World Uyghur Congress, 29 March 2019

The WUC strongly urges the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, to raise the mass arbitrary detention of over one million in political indoctrination camps on her coming visit. Prime Minister Ardern impressed much of the world with her empathy and solidarity with the victims of the Islamophobic terrorist attack against Muslims in Christchuch and we urge her to show the same compassion in raising the repression of Uyghurs and calling on Chinese leaders to close the camps.

“Prime Minister Ardern gave the Uyghur community hope by speaking out against hatred and Islamophobia,” said WUC President Dolkun Isa. “She should now show the same empathy towards the Uyghur people who are facing horrific persecution due to their ethnicity and religious beliefs.”

Islamophobia remains a problem around the world, especially in China. In the past year, China announced campaigns to totally ‘sinicize’ Islam and another against halal practices. These steps have merely formalized an ongoing policy to erode religious expression and undermine any meaningful practice of Islam, or in fact any religion in China. Uyghurs are not permitted to grow long beards, wear Islamic veils, possess a Quran, undertake the Hajj or practice religion outside government approved mosques. Restrictive legislation has established Chinese state control over every aspect of religious practice.

Mosques are covered in razor wire and security cameras and imams are appointed by the state based on their loyalty to the CCP. Those detained in the camps are forced to disavow their religion and pledge allegiance to the CPP. Uyghur children targeted as the Chinese government tries to erase religious sentiment from the next generation. Uyghurs under 18 are not allowed into mosques and parents are punished severely if they educate their children about religion.

Chinese officials have also been quoted describing Islam as an ‘ideological illness’ that must be ‘eradicated’. Islamophobia is rife in how Chinese media stations report on the situation in East Turkistan to a domestic audience. Muslims are viewed with fear, hatred and suspicion, which is reflected in China’s policies towards Uyghurs.

China has instrumentalized the narrative of terrorism to try to justify its persecution of Uyghurs, particularly since 9/11, when the global war on terror was used to justify its brutal crackdown. Recently, Chinese propaganda has sought to tap into Islamophobia in the Western world to change the narrative on the internment camps. Before August 2018, the Chinese government never revealed the existence of the camps. Following international pressure, the narrative shifted dramtically, with China claiming the camps represent a ‘counter-terrorism’ measure.

Yet the discourse on Islamophobia is beset by double standards and hypocrisy. The majority of Muslim countries have remained silent as a result of Chinese economic power. While many Muslim countries have rightly spoken up and condemned Islamophobia in the West, they remain shamefully silent when it comes to Chinese religious policies.

Uyghurs around the world are hopeful that Prime Minister Ardern will uphold her principles and raise the persecution of Uyghurs on her visit. If Ms. Ardern is serious about tackling Islamophobia, she must speak out on China’s own actions, which have inspired Islamophobic groups around the world.

It is no coincidence that the individual who committed the horrific acts in Christchurch stated in his manifesto that his views align most closely with China. If world leaders like Ms. Ardern do not speak out, we risk creating a world where arbitrarily detaining millions of innocent people for their ethnicity and religion is seen as acceptable.