SCHOLARS NEED TO SPEAK OUT TO DEFEND THE FATE OF UYGHURS

We call on all the scholars in the Malaysia to speak out in defense of the plight of the 10 million ethnic Uyghur Muslims oppressed in China.

The Uyghur ethnic group in the autonomous province of Xinjiang, China is now facing severe repression, involving their religious and cultural rights.

Since East Turkistan (the original name of Xinjiang) was occupied by China in 1949, the Uyghur ethnic group has suffered constant oppression from the Chinese Communist government.

Unfortunately, so far the Islamic states in the OIC have supported the repressive actions of the Chinese Communist government which is now enforcing the policy of oppressing the Uyghur ethnic group on the grounds of allegedly curbing terrorism and extremism.

It is regretful that the Uyghur ethnic group that has undergone various human rights violations by the Chinese government , has not been voiced by world scholars.

We are of the position that the reports by the thousands of testimonials of various Uyghur refugees who narrated their sufferings cannot be left without a voice of protest from scholars to the Chinese government.

The Uyghurs have been under a repressive Chinese government including:

• 1 to 1.8 million Uyghurs are currently detained in concentration camps,
• arbitrary arrests,
• communist political indoctrination,
• forced disappearance,
• destruction of religious sites such as mosques,
• forced labor,
• punished for practicing the practices and culture of religious life including dressing,
• banning of religious education,
• forced sterilization,
• not allowed to fast in the month of Ramadan,
• under the strictest supervision by imposing forced profiling on the Uyghurs.

This is among the repressions often denied by the Chinese government. China claims the Uyghurs are influenced by radical thinking. But reports from independent media outlets and from victim testimonials prove otherwise.

The government claims Uyghur detainees are under re-education programs to address elements of terrorism and radicalization.

The UN has responded to the Chinese government’s on genocidal crimes because China violates international law, a widespread and systematic crime against humanity to destroy part of the population of the minorities.

Worse is the oppression of the Uyghurs involving religious rights, the destruction of mosques and all religious symbols, the destruction of the Quran, the forced marriage of Uyghur Muslim women to communist men.

We urge Muslim scholars to voice their protest against the Chinese government to stop the tyranny on Muslims in China.

We urge that Islamic countries in the OIC not to remain silent on the tyranny of the Chinese government over Uyghur Muslims and Muslims in China.

The importance of investment and trade with China cannot override the interests of Islam and the rights of Muslims.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President of MAPIM

Datuk Seri Ustaz Ahmad Awang
Chair MANAR

Datuk Wira Ustaz Abdul Ghani Samsudin
Chair SHURA