同世界上大多数国家一样，中国坚持政教分离原则。任何宗教不得干预政治、干预政府事务，不得利用宗教干预行政、司法、教育、婚姻、计划生育等，不得利用宗教妨碍正常社会秩序、工作秩序、生活秩序，不得利用宗教反对中国共产党和社会主义制度、破坏民族团结和国家统一。

　　China, along with most other countries, upholds separation of religion from government. No religious organization is allowed to interfere in political and government affairs. No individual or organization is allowed to use religion to interfere in administration, judicial affairs, education, marriage and birth control, to hinder social order, work order and life order, to oppose the Communist Party of China and China’s socialist system, or to undermine ethnic solidarity and national unity.

　　新疆全面贯彻国家宗教信仰自由的宪法原则，既尊重信仰宗教的自由、又尊重不信仰宗教的自由，决不允许在信教和不信教、信这种教和信那种教、信这一教派和信那一教派群众之间制造纷争。新疆始终坚持各宗教一律平等，对所有宗教一视同仁，不偏袒某个宗教，也不歧视某个宗教，任何宗教不得享有超越其他宗教的特殊地位。新疆始终坚持法律面前人人平等，信教群众和不信教群众享有同等权利、履行同等义务，无论什么人、哪个民族、信仰什么宗教，只要违法，就必须依法处理。

　　Xinjiang fully respects and protects freedom of religious belief as stipulated in the Constitution of the PRC. Xinjiang respects citizens’ freedom to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion. Xinjiang shows zero tolerance to any action that creates disputes between believers and non-believers, between believers of different religions, and between believers of different sects of a religion. Xinjiang always upholds equality for all religions, showing neither favoritism towards nor discrimination against any religion and allowing no religion to be superior to any other religion. Xinjiang always upholds equality for all individuals before the law. Believers and non-believers enjoy equal rights and obligations, and all law violators, whatever their social background, ethnicity, and religious belief, will be punished in accordance with the law.

　　同所在社会相适应是宗教生存发展的趋势和规律。中国宗教发展的历史证明，只有坚持中国化方向，宗教才能更好地与中国社会相适应。新中国成立70年的历史也证明，宗教只有与社会主义社会相适应，才能健康发展。必须坚持独立自主自办原则，防止一切“去中国化”倾向。必须大力培养和提倡世俗化现代化的文明生活方式，摒弃愚昧落后的陈规陋习。必须弘扬宗教中国化的历史传统，用社会主义核心价值观引领、用中华文化浸润中国各种宗教，努力把宗教教义同中华文化相融合，积极引导包括伊斯兰教在内的各种宗教走中国化道路。

　　To survive and develop, religions must adapt to their social environment. The history of religions in China shows that only by adapting themselves to the Chinese context can they be accommodated within Chinese society. The 70-year history of the PRC also shows that only by adapting to socialist society can religions in China develop soundly. We must uphold the principle of independence and self-management of China’s religious affairs, and prevent all religious tendency that seeks to divest itself of all Chinese elements. We must develop and encourage secular, modern and civilized ways of life, and abandon backward and outdated conventions and customs. We must carry forward religious practices adapted to Chinese society, inspire various religions in China with core socialist values and Chinese culture, foster the fusion of religious doctrines with Chinese culture, and lead these religions, including Islam, onto the Chinese path of development.

　　七、伊斯兰教不是维吾尔族天生信仰且唯一信仰的宗教

　　维吾尔族先民最初信仰原始宗教和萨满教，后来相继信仰过祆教、佛教、摩尼教、景教、伊斯兰教等。唐宋时期，在高昌回鹘王国和于阗王国，上至王公贵族、下至底层民众普遍信仰佛教。元代，有大量回鹘人改信景教。直到今天，仍有一些维吾尔族群众信奉其他宗教，也有许多人不信仰宗教。

　　VII. Islam Is Neither an Indigenous nor the Sole Belief System of the Uygurs

　　Primitive religion and Shamanism were practiced by the ancestors of the Uygurs before Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Manichaeism, Nestorianism and Islam were introduced into the region. During the period spanning the Tang and Song dynasties, Buddhism was the predominant religion practiced by the nobility and the common people in the Uighur Kingdom of Gaochang and the Kingdom of Khotan. Many Uighurs converted to Nestorianism during the Yuan Dynasty. Today in Xinjiang, a significant number of people do not follow any religion, and many Uygurs follow religions other than Islam.