By: Nilufer Molla
The Uyghurs are a distinct Turkic ethnic group inhabiting the northwest region of China. Officially called the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” Uyghurs know it as “East Turkestan.”
For two brief periods in the twentieth century, Uyghurs achieved liberation and established an East Turkestan Republic. However, China has continued to seize the land. Ever since, the Uyghurs have struggled for legitimate autonomy and have faced continuous human rights violations and oppression. As the Chinese government restricts Uyghur culture, it simultaneously targets Islam.
Today, this repression is justified under the banner of counterterrorism. What the Chinese government may call a “war on terror” is something else entirely.
The Chinese government claims the repression of Uyghurs is necessary for national security. Still, targeting the religion of the Uyghurs is an attempt at cultural assimilation by detaching them from a key part of their identity.
Islam has shaped Uyghur culture following their collective conversion between the 10th and 15th centuries. It has become deeply integrated into the culture, language, and lifestyle, which is precisely why it is a target.
Since China’s occupation, Uyghurs’ deep connection with Islam has acted as a “shield” in resisting the Chinese government’s attempts at cultural erasure and assimilation. Contrastingly, Hui Muslims, China’s largest ethnoreligious group, have enjoyed religious freedom. The Hui possess a blend of Islamic and Chinese cultures. Since they are better integrated into Chinese society due to cultural similarity, their religious practices are tolerated, proving China’s unique targeting of Uyghur Muslims due to their resistance to cultural assimilation.
Now, over a million Uyghurs have been imprisoned in internment camps, of which the Chinese government first denied the existence. When finally addressed in 2018, they were branded as “reeducation” centers meant to teach Mandarin and prevent the influence of extremism. Though there have been a variety of reasons to place Uyghurs in these camps, it appears their only crime is being Muslim.
Leaked documents reveal the listed reasons for detention to include growing a beard, praying regularly, and wearing a veil. Furthermore, in 2019, the U.S. embassy and consulates in Japan reported that Chinese authorities forced Uyghur Muslims to eat pork. If refused, they were vaguely labeled as “extremists” or threatened with being sent to the internment camps. As terrorism involves religiously motivated violence, it is clear that the grounds for accusing these Uyghurs of terrorism are completely illogical due to the irrelevance of peaceful expression to religious extremism and violent terrorism.
Especially during Ramadan, Uyghurs are at a greater risk. Ramadan is a sacred month in the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast and focus on deepening their spiritual devotion. For roughly a month, Muslims wake up for a small meal called “Suhoor” or “Sehri” before the first prayer to prepare for their day’s fast.
For Uyghur Muslims in China, just turning on the living room light to do so poses a great risk.
They often resort to pre-preparing their meals and eating in the dark to avoid detection and risk being sent to the camps or abused. In Islam, eating in the bathroom is strongly discouraged; however, for some, it is the only room in the house without windows, so the light can be left on while they eat. Because if light could be seen from the home, it was enough reason to believe they were fasting Muslims.
A 2016 interview conveyed the horrors of being caught. Adil Abdulghufur recalls “one disaster” that happened to him. Chinese authorities violently dragged him from his bed while he was asleep. Covered in blood, he continuously asked what he had done. They said, “You screamed ‘Allahu Akbar.’” He pleaded that he was not praying, but, unconvinced, they beat him, chained him, and hung a “25-kilogram cement board around his neck,” with the words “For stubborn prisoners who refuse to bow to Chinese rule” carved on it.
Unique to these “prisoners,” questions would be administered to “test” them, such as:
“Were the heavens and the earth created by God or by nature?”
“Is East Turkistan part of China, or is it a separate country?”
“Will you pray in the future?”
“What kind of person is Osama Bin Laden?”
“If Chinese and Uyghurs live together, will society flourish?”
Required to answer only with “yes” or “no” (and there is a “correct” answer for each question), Uyghurs will be categorized into groups based on “compliance,” which would determine their fate.
Especially after September 11, 2001, governments all over the world expanded surveillance to combat terrorism. China seized this moment. By framing the Uyghur identity as a security threat, the Chinese government found an international cover for policies that would otherwise be viewed for what they really are: cultural erasure and assimilation.
As China targets Uyghurs while tolerating Hui Muslims’ religious expression, it’s clear that the so-called “war on terror” is actually a war on Uyghur identity.
