Anti-Minjian sentiment

Police and a member of the anti-Minjian Enforcement Associations save Arrivée women from captivity in an opium den, in this 1882 Laeralian print cartoon.

Anti-Minjian sentiment is feelings or expressions of prejudice, hatred, hostility, or discrimination against Minjian people.

Laeral

During the First Allied Provinces period following independence, widespread suspicion towards Minjian existed among Arrivée Laeralites, manifesting in Catholic-nationalist rhetoric, laws, and violence in numerous provinces. This regime was epitomized by the "Enforcement Laws," statutes based in colonial decree which barred manifestations of Minjian belief in public places, banned Minjian schools, and prevented Minjian from serving in public office. Most seriously, Enforcement Laws in most provinces mandated a register of the religious affiliation of all citizens, and conversion to Minjian was strictly regulated; as of 1868, only in two western provinces was religious conversion entirely unregulated by law.

By 1880, "Enforcement Associations" existed in all Laeralian provinces to foster the enactment and enforcement of the Enforcement Laws, often holding overlapping membership with both anti-Minjian terror groups such as the Chevaliers of the Veil, on the one hand, and Christian social-reformist organizations promoting the prohibition of alcohol, opium, and foot-binding. Enforcement Associations were also typically involved heavily in local and provincial politics, endorsing favored candidates and even running their own on several occasions under various partisan labels.

The suppression of Minjian practice extended to acts of violence against Minjian clergy and temples. The Chevaliers of the Veil were known for conducting masked marches and rallies to force the closure of Minjian temples in predominantly-Arrivée areas. For instance, the Temple of Winter Reeds in St. Clair, Aumont was put to the torch by Chevaliers in 1883.

In popular culture, pamphlets and works of literature purporting to expose sinister practices and "white slavery" among the Minjian clergy circulated widely during the late 19th century. Among the most popular of these was "Eighteen Months in a Pagan Temple; or, the Horrific Secrets of a Young Woman's Captivity Exposed," a book purporting to tell the sordid rituals, including orgies, ritual scarification, and infanticide, that the author, Marcelle Diderot, had witnessed while held captive in "white slavery" at a Minjian temple. Other books and pamphlets popular at the time including other captivity narratives, as well as documents claiming to be those of Minjian high officials outlining plans to subvert Laeralian society and institute a theocracy. Typical conspiratorial narratives around Minjian influence, as outlined by Dr. Chou Hung-lu in his 1973 study of the subject, tended to include plots to subvert democracy, kidnapping and enslavement of women and children, sordid rituals involving drugs and perverted sexual practices, and the ensnarement of the young and vulnerable through Minjian education and services.

Anti-Minjian sentiment among Arrivée and Rén Christians in Laeral coincided with the revival of the Minjian High Conclave by the Conclavist reform movement which faced violent backlash from anti-Minjian groups. The Zhenglu Massacre, in which a mob left eleven Minjian dead in the Peichen town of Zhenglu, was followed by the Peichen Secession Crisis of 1896. Ultimately, the revival of the Minjian High Conclave was allowed to proceed under with the approval of the Laeralian government, yet Peichen would not be admitted to the union as a province until the establishment of the Republic of Laeral in 1922.

Under the Republic of Laeral, the Social Democratic regime saw the Minjian faithful as an ally following the wartime alliance between the Minjian High Conclave and the Committee for Democracy and Progress during the Laeralian Revolution. The admission of four Minjian-majority provinces to Laeral in 1922, the deregulation of religious conversion, and protections of Minjian people and temples from mob violence were outcomes of this alliance, although other Minjian demands such as the establishment of a weekly Sunday work holiday, recognition of Minjian marriage, and free establishment of Minjian schools were rejected by the secular Gramontist regime.

High Fells

Mass immigration from Laeral: the Kwangsee Plot and ensuing rally at the border
Great Revival in High Fells: led to the emergence of the Figurist sect, aiming to merge Minjian and Christian practices
Fears of Minjian influence merged with fears of Republican Laeral

Slokais Islands

The Minjian faith arrived in what would become Slokais Islands in the 9th century with many settlers joining those who had already been converted. Throughout the medieval and colonial periods, the Minjian faithful were often the target of violence and alienation as many Minjians occupied positions within the middle and trading class.

Ambonar Expulsion

1730 drawing of the 1717 Burning of Cirebon.

The Ambonar Kingdom made Christianity its official religion after King Sri Darma Mlijana or King Ferdinand of the East as he was known by his Costenan Empire allies. Minjians made up a sizeable middle and working class of Ambonar society, yet they soon became targeted by anti-Minjian rhetoric. King Sri Drama called on citizens in 1712 to not buy from Minjian traders stating "The spirits of the devil taint Minjian goods". This led to natural persecution and violence from citizens of the Ambonar. In a 1715 journal "Journey Through the Great East" by Francisco de Valer, the priest described "a great, almost un-Christian hatred for those of the Minjian faith. I observed the constant violence against fellow citizens of the Ambonar State". In 1717, after a Minjian shopkeeper killed a thief who robbed his store in Cirebon, a mob not only killed the offending shopkeeper but burned and looted the entire Minjian district of the city. Hearing of the violence in Cirebon, Minjian armed themselves in small protectionary militias, a decision that only elicited violence and murder against the Minjian across the Ambonar Kingdom. After two months of violence, Sri Drama ordered the expulsion of the remaining 70,000 from the Kingdom as he blamed the bloodshed on the Minjian. It's estimated between 5,000 and 10,000 Minjian were killed between 1717 and 1725 when Sri Drama died and was replaced by his son, Sri Dontak who ordered an end to the violence.

Colonial Era

Although, the Minjian was not explicitly targeted by the Costenian authorities. Many Minjian farmers were removed from their lands via force or purchase by large Costenoian settler groups. These farmers often entered leasing agreements, where the produce produced was heavily taxed in exchange for being able to keep their homes. These agreements often stipulated against open displays of the Minjian faith and conversion to Catholicism. In the end, many Minjians found refugee in rural communities or remote temples where they could continue to openly practice their faith. By 1800, the Minjian population in the San Fernando Dominion dropped from 70% to less than 35%. General discrimination from high-paying jobs or govermeant positions led to even the richest Minjians being forced to settle as simple accountants or business assistants. These job trends led to the Minjian being stereotyped as scheming and all-powerful.

Republic Era

In the Republic Era, the Minjian were able to establish a predominately Minjian states in Wojiang Bay Province and West Xiang Province. This was due to many Minjian being active participants in the struggle for independence and early success in the political landscape. Especially in the Center Party which elected Alexander Lin as the first Minjian and the first Ren President. Policy improvements included the recognition of Minjian weddings, Minjian temples being able to declare themselves as places of worship for tax purposes, and the banning of anti-Minjian dress-based ordinances. The appeal to Minjian issues led to many political figures declaring a "great Minjian conspiracy" a conclusion only intensified by the 1922 Land Scandal, in which Minjian business owners received discounted govermeant contracts as well as the purchase of many buildings. In the Livingstone presidency, the Minjian generally avoided some of the more harsh regulations and laws due to Livingstone's wife Eunice Primana-Ke coming from a traditional Minjian family. However, many Minjian temples were still destroyed in Livingstone's Great Development Plan and did not receive the same land protections that churches received. In the 1930s and 40s, many Minjian were selected for govermeant positions, additionally, the primarily Minjian city of Pindai received city-state status in 1934.

The National Reformation

In the Juan Costa administration, the Minjian became targets of Religious discrimination due to the NRP's policy of Catholicism being the national religion. In 1953, the NRP's policy called for "All Minjians to turn away from the ways of the devil and accept Jesus Christ as his lord and savor". Across Slokais, jobs were no longer offered to the Minjian faithful based on laws that banned the public display of Minjian symbols or dress. In addition, Minjian students were forced to attend Religion classes through the Public schools, with all colleges requiring passing marks in 4 years of Religion classes. Popular sentiment was also inflamed by continued claims of "A Great Minjian Conspiracy" and the framing of the Minjians as class and national traitors. In 1958, the Reformed People's Liberation Army declared Minjian's "enemies of the state". No longer was conversion considered an option, but rather the removal of all Minjian temples, and symbols and the punishment of all who gave resistance. Between 1955 and 1965, over 350 Minjian temples were destroyed with new buildings such as churches or hotels being built on top.

Resistance to the government's policies by several armed Minjian groups only led to all-out combat in 1961. The Genugjia Temple, the headquarters of the Minjian People's Liberation Front (MPLF) was one of the last remaining strongholds of defiant resistance, and when a force of 1500 RPLA members attempted to capture the Temple and surrounding convent, the MPLF fought back holding off the paramilitary for several days. However, Juan Costa took personal attention to the temple resistance, instead of simply destroying the Temple, he deployed paratroopers within the compound itself killing the leadership of the MPLF, before capturing the remaining temple Brightness and publicly sentencing them in a widely publicized trial. In reaction, Minjians were subjected to violence by civilians, leading to Minjians becoming a key force in the resistance movement.

Modern Era

In recent years the Minjian have dealt with several incidents as stereotypes have persisted among some of the public. In the 1980s, violence broke out in San Sabla after the shooting of a 19-year-old Indigenous man by a temple security guard. The security guard denied any wrongdoing and was never charged, leading to outbreaks of violence in the Minjian area of Kensington. Especially due to a significant number of the police force being Minjian, leading to a widespread conspiracy of a "great Minjian collusion". In the end, a meeting between Indigenous and Minjian leaders ended the violence, and the security guard was eventually charged and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Since 2005, much of the anti-Minjian sentiment has been on the island of Kaijan as sectarian violence has occurred between the Muslim majority and the Minjian minority. Several temples have been the sights of attacks and kidnappings leading to a general arming of Minjians in Kaijan, a situation described as "extremely volatile" by High Ardentess, Wan Lingxin-Dun.