China

The number of female imams, known locally as ahong, acting as spiritual leaders and teachers for Muslim women, is rising in China, especially in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. They have broken through taboos and barriers and won wide recognition among female believers. After learning doctrines and taking certification exam, more than 80 female imams in Ningxia have been licensed …

"A-l h-a-m-d-u l-i-l-l-a-h-i R-a-b-b il-`a-l-a-m-e-e-n." So began the recitation for Jumu`ah (the Friday Prayer). Every letter pronounced meticulously by the imam, self-consciously aware as he led the small congregation of about 20, that he is not a native Arabic speaker. The congregation was fully Chinese, mostly men over 50, but with a handful of youngsters in their early teens. Qinjing …

Throughout 1400 years, Muslims in China have gone through many ups and downs, until they reached the state of "harmony" with non-Muslims Chinese. Muslims in China began as traders and soldiers in the 7th century, therefore instilling in the early Muslim settlers a sense of belonging and legitimacy; they were not a burden on the country, but valuable contributors. It …

I got into a rickshaw in Beijing and my 65–year-old wrinkled driver immediately whizzed me through the hutongs — old, narrow alleyways. He looked at me and talked in Chinese. I turned to my guide. "He's asking where you are from." "Aygee," I replied in my broken Chinese — meaning "Egypt." He pointed at my headscarf. "Are you Hindu?" "No! …