Building on Faith.docVIP

Building on Faith 　　Two years ago， when Abdou Lahad came to Ningxia to study Chinese language and culture on a government scholarship， he had no clue about this autonomous region in northwest China that is home to the Hui ethnic group， China’s largest Muslim group. 　　“I had never heard of Ningxia before in my life，” said the 25-year-old Senegalese student at Ningxia University’s School of International Education. “I came to know of it only after I was transferred to Ningxia University from Wuhan [a major city in central China].” 　　But when Lahad arrived at the Hedong International Airport in Yinchuan， capital of Ningxia， it immediately felt like home. Everywhere， there were signs in Arabic， one of the major languages in Muslim countries； some neighborhoods looked Middle Eastern with their domed buildings and minarets； and miraculously， his food worries were gone. “Everywhere you go， you can eat the food， it’s halal [compliant with the teachings of Islam]，” he said with relish.“That’s why all of us Muslims like Ningxia.” 　　More Muslim students like Lahad， who want to learn Chinese realizing it’s going to be the lingua franca of trade and tourism， are discovering Ningxia as a tailor-made educational destination for them. 　　The Beifang University of Nationalities， a stone’s throw away from the Ningxia University， opened an International Education School last year with 10 foreign students. Next semester， the number will triple with the majority from Tunisia， Algeria and Central Asia. 　　Mohamed Ben Azzouna knows French， Arabic and English. Now he is learning Chinese at the Beifang University of Nationalities. The 26-year-old Tunisian with a master’s in catering management said it would be a feather in his cap： “With English and Chinese， I can find a job anywhere.” His peer at the university， Oussama Dimassi， a 28-year-old who studied hotel management in Tunis， wants to start a company in China. Hamed Rahmouni， a 21-year-old also from Tunis and in the same Chine