(W.E.Talk) What Does the "Confluence of Islam and Confucianism" Reveal about the Exchange and Mutual Appreciation between Eastern and Western Civilizations?(2)

Is Islam still the same Islam after the confluence?

Communication among different cultures, whether they be Confucian, Buddhist, Christian or Islamic, is the general trend of world cultural development, with no exception. Only by constantly communicating and integrating with other cultures can a culture develop better and push its development to a new peak. This is the basic fact and trend in the development of world cultural history.

The culture of Islam is a universal one, and although it originated in Arabia, it was bound to go global and inevitably converge with Persian, Indian and even Chinese cultures in the East --- a trend not subject to human will. Some people are concerned that once this is done, will Islam still be Islamic? In fact, such fears are unnecessary. In the case of Persian culture in Iran, for example, when Islamic culture converges with Persian, does the Persian Islamic culture that emerges not a part of Islamic culture? No one in history has ever been concerned about the “the confluence of Islam and Persianism,” so why should people be bothered about its confluence with Chinese culture?

As a historical movement, the “confluence of Islam and Confucianism” has its starting and ending points, but the significance and impact of the movement go beyond the specific historical periods, being lasting or eternal. As is well known, the “confluence of Islam and Confucianism” played an important and fundamental role in promoting the Sinicization of Islam. After the establishment of New China, and especially after the reform and opening up of the country, the integration developed and was popularized, although its Sinicization was uneven. In Xinjiang, for example, Islam uses the Uyghur language. The process of Sinicization was hindered due to the writing language issue as the works of the “confluence of Islam and Confucianism” were largely in Chinese writing system. To change this situation, it is suggested that the national language be promoted in Xinjiang to help people understand traditional Chinese culture to accelerate the process, though the process takes time. Learning from and absorbing the results of the “confluence of Islam and Confucianism” is an option, but not the only one. In other words, the integration is not exclusive of other options.

Practically, the achievements of the confluence include both the fundamental content of Islam and the fruits of excellent traditional Chinese culture. The same is true for Islamic Sharia, worship and code. All these factors help accelerate the Sinicization of Islam. Currently, the theoretical construction of the Sinicization is in progress, with the construction of the Confucian system of Islam in China as an important part. In fact, the construction of the Confucian system of Islam in China can succeed only by forging ahead on predecessors’ achievements without being overly ambitious or supporting historical nihilism. Therefore, it is essential to pass on the theoretical achievements of the confluence, or to make further construction and improvement on the original basis and to learn from the achievements of Islamic Confucian in the world. The confluence of Islam and Confucianism theory has influenced the Sinicization of Islam, not only in the past, but also at present and even in the future.