IV.

MUSLIM FOOD (HALAL FOODSTUFFS):

No exaggeration is it should we say that the most significant factor

of which the Muslims and non-Muslims are riveted to the old region
of Xian is its Islamic edibles; verily not its Islamic history, culture
and relics consisting in its old masjids, avenues or Muslim
community. As regarded by the Chinese, amongst whom are my
non-Muslim classmates at the University, the community of Xian is
rather different: they are solely marked by food: this is being such a
fairly sorrowful standpoint towards a Muslim community, of which I
am a member. Notwithstanding, through too much readings, it is
revealed unto me that plethora of scientific literature and academic
dissertations and textbooks have appreciated the Muslim
community of China. Rather are there some dissertations
apprehensive of Islam and its ability to prevalently spread out as
Chinese Muslims are adroitly dexterous traders and eruditiophiles,
and harbor unparalleled belongingness and fondness of Islam more
than the Muslims in the abodes of Islam themselves. As a
researcher, this has rendered me to have a feeling of reassurance
and ease of mind and to authoritatively assert that this passive
standpoint entertained by the non-Muslims of China as to the
Muslim community of China will alter sooner or later as it is
reflecting the western perspective towards Islam. Such perspective
antagonizes any religion other than Christianity or Communism that
believes in no religions. The history peruser shall reveal that both
issues were circumvented and overcome the Muslim community of
China par excellence throughout so arduously historic eras, where
they could persistently weather hardships and could even rival,
compete, flourish and propagate widely, not only in the ten Muslim
ethnic groups, but in all other ethnic groups as well.

I opine that food is not a key factor in the Islamic culture. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) has egged on neither to be gluttonously
gourmand nor to pompously boast of plenty of foodstuffs and not to
be extravagant thereof. It is true that the non-Muslims envisage that
zeroing in on restaurants is a se pro quo for the Muslims' daily walks
of life. Yet, the Muslims in Xian are verily coping with this trend and
rendering it prosperously flourishing. It is a smart trade. In sync,
these project promoters are performing their religious duties: they
nonstop pray to Allah and piteously fear Him; viz. they are
intelligently accomplishing two goals through one action: they are
synchronously trading and worshiping Allah.

V. MUSLIM OUTWARD APPEARANCE (CLOTHING):

Another aspect to be perceivably noteworthy in Xian or rather in all
Chinese Muslims is their clothing. Xianians don in white shirts and
put on white kufis or skullcaps; whilst ladies are clad in hijabs or
veils that are hithermost similar to those worn by the Middle-Eastern
ladies. Yet, I want to figure out that such distinction is a
phenomenon having come into existence through the division of the
ethnic groups in China. Nevertheless, no specific clothing is being
designated by the spirit of Islam. In sync, Islam sets out conditions
heeding the idiosyncratically inherent nature of men and women in
pursuance to the Islamic Sharia. Hence, Chinese Muslims are not
conditionally to be in the outward appearance perceived in Xian.
Muslims are to wear whatsoever they like and to pursue the Islam-
compliant fashion or vogue.

VI. OLD DISTRICT STREETS, AVENUES & ALLEYS:

One of the lovely issues in the Old City of Xian is the multiplicity and
interlocking of routes, where there is spaces, ranging from common
spaces into private spaces, whose affability is augmented by their
viable utilizations and motions thereon. Unfortunately, having paid
no attention thereto rendered an overall impression of haphazard
poverty being revealed in shanty-towns. Thus, this District must be
professionally studied in terms of functionality and aesthetics: this
would give advantage to the new socio-urban tendencies in China.

VII. CHINESE MEDICINE HOSPITAL:

One of the lovely places in the vicinity of the Muslim District is the
Chinese Hospital, where Chinese herbs are administered. It is an
integrated hospital. It renders a sort of integration between the
Chinese and Islamic thinking. It is well-known that both cultures
have acquired knowledge of herbology. Yet, China paid much
attention thereinto, and developed it to become a source of Chinese
knowledge. I am hopeful that such mutual closeness shall be zeroed
in on by researchers. It is noteworthy that China has availed from
Avicenna, the great Muslim scholar in iatrology. Plethora of medicine
and herbology has been considerably transmitted by the Arabs into
China.

REPORT ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE:

Upon wrapping up their nose-dive tour, no matter how long it takes,

the fathomers of China's abysmal depths shall feel that they are
much more ignorant rather than informant thereof. Mysteries are a
hundredfold of disclosures. All what they have debunked is
tantamount to a handful of the verity sea; yet, they were verily
drowned into the sea of beams.

As a researcher, of the handfuls I have scooped is the cultural

configuration of Islam that has been interacting with the Chinese
traditional culture, whilst each of which is accentuating the other's
aesthetics. It is not amazing that the key preoccupation, having
been harbored by the Muslim scholars of China throughout all eras,
is their advocacy of their creed and the continuation of its
constituents and parameters that spelt the progress witnessed by
China as well as the cultural interchangeabilities between their
country and the Arab and Muslim nations.

As an outcome of this Report, I can say that albeit periods of

advocacies and crises and in view of what I have beheld during my
visit to Xian, being deemed as one of the places, which had written
down multifarious Islamic accomplishments throughout history, the
ingression and prevalence of Islam in China have plainly mirrored
that the religious and cultural dimensions were vividly viable in
China with innovative, creative and illuminative thinking. There,
Muslims entertained no destructive thinking to demolish Chinese
progress and civilization. Nevertheless, they entertained a national
progressive and constructive thinking par excellence: through their
efficacies and accomplishments, they were able to take part in state
agencies and to faithfully perform their duties for its sake.

In my opinion, s/he who reads this Report would categorically

perceive that there is a missing innovative issue in China: the march
of Islam that created an inventive community that braces creativity
and novelty acceptance. I opine that such march is unfairly
prejudiced as there is shortage in academic studies and field
visitations that would construe such main concept for Muslims.
Islam is not only monuments and relics to be visited, rituals and
rites to be practiced, or Muslim edibles to be tastefully enjoyed.
Islam is fairly much bigger: it is a civilization and culture. It is
undoubtedly a religion, which interacts and merges with the present
and the future par excellence in whatsoever place or time. It is hard
to account for that Islam is so much widespread as it propagates
albeit the hardships it encounters.

I think that China, in its approach towards innovation, is in need of

multifarious philosophic resources should it be desirously to
continue rivalry and to blaze its trail. Islamic dimension should not
be put aside. China's progress is the product of brainstorming
categorically novel ideas and innovations, which were not existent
before; thus rendering Chinese to proactively pre-empt the planning
of cities whilst making use of morality, materiality, Arabic
calligraphy and architectural and technical notions having been
existent in the designs of mosques throughout the different eras.
These are not but instances.

Eventually, I recommend that some universities should open

sections or specialties to study the designs, arts and innovations of
the Muslims in China, since this cannot be effected through
dispersed ethic groups since we have stated earlier that Islam is a
holistic religion, which does not categorize or classify people as they
are on equal footing. Each person should do his best to prove his/her
competency through the scheme of Islam and should be urged to
work and actively accomplish his/her own tasks.

Wherefore, I am hopeful that a department specialized in the study

of Islamic art, design and innovation would be established in the
Design School: where we can make use thereof to maintain progress
in China at the present and in the future. I will render a presentation
in this respect.