Sponsoring education is a fine tradition of Islam. Everywhere in the country, Islamic organizations and Imams (Mullahs) have always been active in contributing money to primary and secondary schools and running nurseries, kindergartens, ethnic primary schools and girls‘ schools, motivating Muslim youths to attend school and become useful people for the construction of ethnic regions.
To spread the Islamic spirit of “ordering people to do good and stopping people from doing evil” is another fine tradition of Islam, and also animportant act to guide Islam to adapt itself to socialist society ? Particularly in recent years, people of insightin Chinese Islamiccircles have tried tomake explanations concerning Islamic doctrine and scriptures that are in line with the times. They have begun with writing and preaching new al-Wa"z (sermons) and have achieved delightful effects.
What is worth mention is that the China Islamic Guidancecommittee was established on April 23, 2001. It is composed of16 patriotic and faithful Imams and Mullahs, who are of noble character, with high prestige and in possession of rich Islamic knowledge. Imam Chen Guangyuan was elected as its chairman. The purpose of the committee is to offer explanations on religious and social problems facing Muslims in contemporary times,opposing religious extremism, maintaining the purity of the Islamic faith, and motivating Islam to adapt itself to socialist society. After a year"s hard work of investigation, research, writing, revision, trial preaching and seeking opinions, the “Collection of New al-Wa"z” (first volume) was published in Chinese and Uighur languages as a model for Islamic sermon by the Religious Culture Press in early August of 2001. The committee presented 120,000 copies of this book (both Chinese and Uighur language versions) to Islamic circles in Xinjiang to regulate the contents of sermons in mosques there. At the sametime, it motivated key provinces such as Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan to carry out the large-scale work of training Islamic workers. At present, the second volume of “Collection of New al-Wa"z” is being compiled. The commitment of the China Islamic Guidance committee has become a positive force in promoting social progress, making Islam accepted and understood better in the broader socialist society, and laying a solid foundation both theoretically and practically for the further nationalization of Islam.
To run Islamic colleges and schools of various kinds welland foster qualified Islamic workers is also a great job whichdetermines the future of Chinese Islam. Starting with compiling teaching material, the China Islamic Association positively seeks reform to the teaching methods in Islamic institutes. In late May2001, it held a conference in Beijing to coordinate compiling the unified teaching material for Islamic institutes in all places and all levels. It is the first specialized meeting held by a nationwide religious organization for comprehensive study on compiling religious teaching material, and also a milestone-like fundamental construction program in the history of Chinese Islamic education. As part of the program, it has begun to compile 6 textbooks bothin the Chinese and Uighur languages designed for students of grade one and two: “A Concise Course on Qur"an”, “A Concise Course on Hadith”, “A Concise Course on Islamic Doctrine”, “A Concise Course on Islamic Law”, “A Concise Course on World Islamic History”, “A Concise Course on Chinese Islamic History”? Moreover, it also has been listed in the program to compile “Basic Arabic” (first 4 volumes), “Holy Qur"an Recitation” and “Arabic Calligraphy”? Furthermore, the State Religious Affairs Administration is currently organizing a compilation of a 6- category and 10-volume textbook for political education that will be commonly used by all religious colleges and schools. It will help to foster a contingent of religious workers who love both the country and their religion.
