River 'Aiyi' is now called 'Diannong', because the original name sounded like Aisha, the Prophet's wife
Chinese authorities are yet again targeting Muslims, with their latest venture raising eyebrows as to how far they will really go to suppress Islam in the country.
Most recently, the administration changed the name of the Aiyi River, which flows through the Ningxia region of China, saying that it sounded too much like Ayesha, the name of one of Prophet Muhammad’s wives.
The new, more Chinese and less “Arabic-sounding” name of the river is now “Diannong,” an old name for the capital of Ningxia, in an effort to reduce Islamic influence in the country.
Previously mosques have been demolished, buildings have been stripped of their Islamic décor, and the Muslim Uighurs in the East Turkestan region have been persecuted by the government for years.
Approximately 2 million Muslims live in the Ningxia region, while there are overall 23 million in China.