Press Release – For immediate release
03 June 2019
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
+49 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress wishes to extend its warm greetings to Muslims around the world as they begin to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is an essential component to the Islamic faith. For 30 days, Muslims all over the world took part in fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

As Muslims all over the world celebrate the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan, the WUC urges them not to forget about the Uyghur people in East Turkistan, who have essentially banned from celebrating Ramadan and are facing horrific religious persecution at the hands of the Chinese government. Uyghurs are not able to engage in even the most basic aspects of religious practice and are being completely denied their right to freedom of religion, in contravention to China’s own constitution.

In the past, mosques would be full of worshippers during this period, but in 2019 they lie mostly deserted, surrounded by razor wire, security cameras and Chinese police. The huge feasts marking the end of Ramadan are no longer able to take place in East Turkistan, as the Chinese government has banned all religious ceremonies and events outside of CCP authorized areas. Most Uyghurs were not even able to fast during Ramadan in the first place due to pressure from Chinese police.

The extent of the religious persecution that the Uyghur population faces in 2019 in East Turkistan (officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China) is virtually unparalleled. Even the most basic expressions of religious sentiment have been banned by the Chinese government and Uyghurs are banned from wearing traditional Islamic dress, displaying of the crescent moon, owing a Quran and other religious texts, praying at home with others or holding private religious ceremonies, giving Uyghur children traditional Islamic names, and teaching children in the spirit of Islam. Mosques in East Turkistan are now largely empty and are surrounded by razor wire and security cameras.

The CCP’s antagonism towards Islam and all religions in China is evident. Chinese officials have described Islam as an ‘ideological illness’ that must be ‘eradicated’. Through the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs in internment camps, the indoctrination of the younger generation of Uyghurs and the launch of a campaign to ‘sinify’ Islam in China, the Chinese government is trying to undermine and erode religious sentiment entirely. International scholars and observers have noted that China has created a “no rights zone” in East Turkistan and their actions may amount to crimes against humanity.

The religious persecution Uyghurs face only intensifies during the holy month of Ramadan. Each year, the Chinese government imposes additional measures targeting freedom of religion. The Chinese government has banned Uyghur civil servants, students and teachers from fasting during the holy month, Uyghur restaurants have been ordered to remain open and in some cases Uyghur intellectuals have been arrested beforehand to silence criticism.

The Chinese government embedded Chinese officials in the homes of Uyghurs in a bid to prevent them from praying and fasting. The government launched a campaign called “Together in Five Things” a day ahead the holy month in 2017 with officials staying in Uyghur homes for up to 15 days to ensure that resident neither fast nor pray. Chinese officials have also forced Uyghur retirees to make a pledge ahead of Ramadan that they won’t fast or pray during Ramadan to set an example for the rest of the community and to assume responsibility for ensuring that none of their friends or family members fast or pray either.

Sadly, religious repression increased once again during Ramadan in 2019. While Muslims around the world have observed Ramadan, over 1 million Uyghurs have been suffering in internmets, where they have been detained due to their ethnic identity and religious beliefs.

Despite the scale and nature of the religious persecution of Uyghurs, Muslim leaders and Muslim-majority states have largely remained silent or have event endorsed China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. So far, only Turkey and Malaysia have publicly called on China to ensure it protects the religious freedom of Uyghurs and to close the camps. The Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) even released a statement commending China’s treatment of Uyghurs and its policies towards Muslims in China. It is evident that China’s money and influence has bought the silence of many Muslim-majority states and the hypocrisy and lack of compassion from many of these states is very disheartening.

“There are about 200 countries in the world, but very few of them have spoken out about the internment camps. Muslim countries have not only remained silent but supported China’s policies as well. This is a great shame that this happening in the 21^stcentury,” said WUC President Dolkun Isa.

As Ramadan draws to a close, the WUC would like to urge all those living in Muslim-majority countries to call on their leaders to end their shameful silence on the internment camps and religious persecution of Uyghurs. Failing to speak out or endorsing China’s crimes against humanity is akin to complicity and shows a blatant disregard for human life, Islamic values and human rights.