué)術(shù)交流會和研討會，教職人員和宗教院校學(xué)生多次在國際上舉辦的《古蘭經(jīng)》誦讀比賽中獲獎，展示了新疆宗教界深厚的文化和學(xué)術(shù)底蘊。

派員到國外留學(xué)深造。2001年以來，新疆先后選派70 多名宗教院校學(xué)生和教職人員赴埃及艾資哈爾大學(xué)、巴基斯坦國際伊斯蘭大學(xué)等高校留學(xué)深造，提高宗教學(xué)識和教務(wù)水平。政府多次慰問留學(xué)人員，并設(shè)立獎學(xué)金。

積極開展“請進(jìn)來”“走出去”。邀請沙特阿拉伯、土耳其等國宗教人士、華人華僑到新疆和內(nèi)地考察。外國宗教組織和團(tuán)體也多次應(yīng)邀到新疆進(jìn)行友好訪問。組織“中國新疆文化交流團(tuán)”赴中東、大洋洲、歐洲國家開展交流。新疆宗教代表團(tuán)多次出訪埃及、沙特阿拉伯、土耳其、巴基斯坦、馬來西亞、韓國、日本、新加坡、德國、丹麥等國家，還參加了中國伊斯蘭教協(xié)會在印度尼西亞、土耳其等國家舉辦的“中國伊斯蘭文化展演”活動，向國際社會特別是伊斯蘭世界介紹新疆經(jīng)濟(jì)社會發(fā)展、宗教信仰自由的真實情況，增進(jìn)相互了解與友誼。

六、防范和打擊宗教極端

宗教極端主義打著宗教旗號，鼓吹極端激進(jìn)觀點，采取極端手段，妄圖建立神權(quán)統(tǒng)治。宗教極端主義不是宗教，它與宗教是利用與被利用的關(guān)系。其本質(zhì)是反人類、反社會、反文明、反宗教。宗教極端主義是滋生暴恐活動的重要思想基礎(chǔ)。冷戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后，宗教極端主義在國際上日趨活躍，頻繁制造暴恐活動，如美國“9·11”、法國“11·13”、比利時“3·22”等恐怖襲擊事件，嚴(yán)重危害世界和平和地區(qū)安全，成為當(dāng)代國際社會的毒瘤。

受國際宗教極端主義思潮影響，近些年來，宗教極端主義在新疆滋生蔓延。宗教極端主義違背和歪曲宗教教義，以歪理邪說蠱惑蒙騙公眾特別是青少年，把一些人變成完全受其精神控制的極端分子和恐怖分子。宗教極端勢力策劃、實施了昆明“3·01”、烏魯木齊“5·22”、鄯善“6·26”、莎車“7·28”、拜城“9·18”等一系列嚴(yán)重暴力恐怖事件，殘害包括宗教人士和信教公民在內(nèi)的各族無辜群眾。大量事實表明，宗教極端主義已成為危害國家統(tǒng)一和民族團(tuán)結(jié)，破壞宗教和睦與社會和諧，影響新疆社會穩(wěn)定和長治久安，危害各族人民生命財產(chǎn)安全的現(xiàn)實危險。

宗教極端主義是世界人民的共同敵人。反對宗教極端主義是各國政府的應(yīng)盡之責(zé)，也是各國人民包括宗教界和信教公民義不容辭的責(zé)任。新疆開展“去極端化”，防范和打擊宗教極端，是維護(hù)國家和人民根本利益的正義之舉，也是國際社會應(yīng)對宗教極端主義的重要組成部分。

樹立正信正行。積極倡導(dǎo)宗教團(tuán)體和宗教人士把宗教中的愛國、和平、團(tuán)結(jié)、中道、寬容、善行等思想貫穿到解經(jīng)講經(jīng)活動中，弘揚中華文化勸人向善、教人立德、慈悲為懷等理念，引導(dǎo)信教公民確立正信正行、抵制宗教極端。

堅持依法打擊。依據(jù)《中華人民共和國刑法》《中華人民共和國反恐怖主義法》等相關(guān)法律法規(guī)，對宣揚恐怖主義、極端主義或煽動實施恐怖活動、極端主義活動的，堅決予以打擊。

堅持現(xiàn)代文明引領(lǐng)。用現(xiàn)代文明引領(lǐng)各民族文化發(fā)展繁榮，用積極健康、豐富多彩的文化活動滿足各族人民日益增長的精神文化生活需求。積極引導(dǎo)宗教與社會主義社會相適應(yīng)，堅決防止利用宗教干預(yù)行政、司法、教育等社會事務(wù)。

大力改善民生。加快經(jīng)濟(jì)社會發(fā)展，大力實施民生工程，推動共同繁榮進(jìn)步，提高各族人民生活水平和醫(yī)療、教育、就業(yè)等社會保障能力，消除滋生極端思想的土壤，夯實抵御宗教極端主義的社會基礎(chǔ)。

加強(qiáng)國際合作。積極開展有益于促進(jìn)中國與世界各國了解和傳統(tǒng)友誼的交往交流活動，穩(wěn)步推進(jìn)與有關(guān)國家的合作，堅決打擊“東突”恐怖勢力。借鑒國際社會在防范宗教極端思想滲透、“去極端化”、打擊網(wǎng)絡(luò)恐怖主義等方面的經(jīng)驗。積極參加反恐多邊合作機(jī)制。開展不同文明對話，擠壓宗教極端思想生存空間。

新疆開展的“去極端化”工作，有效遏制了宗教極端主義滲透蔓延的態(tài)勢，對國際社會“去極端化”及防范、打擊恐怖主義，對維護(hù)世界和平與發(fā)展作出了積極貢獻(xiàn)。

(待續(xù))

V. International Religious Exchanges

While adhering to the independence and selfmanagement principle, Xinjiang engages in active communication and exchanges with other religious organizations worldwide on the basis of mutual respect, equality and friendship. Governments at all levels in Xinjiang and the Xinjiang people are open-minded and welcome all foreign religious organizations and individuals that respect China's sovereignty and the principle of independence and self-management of China's religious affairs.

Carry out religious academic and cultural exchanges. Representatives from Xinjiang religious circles have participated in many international academic meetings and seminars, and clerical personnel and students from religious schools in Xinjiang have won prizes at many international Koran recitation contests, demonstrating the sound cultural and academic foundation of Xinjiang's religious circles.

Send people to study abroad. Since 2001 Xinjiang has sent more than 70 religious school students and clerical personnel to Egypt's Al-Azhar University, Pakistan's International Islamic University and other overseas colleges and universities for further study, with a view to improving their religious knowledge and teaching level. The government has visited the students and personnel many times, and established scholarships for them.

Promote "welcoming in" and "going global". Religious personnel and overseas Chinese from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries have been invited to Xinjiang and the inland areas of China. Foreign religious organizations and groups have also been invited to Xinjiang for friendly visits. The government in Xinjiang has organized the "China Xinjiang Culture Exchange Group" for exchanges with countries in the Middle East, Oceania, and Europe. Xinjiang religious delegations have visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Denmark and other countries many times, and participated in the "China Islamic Culture Expo & Art Show" held by the Islamic Association of China in Indonesia, Turkey and other countries, introducing to the international community, especially the Islamic world, Xinjiang's economic and social development, freedom of religious belief and other facts, and enhancing friendship and mutual understanding.

VI. Preventing and Combating Religious Extremism

Religious extremists, in the name of religion, spread radical and extremist views, and take extremist means to try to establish a theocracy. Religious extremism is not religion, but tries to make use of religion. It is by nature anti-human, anti-society, anticivilization and anti-religion, and is an important ideological foundation for violent and terrorist activities. Since the Cold War religious extremism has become increasingly rampant in the international arena, frequently committing acts of terror and violence, for instance, the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., the November 13 terrorist attacks in France, and the March 22 terrorist attacks in Belgium. Those attacks have severely undermined world peace and regional security, and become a malignant tumor in contemporary international society.

Affected by international religious extremism, religious extremism has grown and spread in Xinjiang in recent years. Religious extremism betrays and distorts religious doctrines, deludes and deceives the public, particularly young people, with their fallacies, and changes some people into extremists and terrorists completely under its control. Religious extremist forces have designed and carried out a series of severe violent and terrorist attacks in China, including a knife attack at a train station in Kunming on March 1, 2014, the May 22 bombing of a market in Urumqi in 2014, multiple attacks in Shanshan on June 26, 2013, attacks on July 28 in Shache in 2014, and the September 18 terrorist attacks in Baicheng in 2015, injuring or killing religious personnel and believers and other innocent people. Facts show that religious extremism has become a real danger that undermines national unity and ethnic solidarity, sabotages religious and social harmony, impairs social stability and peace in Xinjiang, and endangers the life and property of people of all ethnic groups.

Religious extremism is the common enemy of all humanity. It is the undeniable obligation of all countries and all peoples, including religious believers, to fight against religious extremism. Xinjiang has adopted a policy of "de-extremization" to prevent and combat religious extremism, which is a just act to safeguard the fundamental interests of the country and the people, as well as an important part of the battle of the world community against religious extremism.

Establish proper faith and conduct honest deeds. Xinjiang encourages religious organizations and believers to promote patriotism, peace, unity, moderation, tolerance and benevolence through their sermons and preaching, spread the Chinese cultural concepts of advising people to perform good deeds, teaching people morality and being merciful, and lead religious believers in maintaining proper faith and honest deeds, and resisting religious extremism.

Crack down on terrorism and extremism in accordance with the law. Xinjiang cracks down on the propaganda of terrorism and extremism and the incitement of terrorist and extremist activities in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, such as the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China and the Counterterrorism Law of the People's Republic of China.

Uphold the role of modern civilization. Modern civilization leads the cultural development and prosperity of all ethnic groups, and active, healthy and enriched cultural activities meet the people's growing intellectual and cultural needs. Xinjiang takes active measures to make religions to adapt to socialist society, and prevents the use of religion in interfering in the administrative, judicial, educational and other social affairs.

Improve the people's well-being. Xinjiang facilitates its economic and social development, implements livelihood projects, promotes common progress and prosperity, improves the living standard, health care, education, employment and other social aspects of all ethnic groups, prevents the breeding of extremist thoughts, and consolidates the social foundation for resisting religious extremism.

Strengthen international cooperation. Xinjiang conducts activities for better understanding and promotion of the traditional friendship between China and other countries, promotes cooperation with related countries, and fights East Turkistan terrorist forces. It learns from the world community's experience in the prevention of the proliferation of religious extremism, "de-extremization" and the combat against cyber terrorism. It also actively participates in multilateral anti-terrorist cooperative mechanisms, conducts dialogues between different cultures and restricts the scope of religious extremism.

The "de-extremization" adopted by Xinjiang has effectively contained the spread of religious extremism, and made a great contribution to international "deextremization", prevention of and combat against terrorism, and world peace and development.