A Partial Translation from "Kaikyo kara Mita Chugoku" (written by Zhang Chengzhi) (2)

In Lanzhou, the struggle for their belief has started. The aged people who are leaving their town for the fight have made up their mind not to return home but to die for martyrdom without victory. People are starting to Lanzhou not only from this village, but also from the vast Ocher Plateau, from Yunnan, and even from Xinjiang. A sacred grave was destroyed more than 2 decades ago, and, now, the government is going to construct a building over the grave yard. The Muslims decided that the place is more meaningful than our lives, so we should get the place back from the government. Villages do not live in peace anymore. Peasants, who rarely show their feelings, now have glorious expressions with the sacred light. This is almost unbelievable after having seen their incredibly poor everyday lives.

Having graduated from the history faculty, I started reading relevant documents from the habit acquired during my college days. I found a simple article about the martyr Ma Mingxin, who was killed by the Qing government 200 years ago. The deprived Muslims are heading to Lanzhou really because of their self-sacrificing faith in Jahriyya, which was founded by Ma.

Even China, which holds secularism as their national policy, really has those who take their history into heart. They actually stake their lives on their faith.