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takyon [{takyon} {at} {soylentnews.org}] writes:

Officials in Xinjiang [wikipedia.org] will deny benefits to children with certain Islamic or Islam-related names [theguardian.com]:

Many couples fret over choosing the perfect name for their newborn, but for Muslims in western China that decision has now become even more fraught: pick the wrong name and your child will be denied education and government benefits.

Officials in the western region of Xinjiang, home to roughly half of China's 23 million Muslims, have released a list of banned baby names amid an ongoing crackdown on religion, according to a report [rfa.org] by US-funded Radio Free Asia.

Names such as Islam, Quran, Saddam and Mecca, as well as references to the star and crescent moon symbol, are all unacceptable to the ruling Communist party and children with those names will be denied household registration, a crucial document that grants access to social services, healthcare and education.

Muhammad, Jihad, Medina, Mujahid, Arafat, Imam, Hajj, and Yultuzay are also banned.

Also at NYT [nytimes.com]. Reuters story [reuters.com] about other restrictions that went into effect on April 1st.

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China's Xi Jinping Negotiates $46bn Superhighway to Pakistan [soylentnews.org]
Facebook's Zuckerberg Meets With China's Propaganda Chief, Social Media Mocks Facebook Block [soylentnews.org]

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