Islamic college graduates embrace economic boom

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-08 21:04

"It's not bad for them to embrace the economic boom. It helps to reduce poverty here. We could not force them to be in the mosque," said Su Yang, headmaster of the Islamic Scripture College of Ningxia.

Ningxia is home to 2.17 million Muslims of Hui nationality, accounting for over one third of the region's total population and more than one tenth of China's 20 million Muslim population. Surrounded by deserts, Ningxia has long been one of the poorest areas in China.

Compared with graduates from the public colleges, those from the Islamic college are valued more highly by employers because of their Islamic belief, Su said.

Of the 70 graduates this year, 10 will go to the China North Industries Corp. Seven will go to Azhar University of Egypt for further study. Some will go to Sinopec and Petrochina as overseas translators and the rest will work in coastal areas and tourist sites, he said.

All the seven graduates who will study in Egypt at public expense are female Muslims, he added.

In Yiwu City, the largest market of petty commodity wholesales in China, more than 1,500 Arabic translators come from Wuzhong City of Ningxia.

"It's natural for them to choose to be translators under such heavy living burdens. The yearly income of those working overseas is around 150,000 (21,866 US dollars)to 200,000 yuan (29,155 US dollars), which can lift a whole family out of poverty," said Yang Jinbo, who teaches Qu'ran in the college.

Because of the good employment prospects, some Muslim students living in cities also go to the Islamic college. Some 270 applicants competed for 100 posts last year.

Although most of the graduates join the economic boom, there are some still sticking to their Islam dreams.

The 33-year-old Na Xuebao came back to Ningxia as an ahong after working half a month as a translator in Yiwu.

"In Yiwu, the relationship among people is purely money. That made me sick," he said.

Na was quite satisfied with the status quo. "I once wished to be a qualified imam or a good translator. Since I was not accustomed to the life as a translator, I strongly believed I could be a good ahong," he said.

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