01.12.2020 China‘s Muslims. the Dragon‘s Headache a book by Hala Ghoname

The material culture of Muslim ethnic groups as a means for tracing the history of Islamic existence in China

This book is an updated and a modified Arabic version of the original English thesis, submitted in 2012, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the Department Art and Art History of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, U.S.A., published in 2015. The book focuses on the material culture of Muslim ethnic groups as a means for tracing the history of Islamic existence in China. Furthermore, it examines the artistic practices of Chinese Muslims, through which influences of culture, society, education (both official and mosque-based), and politics are exhibited.
This book differs from the original in using more up-to-the-minute data on Muslims in China, in addition to examining how state integration-policies towards the different Muslim ethnic groups have influenced the stylistic features of their artistic products, namely calligraphic works. Moreover, it investigates how these differences in stylistic features, especially in Arabic Calligraphy practiced in China, reflect the diverse reactions of Muslim groups towards the state forced assimilation efforts.