Imams dancing to “Little Apple” in Uch Turpan, Xinjiang

Imams in Uch Turpan dancing to the internet hit ‘Little Apple’ (Spring 2015)
Song and dance has long been harnessed in the service of China’s state policy, but this latest campaign in Xinjiang seems set to make music and dance into an ideological battleground.
Throughout Spring 2015, the people of Xinjiang have been involved in one of China’s more bizarre social campaigns: organised public dancing sessions to the internet hit ‘Little Apple’ (小苹果), in order to promote social harmony and combat religious extremism.
The Xinjiang military police have produced their own video, with new lyrics highlighting their mission to serve, and footage alternating between police officers conducting armed raids and dancing to Little Apple:
• 新疆特警五支队 小丫 小苹果
Uyghur peasants around the region have also been mobilised to take part in these public dancing displays, as Chinanews reports from Mangshin village in Yengisar county:
www.chinanews.c...
Perhaps most controversially, several towns have drafted in the imams of official mosques to give special staged performances of their disco moves. David Brophy (University of Sydney) has highlighted the scandalised response in some Turkish newspapers:
www.thechinasto...
The aim of this campaign appears to be to counter the rise of Islamist views amongst Uyghurs concerning the permissibility of music and dancing in religious life. But by requiring imams to dance in public to Chinese pop music, the Xinjiang authorities are in danger of further discrediting these embattled individuals in the eyes of their congregations, stripping away the remaining spiritual authority from a group of people who ought to be empowered to counter extremist tendencies by promoting a moderate and tolerant model of Islam.
www.soundislamc...

[@4eyesnb]

where in Quran does it say imams can't dance?

[@narendrabadam7180]

Quran doesn't even allow you to play chess! :D

[@chiragbhavsar6134]

@@narendrabadam7180 understandable. Chess requires brain after all

[@hassangroof]

the communist regime is forcing them to do this. they have to do this so they don't endure even more immense pain.

[@michaelsmith7397]

@@chiragbhavsar6134 play me in a match smartguy

[@elighteneer7132]

Mostly Music. Quran 53:59-61 Sunan Abu Dawud 34:4218 Al-Tirmidhi, No. 2212 Sahih Bukhari 2:15:70

[@Edfiki86]

Now that is enrichment

[@lobsangtsering1770]

No country in this world dare to teach little apple song dance to Muslims.

[@Varun-uv4li]

But this is opposite to islam fundamental rules !!

[@VinniPuh316]

If they are doing this voluntarily, I think it's OK. It's their matters, they can do anything they see fit. There are many videos showing Greek Orthodox priests dancing happily on youtube! But the imams here are forced to do this, which is completely wrong.

[@OrientalStyle47]

I like the song 😛