Muslim World Response

Uighur Muslims Crushed in East Turkistan: The Muslim World's Absence of Reaction

<..> Muslims around the world have an absolute religious, moral, and human duty to identify with their oppressed brothers and sisters in East Turkistan. These suffering people whose plight can be compared with the plight of the Palestinians, are only demanding basic human rights, including the right to religious freedom. Muslims, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, must never betray or abandon other Muslims, especially in time of distress.

Unfortunately, however, Muslim states and Muslim peoples alike have been largely silent in the face of these atrocities in East Turkistan. In Turkey and India, there have been some protests in solidarity with the Uighur people, but in the Arab world no signs of protests over the bloody repression have been seen as of now.

To be sure, no one is suggesting a confrontation with China over this chronic issue. However, Muslims, peoples and regimes alike, are exhorted to send an unmistakable message to Beijing that the continued persecution and killing of Muslims in the Land of the Uighur is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately. True, Arab and Muslim friendship with China is a worthy goal for both sides. However, this is not a one-way street and China must show deference to Muslims with whom it has had historical relations dating back to the early Islamic period. <..> This is why Muslims should remind China of the huge trade it has with more than 50 Muslim countries which amounts to more than a hundred billion dollars per year. Muslims have many ways to demonstrate to China their displeasure at what is happening in the Land of the Uighur. Muslims can and should hold protests outside Chinese embassies and diplomatic missions around the world. Muslims can also boycott Chinese products which are flooding many Muslim countries, especially in the Middle East. This would cause millions of Chinese workers to go jobless. At the individual level, Muslim internet users can also flood the worldwide web with messages of solidarity with their Uighur brothers and sisters who are not even allowed to weep their martyrs or cry out for justice.

If Only the Uighurs Were Buddhist and China Was Israel

<..> Following the news that did make it out of Xinjiang, I thought if only the Uighurs were Buddhists like the Tibetans with whom the Uighurs share almost mirror grievances against Beijing. If they were Buddhists, Bjork, Sting, Bono and all those other one-named saviors of the world's poor and oppressed would have held "Free Xinjiang" concerts already. But the West continues to largely ignore the Uighurs. Maybe they're not as cuddly as the Tibetans or their leader the Dalai Lama.

Perhaps the U.S. State Department would issue stronger words in their defense if only the Uighurs weren't the wrong kind of minority in a country that produces half the goods we use and which currently lends the wobbly global economy enough money to keep it just this side of total collapse. The Uighurs aren't Buddhists but are instead Muslims and us Muslims don't get much love these days. You'd think the U.S. at least would be paying a bit more attention to Uighurs after locking up four of their brethren at the prison camp at Guantanamo without charge for seven years. They were released earlier this year to Bermuda.

If the West seems deaf to Uighur complaints, then where are their fellow Muslims? Surely this is a chance for Muslims across the world to march in protest at the stranglehold the godless Communist Chinese keep over the Uighurs?