They have those Arabic names too, but their Chinese names are publicized worldwide. Moreover, they made it like a short form, abbreviated from "Muhammad" to "Ma", From "Hassan" to "Han", etc. Therefore, when you are in China, 9/10 with the surname "Ma" are Muslims. Also, the surname "Guo" usually are Muslims too.

One more thing, they are not Arabs, thus, why should they be Arabicized?

Utsul Hainan
The Utsuls are a tiny ethnic group which lives on the Chinese island of Hainan. They are thought to be descendants of Cham refugees who fled their homeland in what is now southern Vietnam to escape from Annamese invasion.

While most of the Chams who fled Champa went to neighbouring Cambodia, a small business class fled northwards. How they came to acquire the name Utsul is unknown.

Although they are culturally distinct from their neighbours, the Chinese government places them as members of the Hui nationality. They are speakers of the Tsat language.

Cham @ Malay Champa



Cham Mosque

wow...Muslims in China way outnumbered Malais muslim in Msia...

probably thats one of the reason TGNA imported Chinese imams to lead prayer in Kelantan during terawih season..to dispel the myth that Malais = Islam, Islam = Malais, etc...

@kenmirzz

Thank you for opening this highly informational thread. /k/ really should have more of these kind of threads coming..

I had a chinese boyfriend. We got off really seriously until one day the cowardness in him showed up, and he ditched me because he's scared he'll get thrown off from his family. So what I can synthesise here is, malaysian chinese see islam as a monoracial religion, not a universal religion in malaysia. Yes they don't deny the fact there are chinese muslims in china, but the argument will revolve around 'hey this is malaysia not china so keep the fact away'.

islam's way of life is also a cause. My ex favors pork, it's like the chinese' staple diet, even 肉 in china refers to pork, eventhough literally it means meat. He also confessed he's lazy to pray etc, lots of religious obligation.. Well I can conclude that another negative factor of islam towards the chinese is the rules. Well it is, when they did not see it as smth we do to the Almighty.

The biggest negative-factor is the family and friends. My ex used to imagine his family members mocking him wearing songkok, praying etc, and he doesn't want to be mocked that way. He also used to imagine himself being disowned as a son, and he hates that thought. So social reasons are an important factor distinguishing malaysian chinese and china chinese when it comes to islam.

I'm a malay, so pardon and correct me if I said any facts wrong. Kudos to kenmirzz and other contributors, thanks for bringing in a change in /k/

they are here in Msia....the hui muslims and the chinese Msia muslims are look alike...you can't tell which is which...

The Hui are not genetically Han Chinese. They have middle east ancestry. They are not the same as Han Chinese.