China limits use of Muslim names among Uyghurs in Xinjiang

The Chinese government has published a list of overly religious names which will no longer be allowed in the household registration system in China’s Xinjiang region. The list includes names “with a strong religious flavor, such as Jihad” or with “connotations of separatism”. The region’s officials in April announced a list of banned baby names, including Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Imam, Saddam, Hajj, and Medina.

The order, announced during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, applies to children younger than 16, according to Radio Free Asia. Officials said the measure is part of an effort “to curb religious fervor” in the region. About half of the population of Xinjiang province belongs to the Uyghur ethnic minority group. Read this story at the Huffington Post for more details!