Microbear77 says:

Islamists will have a hard time making headways in China because China doesn't care what other people think of their measures. They do what they feel is best for their country. If Islamists want to prod China they may realize to their chagrin that it won't turn out their way.
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People posting anti-Islamic sentiments could be doing it for not only religious reasons but racism as well.  I am saying it in this context because there are people racist against Chinese.  Then there are uneducated anti-Islamists who think all Muslims are Arabs, and happen to be racist against Arabs.

Where did any media mention that the situation in Xinjiang is because Uighur's want Islam to play a larger role in China?

The word Islamist is also a misused and misunderstood word, and of course the media has always associated it with extremism and terrorism.  It would be the same thing as the media trying to associate devotees of other religions such as Christianity and Judaism with only negative examples, in an attempt to confuse the public.

It seems you may not know that Islam and other faiths always have played a role in China and have been respected throughout the dynasties.  In fact the whole boat scene during the Olympics in Beijing was in honor of a famous Chinese Muslim General.

There are Halal Restaurants, Hotels and Mosques all across China.  The complaint here is that Uighur's are saying they are being mistreated, not that they want Islam to play a larger role in China.  I do not agree with their claims, based on my visit as a Muslim to China and research on the separatists.

I'm sure this is just the beginning of the extremists and unstable people posting anti-Islamic and Islamophobic comments.