Privilege and Prejudice: Han Victimhood and Legitimizing Islamophobia in China

Abstract

Islamophobia, along with other forms of alt-right discourse and hate speech, is a well-documented phenomenon in the Euro-American world. Despite increasing scholarly attention in the West, however, research on Islamophobia in authoritarian regimes is more limited. Using content analysis of key online Islamophobic accounts, this paper shows that there are two distinct types of Islamophobic narratives in the Chinese cyberspace: a “confessional” narrative attributed to Uyghur authors, and a warning narrative specifically for Han readership, cautioning them about the hidden dangers posed by the Hui. This paper explores how these Islamophobic pieces share a Han-centric gaze where the Han, the majority-dominant group in China today, are placed in both a saviour role in terms of the Uyghurs, and a victim role as underdogs coming under attack from the Hui. The successful assimilation of the Hui has led to suspicion and narratives of betrayal, despite state efforts to promote Hui assimilation as a successful example of ethnic harmony. Whereas the Uyghurs are welcomed and accepted as long as they are willing to admit Han superiority, the Hui are rejected based on their perceived threat to Han dominance. 在当今权威政体中，有关仇视穆斯林现象所表现的叙事形式的研究不多，本文通过对社交网络媒体中一些对伊斯兰极右言论和仇穆现象的综合分析，发现存在两种不同叙事，一种是描述为维族自我否定和反思的叙事，另一种是视回族为潜在危险，用以警示汉族的叙事。本文就上述不同的叙事框架，深层机制及其所呈现的言论的顺应逻辑进行了探讨。