The upcoming crackdown is part of an "anti-extremism" push in Xinjiang, where hundreds were killed in recent years as Beijing forces clashed with alleged Uighur militants. However, many activists claim that the violence is more of a response to repression from the central government.

The new legal measures would go into effect on Saturday, the regional authorities said on their website.

Officials would ban spreading "extremist ideas," marrying under religious rites rather than legal procedures, and "using the name of Halal to meddle in the secular life of others."

"Parents should use good moral conduct to influence their children, educate them to revere science, pursue culture, uphold ethnic unity and refuse and oppose extremism," the text says.

Workers to 'dissuade' veiled women

Also, the officials oppose the "naming of children to exaggerate religious fervor" and keeping them away from regular, state schools. The authorities would also make it illegal to "refuse or reject" watching state television or radio, although it was not immediately clear how the authorities would enforce this regulation.

The most visible change, however, is likely to come from the ban on "abnormal growing of beards," and the restriction on wearing veils. Specifically, workers in public spaces, including stations and airports, will be required to "dissuade" people with veils on their faces from entering and report them to the police.

In recent years, authorities have introduced similar bans in some places or violence-prone cities in the massive and remote northeastern region. Not all of those measures were strictly enforced. The new set of regulations, however, applied to all of Xinjiang.

Uighurs have traditionally practiced a moderate version of Islam. Nevertheless, experts believe that some of them have been joining Islamic militias in the Middle East due to the violence in Xinjiang. The group's members drew worldwide attention with their deadly stabbing rampage at a Chinese train station in 2014.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state China's far western Xinjiang region ramps up security Three times a day, alarms ring out through the streets of China's ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, and shopkeepers rush out of their stores swinging government-issued wooden clubs. In mandatory anti-terror drills conducted under police supervision, they fight off imaginary knife-wielding assailants.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state One Belt, One Road Initiative An ethnic Uighur man walks down the path leading to the tomb of Imam Asim in the Taklamakan Desert. A historic trading post, the city of Kashgar is central to China's "One Belt, One Road Initiative", which is President Xi Jinping's signature foreign and economic policy involving massive infrastructure spending linking China to Asia, the Middle East and beyond.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state China fears disruption of "One Belt, One Road" summit A man herds sheep in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. China's worst fears are that a large-scale attack would blight this year's diplomatic setpiece, an OBOR summit attended by world leaders planned for Beijing. Since ethnic riots in the regional capital Urumqi in 2009, Xinjiang has been plagued by bouts of deadly violence.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state Ethnic minority in China A woman prays at a grave near the tomb of Imam Asim in the Taklamankan Desert. Uighurs are a Turkic-speaking distinct and mostly Sunni Muslim community and one of the 55 recognized ethnic minorities in China. Although Uighurs have traditionally practiced a moderate version of Islam, experts believe that some of them have been joining Islamic militias in the Middle East.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state Communist Party vows to continue war on terror Chinese state media say the threat remains high, so the Communist Party has vowed to continue its "war on terror" against Islamist extremism. For example, Chinese authorities have passed measures banning many typically Muslim customs. The initiative makes it illegal to "reject or refuse" state propaganda, although it was not immediately clear how the authorities would enforce this regulation.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state CCTV cameras are being installed Many residents say the anti-terror drills are just part of an oppressive security operation that has been ramped up in Kashgar and other cities in Xinjiang's Uighur heartland in recent months. For many Uighurs it is not about security, but mass surveillance. "We have no privacy. They want to see what you're up to," says a shop owner in Kashgar.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state Ban on many typically Muslim customs The most visible change is likely to come from the ban on "abnormal growing of beards," and the restriction on wearing veils. Specifically, workers in public spaces, including stations and airports, will be required to "dissuade" people with veils on their faces from entering and report them to the police.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state Security personnel keep watch Authorities offer rewards for those who report "youth with long beards or other popular religious customs that have been radicalized", as part of a wider incentive system that rewards actionable intelligence on imminent attacks. Human rights activists have been critical of the tactics used by the government in combatting the alleged extremists, accusing it of human rights abuses.

China's Uighur heartland turns into security state Economy or security? China routinely denies pursuing repressive policies in Xinjiang and points to the vast sums it spends on economic development in the resource-rich region. James Leibold, an expert on Chinese ethnic policy says the focus on security runs counter to Beijing's goal of using the OBOR initiative to boost Xinjiang's economy, because it would disrupt the flow of people and ideas. Author: Nadine Berghausen



dj/kl (AFP, Reuters)