Over 90 mainly South East Asian Muslim organisations have urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “to break its silence and take a public stand against China’s ongoing genocidal campaign in East Turkestan.”
The letter was addressed to the President of the OIC, Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, Secretary-General of OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha and Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the organisation.
Most Muslim nations have failed to condemn China over its repression of Muslims in Xinjiang province. It is thought they are reluctant to do this because of China’s economic grip over them.
China denies committing any violations and says it is only combating terrorism and extremism.
Here is an abridged version of the letter:
We are a coalition of over 90 civil society organisations and members of Parliament from South East Asia representing Muslim people around the world. We urge the OIC to take a strong public stand against the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslims in East Turkistan (also referred to as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by China).
Since 2016, millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in internment camps in East Turkistan, where they are exposed to systematic torture, rape, and forced labour, amongst other abuses. The internment camp system forms part of the PRC’s targeted attack on every expression of a distinct Uyghur ethnic identity, which includes a severe crackdown on Islam and Uyghur religious identity.
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Ordinary religious behaviour, such as possessing a Quran, praying, having a beard, or wearing a veil are all reasons for Uyghurs and others to be detained in one of the internment camps, where detainees are forced to eat pork and drink alcohol. Furthermore, thousands of mosques, shrines, graveyards and other sites of religious significance in East Turkistan have been destroyed or damaged. The PRC’s actions do not only constitute an attack against the Uyghurs and others as Muslim people but as government officials have described Islam as an “ideological illness” to be cured, also an attack against Islam itself.
The PRC’s systematic human rights violations against the Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslims have already been recognized by the United States government and seven national parliaments to constitute crimes against humanity and genocide. Most recently, these crimes have been confirmed by the independent Uyghur Tribunal in London, which found “beyond reasonable doubt that the PRC … has committed genocide” under the Genocide Convention.
The evidence is clear and can no longer be ignored. As Members of the OIC, who proclaim to be the “collective voice of the Muslim world”, it would be unconscionable and in clear disregard of your own moral values and principles to close your eyes to the terrible fate of millions of your Muslim brothers and sisters. In Article 1 of the OIC’s Charter, you vow “to safeguard the rights, dignity and religious and cultural identity of Muslim communities and minorities in non-Member States”. We simply ask you to remain true to that commitment.
Continuing your silence on the PRC’s egregious crimes against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslims does great harm to the OIC’s credibility and international standing. Not only Uyghurs and Kazakhs, but Muslims worldwide are looking at you to do the right thing. We call on you to take a firm stand against the PRC’s human rights abuses and to support efforts by Uyghur and international organizations and governments worldwide to bring these to an end.
Yours sincerely,
Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, President, Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations
Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsuddin, Global Peace Malaysia
Anwar Fadhil, Secretary-General ASEAN Alliance of Mosques
Datuk Wira Syekh Ahmad Awang, Chairman International Islamic Tasawwur Center, Malaysia, Chairman Alliance of World Mosques in Defence of Al Aqsa
Datin Aminah Zakaria, Chair, Muslimah Brotherhood Association of Malaysia
Datuk Wira Syekh Abdul Ghani Samsudin, Chairman Secretariate for Muslim Scholars Assembly of Asia
Datuk Hassanuddin Mohd Yunus, Member of Parliament Malaysia
Dr Arifin Thaipratan, Chair Council Humanitarian Networking Syekhul Islam Office, Thailand
Dr Heru S Nuswanto, Advocate Human Rights Activist PAHAM, Indonesia
Dr Muhammad Fawzi Zakaria, Institute for the Advocacy of Justice and Peace
Hafiz Mustafa Lubis, Chairman Ulama Association Of Kedah State Malaysia
Hery Nurdi, President Teachers Working Group Indonesia
Ibrahim bin Ali, Advisor, Southern Arakan Social and Welfare Community, Myanmar
Jamaluddin Shamsuddin, CEO Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs
Jamal Abdul Nasir, President, Humanitarian and Justice Organization, Cambodia
Jason Leong, Association Next Generation Christians Malaysia
Johan Ariff Ismail, International Relief and Humanitarian Outreach
Mohammad Faisal, President, Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia
Mohd Fadhil Yusni, President Malaysia Kashmir Youth Movement
Mohideen Abdul Kader, Director Citizens International
Nasir Zakaria, Ummah Care Malaysia
Prof Roslan Mohd Nor, Secretary-General, Ulama Association of Malaysia
Salleh Abbas, SHURA Philippines
YB Mahfuz Omar, Members Of Pokok Sena Malaysia
YB Prof Rusnah Binti Alui, Members of Parliament Bukit Katil Malaysia
Civil Society Organizations:
Alberta Uyghur Association
Australian East Turkestan Association
Australian Uyghur Association
Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association
Austria Uyghur Association
Belgium Uyghur Association
Blue Crescent Humanitarian Aid Association
Campaign for Uyghurs
Central Council of Muslims in Germany
Dutch Uyghur Human Rights Foundation
East Turkistan Education and Solidarity Association
East Turkestan Press and Media Association
East Turkestan Union of Muslim Scholars
East Turkistan Entrepreneur Tradesmen and Industrialists Businessmen Association
East Turkistan Human Rights Watch
East Turkistan New Generation Movement
East Turkistan Nuzugum Culture and Family Association
East Turkistan Sports and Development Association
European East Turkistan Education Association
European Muslim Forum
European Turkish-Islamic Union
East Turkistan Association in Finland
East Turkistan Association of Canada
East Turkistan Union in Europe
Eastern Turkistan Foundation
Finnish Uyghur Culture Center
Global Imams Council
Hoca Ahmet Yesevi Science and lore Foundation
Ilham Tohti Initiative
International Pen Uyghur Center
International Support for Uyghurs
International union of East Turkistan Organizations
International Uyghur Human Right and Democracy Foundation
Isa Yusup Alptekin Foundation
Islamic Community Milli Gorus
Japan Uyghur Association
Norwegian Uyghur Committee
Omer Uygur Foundation
Satuq Bugrakhan Foundation of Science and Civilization
Society Union of Uyghur National Association
Stop Uyghur Genocide Canada
Stop Uyghur Genocide
Sweden Uyghur Education Union
Switzerland East Turkestan Association
Uyghur Science and Civilization Research Foundation
Uigur Society of the Kyrgyz Republic
Umer Uyghur Trust
Uyghur American Association
Uyghur Academy Australia
Uyghur Academy Canada
Uyghur Academy Europe
Uyghur Academy Foundation
Uyghur Academy Japan
Uyghur Academy USA
Uyghur Association of Victoria
Uyghur Center for Human Rights and Democracy
Uyghur Cultural and Education Union in Germany
Uyghur Education Union
Uyghur Human Rights Project
Uyghur Projects Foundation
Uyghur Refugee Relief Fund
Uyghur Research Institute
Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
Uyghur Support Group Netherlands
Uyghur Transitional Justice Database
Uyghur U.K. Association
Uyghur Youth Union in Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan Uyghur Culture Center
Victoria Uyghur Association
World Uyghur Congress
World Uyghur Congress Foundation
