An excellent, factual review of China's Muslim minority. Dillon reviews the broad, ethnic diversity of China's Muslims and their evolution within the fabric of Chinese society.
Recommended for the casual reader; but likely not those who seek in depth academic study.
Dillon's book is the first book talking about Muslims in China written by a European writer that I read. The book gives a wealth of information starting from the origins and characteristics of Chinese Islam to the complex relationship between Islam and the Chinese State. While reading the book I discovered the myriad of ethnic groups who consitute the Muslim community in China. I was fascinated by their culture and traditions. When talking about the origin of Islam in China, I think that the author should have gone into more details and should have consulted more references especially by Muslims Chinese and non-Chinese. Although the author stated that most Muslims are Sunni Muslims, I think that too much emphasize was given to other groups. The author described many cultural aspects of Chinese Muslims, but I wonder what about other aspects like poetry, literature, scientific work, etc. Regarding the complex relationship between Islam and the Chinese State, the author should have spent more time and give a better picture on how this relationship is seen from both sides. Finally, I was pleased by the many black-and-white and colorful illustrations.
