The Mass Genocide Of Muslims In China
From 2016 to now, more than 1 million Uighur Muslims have been interned at concentration camps in Xinjiang, China. This is one of the largest Genocides since World War II. The killing of the Uighurs has been going on for six years, and only now have things started being said.
Who are the Uighurs, and what is happening to them?
The Uighurs are Turkic Muslim people who live mostly in Xinjiang, formerly known as East Turkestan. Many Uighurs consider themselves more Turkic than Chinese.
In Xinjiang, laws are being made that directly restrict the Uighurs’ religious activities and freedom. There are many reports of these rules; in 2014, it was reported to the BBC that fasting was banned. In 2017, the Chinese government passed laws stating that women were banned from wearing veils and having “abnormal” names. The “abnormal” names refers to common Muslim names. Now, China also had made a law that enforces birth control and even sterilization on Uighur Women. A quote from the Chinese Embassy states that this law is, “making them no longer baby-making machines.” To justify these religious constriction acts, the Chinese government cited attacks in 2013 by extremist Islamic groups. They stated that these laws would help stop separatist violence.
What are these camps?
In 2016, the construction of various concentration camps started. There are thousands of Muslims currently in said camps. The camps are painted as re-education centers by the Chinese government. The Uighur Muslims in the camps were stripped of their religion and beaten. Rahima was a woman detained in one of these camps for 12 months. She told Frontline that, “They beat us, hit us and shouted at us,” as well as stating that she was forced to sit in a chair for hours and to relieve herself where she sat. The people in the concentration camps are also forced to forget their native tongue and to learn Mandarin instead. They have their religion stripped from them. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) received some leaked documents about the camps. A memo from them stated that you were only released from the centers if you showed that you had changed your religion, language, and beliefs. It is cultural genocide.
Global Reactions
For years, no one addressed this problem; no country said a word. Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates have not acknowledged it. Many nations are turning a blind eye. The Guardian claims this is because, “Many have been bought off,” by China. Many countries last year congratulated China for their, “remarkable achievements in the field of Human rights.” Thankfully in recent times, 20 countries signed a letter asking China to close these camps. Although the letter has been signed, nothing has come of it. The camps are still up and running, China is thriving, while millions of Uighurs are dying. At the end of 2020, the beginning of 2021, the U.S. government finally declared this is an act of genocide.
What is next?
Now that you’re filled in, what’s the next step? There are still millions who have no idea that this is going on, and that needs to be fixed. We, as human beings with basic empathy, need to speak up. If our governments are not doing anything, we need to make them act. Otherwise, they are just complacent. Together we will bring the Uighurs justice; we will bring the injustice to light. The only way for us to help the Uighurs is to speak up. We need to make sure everyone knows about this and make sure that global governments are going to do something about it.
Make your voice heard. Contact the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and asks them to take action.
Contacts:
U.S. House Representatives (Foreign Affairs) –
https://meeks.house.gov/contact
Senators from the State of NY –
