- Millions of Uyghur Muslims continue to face unfounded arrests, rape, forced marriages, and indoctrination in Xinjiang’s concentration camps, with evidence of their exploitation by global high street brands.
- China’s crackdown on Muslims extends to Hui Muslims, with demolished mosques, silenced religious leaders, and restrictions on all types of travel, including Hajj, leaving them trapped in uncertainty and surveillance even beyond China’s borders.
In the heart-wrenching landscape of Xinjiang, a tragedy of epic proportions continues to unfold as global leadership feigns obliviousness. Millions of Uyghurs, a vulnerable Muslim ethnic minority, live in concentration camps, their lives derailed by unfounded arrests and unspeakable injustices. Recent times have witnessed distressing acts that defy comprehension: the piercing cries of victims subjected to rape, the shattering of souls through forced marriages, the haunting separation from loved ones, and the cruel indoctrination of innocent children into a twisted ideology of pain. Among these horrors, the cruel exploitation of human lives as they toil in the service of internationally acclaimed high street establishments such as Zara.
Across the expanse of north-western China, Hui Muslims are also suffering. The province is scarred as mosques have been demolished and their domes forcibly stripped away. Islamic schools are silenced, their corridors of wisdom now echoing with a deafening absence. Religious leaders, once revered, are now subjects of relentless surveillance, their every move scrutinized in a dance of control by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party.)
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 global pandemic, as the world returns to travel, China’s authority seeks to smother the aspirations of Muslims. With calculated precision, pathways beyond the borders are severed, as public security officers stand sentinel at domestic airports. Outbound, seeking spiritual solace for intentions of embarking on journeys for Ummrah or Hajj, are met with coercive calls urging and threatening Muslims to abandon their journeys.
Restrictions on Independent Hajj Tours
Witness accounts from Hajj this year, evidence that pilgrims en route to Saudi Arabia were hounded, their sacred sojourns interrupted by relentless coercion. Reports recount the plight of those who dare to privately embark on the Hajj, their return to China marred by the stark threat of detention or arrest. “Even when you step beyond our borders, China’s grip endures,” whispers a pilgrim, the weight of control a suffocating companion.
Obtaining Travel Documents and Passports: A Formidable Challenge.
Hajj has become a labyrinth for China’s Muslims due to the challenging process of obtaining passports and travel documents. This occurance first began in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs saw their passports confiscated in 2016, a prelude to a massive campaign of detention and despair.
In the province of Qinghai, those who are fortunate enough to possess passports must provide letters of Educational references abroad and sign letters to promise the governments that they are not intending to embark on a journey for Hajj or travel for any other reason. This is in order to be considered for re-entry into the country. In addition, Muslims who have attempted to flee the country have had to do so by abandoning their hijabs and beards. It’s a testament to China’s mastery of manipulation that even the pursuit of education is subjected to their iron will if bank statements and school enrolments letters serve as the currency of travel.
Reports also suggest that Hajj tour leaders have been strategically targeted. Ma Yanhu, tour leader and online essayist lends voice to religious discourse. Ma has led private Hajj tour groups for hundreds of Muslims living in China each year. This April, however, he was arrested in the northwestern Chinese city of Lanzhou on charges of running an illegal business. “……completing the Hajj is the most Ma wrote in an appeal letter:
“My country’s official policy is to manage religion according to the law, but in practice, many citizens experience restrictions over legal religious activities, including the Hajj.”
Uyghurs attempting to escape, Hui Muslims Seeking Respite
The chilling orchestration continues even beyond China’s borders. Even in foreign lands, the spectre of surveillance by the CCP remains unyielding. Reports have suggested that threatening phone calls have been made to Muslims who have attempted to flee or travel abroad.
Muslims in China ethnically comprise of Hui Muslims, Uyghurs, Dongxiang and Salar. All Muslims in the region grapple with a disconcerting ambiguity regarding their rightful abode—a place where they can genuinely declare as “home.” Their predicament is one of immobilization, as they remain ensnared in uncertainty that restricts both their ability to seek refuge and to journey with a guarantee of safety. This dilemma becomes achingly apparent when considering scenarios for the Uyghurs, such as reuniting with cherished family members.
The oppression that hounds the Uyghurs extends across oceans. Even as escape is achieved, the haunting touch of Chinese security lingers. The world’s muted observance in the wake of such circumstances is a bewildering phenomenon. May Allah grant emancipation and triumph to our Muslim brothers and sisters who endure oppression…Ameen.
How can We take Action?
We much raise our voices, advocate through protests, correspond with those in positions of authority, and, most importantly, consistently engage in dua. We are reminded of the power of dua in the follow hadith:
(Tirmidhi)
“Nothing can change the Divine decree except dua.”
