Muslim Chinese hail UAE's support

Beijing - May 9, 2010 (WAM)- The Islamic Association of China (IAC) has hailed the moral and material support of UAE to the Muslims in China. According to China Muslims' traditional legendary accounts, Islam was first brought to China by an embassy sent by Uthman, the third Caliph, in 651, less than twenty years after the death of prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The embassy was led by Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, the maternal uncle of the prophet himself.
In an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM) the Vice President of the IAC Ibrahim Zhongshan Yu said that UAE always stood at the forefront of other countries in providing various services to the Muslim Chinese.
IAC claims to represent twenty million Muslims in China.
Zhongshan Yu noted that UAE sent a delegation of two thousand Chinese Muslims to Makkah last year to perform Hajj and also played a major role in the humanitarian operations in the wake of the earthquakes that hit China last year.
Briefly during the Cultural Revolution, Chinese Muslims were not allowed to attend the Hajj, but this policy was reversed in 1979. Now thousands of Muslims travel to Makkah every year to perform the Hajj.
The IAC official held in high esteem the efforts of UAE in propagating the message of Islam in China. This message reveal the true face of Islam, which is based on peace, tolerance, moderation and the faith in a single humanity.
The world witnesses the moderate policies of the UAE and its tolerance towards difference religions and the freedom of faith it grants to the followers of other religions living on its soil, said the IAC official.
Zhongshan Yu also recalled the visit of the founding father of UAE late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan to China earlier in 1990 during which he made financial donations to set up a centre for teaching Arabic language and making researches in Islamic sciences. Sheikh Zayed also provided the centre with a printing press to publish books on Islam, Yu added.