The suppression of religion in China under the rule of Xi Jinping mirrors that of the Cultural Revolution, according to Sam Brownback, former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.
The Cultural Revolution took place in China from 1966 to 1976. Mao Zedong declared a class war and a war on everything traditional, bringing chaos and violence to the country. During the 10-year period, schools were closed, historical relics and artifacts were destroyed, and cultural and religious sites were ransacked. The economy stagnated, millions were persecuted for their political and religious beliefs, and an estimated 1.5 million people died.
“What you’re seeing in Xinjiang with concentration camps with ideological indoctrination that’s taking place, with limitations on people being able to practice Muslim faith—you can’t name a child Muhammad in the entire country—that’s out of the Cultural Revolution playbook that [former communist dictator] Mao put forward,” Brownback told “China in Focus” on NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times….