The Case of the Uighur Muslims

Who are the Uighur Muslims?

There are over 11 million Uighurs in Xinjiang who are ethnically Turkic and identify as Muslims. These communities can also commonly be found in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Australia. They are consideredto be one of China's officially recognized 55 minorities. They have their own language known as Uighur.

Xinjiang has been under the control of China since its annexation in 1949. However, many Uighurs still identify their homeland by its previous name, that is, East Turkistan.

Activists say that over the years, central government policies have gradually curtailed the Uighurs' religious, commercial and cultural activities, as large numbers of majority Han Chinese have been encouraged to move to the region. In 2017, a law prohibited men from growing long beards and women from wearing veils and mosques were demolished. During this time, from 2017-2108, construction of the concentration camps took place.

University students in Xinjiang told the BBC in 2014 that they were banned from fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and reports from the region say Uighur local government officials have been banned from fasting or attending mosques.

In fact, In 2017, President Xi Jinping issued a directive that, “religions in China must be Chinese in orientation” and “adapt themselves to the socialist society.” The directive led to a fresh crackdown on religious practice that particularly affected the Uighurs. The Chinese Government denied the existence of these camps but after images of camp construction with watch towers and barbed wire fences emerged, the Government acknowledged and referred to them as "re-education" centers for Uighurs.

Approximately 2 million Uighur Muslims have been detained in so-called “reeducation centers” and forced them to undergo psychological indoctrination programs, forced cheap labor, sexual abuse, waterboarding, amongst many other forms of torture. They are forced to denounce their religions, learn communist slogans, in a bid to make them ‘Normal Citizens.'

Why are the Uighur being targeted?

The Chinese government has claimed that the Uighurs hold extremist views that pose as a threat to the national security. It has pointed to attacks in 2013 and 2014, which Uighur Militants have claimed responsibility for. It is the largest mass internment of an ethnic-religious minority group since World War II.

Global Response to the Situation:

In a July letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council, 22 countries - mainly European - responded to "disturbing reports of large-scale arbitrary detentions of Uighurs" by condemning Chinese leadership. However, condemnation isn't enough. Swipe to read about the steps you can take.

What Can Be Done?

STAY AWARE AND FOLLOW:

Spread Awareness! Share posts like these and posts that are informative to the plight of the Uighurs.
Be aware of brands using Uighur forced labor. Find the full list here: shorturl.at/lAGO7
Follow advocacy groups like:
@freeuvyghurnow
@uvyghurprojectig
@uvyghurcongress