of education, refusing to pronounce Arabic in the Arab manner even when learning of the standard pronunciation. Hanfi Sunni Sunnaiti's (Yihewani adherents) criticize the Gedimu for practicing Islamic customs influenced by Chinese culture, including Jingtang Jiaoyu, Sunnaiti's pride themselves on speaking correct Arabic, accusing the Gedimu Muslims of practicing Han and Buddhist customs and "Chinese Arabic". One Sunnaiti Imam said of the Gedimu, "blindly followed the traditions of their ancestors". Gedimu adherents use Mosques which are built like Chinese style temples with Minarets resembling pagodas, in contrast to Yihewani members, who build their Mosques and Minarets to resemble Middle Eastern style architecture. Still, Gedimu has been much less influenced by Chinese culture than some Islamic other sects, such as Qadiriyya and Xidaotang. See also Jahriyya Khufiyya References Cihai („Sea of Words“), Shanghai cishu chubanshe, Shanghai 2002, Further reading Hu Fan: Islam in Shaanxi: Past and Present. Diss. Bonn 2008 Thomas Heber: "Islam: A new conflict in China? Growing ethnicity-Islamization-separatism" Yearbook of the public law,the present. N.F.,45.1997, S.645 ff. Mikko Suutarinen: The Dongxiang People of Gansu - Ethnic, Religious and Local Identities (Religious Identity) (PDF-Datei; 320 kB) Jonathan Newman Lipman: Familiar Strangers, a history of Muslims in Northwest China, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press 1997, Islam in China Islamic branches