China’s genocidal policy against Uyghurs, an ethnic Turkish group that inhabits Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has reached a new phase as the Wumao army or the “50 Cent Army” insults Islam and unleashes blasphemy on the Prophet, Theodoros Benakis writes in European Interest.
In the social media space, the Wumao army, which is a group of state-backed internet commentators, is often seen hurting the Uyghur religious sentiments. Social media often described Muslims as extremists and terrorists, even though PRC nurtures close relationships with conservative Muslim states such as Pakistan, Indonesia, or the Arab Peninsula.
The most criticised propaganda in western media, Islamophobia, is now being used by China to discriminate against and isolate Muslims and increase the support of the Chinese population for policies implemented in Xinjiang.
Through posts on social media, the Wumao Army insults Islam and unleashes blasphemy on the Prophet, according to the author.
The uncontrolled trolling and detraction of Islam have crossed all limits, and this group of users made certain remarks that if made in any other part of the world, would have raised public outrage.
The Weibo Army assists the government in Xinjiang by spreading hate speech against Muslims, insulting Islam, and justifying Bejing’s discrimination.
Earlier, in 2015, after the Charlie Hebdo attack, one user clearly stated that “Religion, has nothing to do with ethnicity.
Our country’s religious policy and ethnic policy are 108,000 miles apart. No one stipulates that a certain ethnic group must believe in a certain religion.”
Recently, Muslims in China disclosed that Islamophobia is used as an accidental practice in Xinjiang and the mainland to strengthen the new Chinese cultural policy of Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, China’s Twitter space, Weibo is used by Chinese citizens to justify renouncing Islam, European Interest reported.