This Holocaust Remembrance Day, Lets Acknowledge The Current Holocaust Of Uyghur Muslims

At the time of this writing, China is currently detaining around 2 million Uyghur and ethnic Muslims in concentration camps across the northwestern province of East Turkestan (otherwise known as Xinjiang) – once in these camps, they are subject to torture, forced reversions away from Islam, mass rape, forced sterilizations, and other accounts that amount to possible crimes against humanity.

Jessica Aya Harn

27th January 2022

At the time of this writing, China is currently detaining around 2 million Uyghur and ethnic Muslims in concentration camps across the northwestern province of East Turkestan (otherwise known as Xinjiang) – once in these camps, they are subject to torture, forced reversions away from Islam, mass rape, forced sterilizations, and other accounts that amount to possible crimes against humanity.

Monday the 27th of January marks the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, which saw the deaths of 6 million Jews as well as millions of other minorities in concentration camps across Europe during the Second World War. This genocide, marked by the horrendous rise of Nazism and fascist leadership in Europe, also saw a change in attitude in the aftermath of the atrocity.

Calls for “never again” dominated discussions in governments and parliaments around the world; the horrendous genocide of the Jewish people, fuelled by despicable Nazi ideology, changed the entire discourse on war. Genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity became household points of discussion – it became feasible to try world leaders on these very accounts, with the public closely following the turn of events.

This January marks the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, one of the most horrendous concentration camps, the ending of the Second World War, and also the ending of the Holocaust itself. As politicians, civilians, governments, and faith groups come together to remember those painfully lost during one of modern history’s most atrocious acts of barbarity – many have failed to actually implement their calls for “never again”.

At the time of this writing, China is currently detaining around 2 million Uyghur and ethnic Muslims in concentration camps across the northwestern province of East Turkestan (known as Xinjiang in Chinese) – once in these camps, they are subject to torture, forced reversions away from Islam, mass rape, forced sterilizations, and other accounts that amount to crimes against humanity.

The darker side of China: A brief history of the Communist state and the Uyghur Muslims

Once detained in the numerous concentration camps across East Turkestan, Uyghur Muslims are killed and tortured. There has been documented evidence of mass rape and the forced sterilization of women – the Chinese state is not only killing members of an ethnic group but are attempting to prevent the very continuality of the group as well. Children whose parents have been detained are taken by the Chinese government into state-run schools and orphanages – where their Uyghur identity is banned and forcibly eradicated.

Besides the physical act of genocide, China continues on its path of cultural genocide as well – the Uyghur language is banned in schools, religious symbols in mosques and even restaurants or homes are banned, and historical sites such as cemeteries are being bulldozed and destroyed in an attempt to eradicate Uyghur history and cultural identity.

China continues to deny any accusations of genocide or involvement with the abuses happening with the Uyghur Muslims, however satellite imagery, accounts from eyewitnesses, and most recently the smuggled Xinjiang Papers reveal a horrendous and systematic genocide being conducted against the Uyghur and ethnic Muslims of northwestern China.

World leaders, including those from Muslim-majority nations, continue to bask in a openly friendly relationship with China, while ignoring the holocaust happening in East Turkestan/Xinjiang. What must it take for world leaders to truly act upon the phrase never again?

So what can we actually do to help?

The decision, ultimately, is up to you.

Perhaps we can show up to protests, conferences, social media, and community centers – if not speaking out through our voices, we can also speak out through just being there in a space that is dedicated to understanding and raising awareness about what is actually happening to Uyghur Muslims.

Perhaps we can also educate not only ourselves but those around us – share testimonials from Uyghurs themselves, reach out to the Uyghur diaspora in your community, and learn how to distinguish between fake news and actual evidence.

Educate yourself. Raise awareness. Instill a sense of duty in your community and get community leaders on board. Write to your politicians and organize protests and campaigns. Vote for politicians who are not afraid to call out China. Vote out politicians who are slaves to the economic and strategic allure of China’s power despite its ongoing genocide. Boycott companies and firms who work in China and are accused of using the forced labor of Uyghur Muslims held in detention. Act and act with the duty that is required of us all – for it is literally a matter of life or death for so many Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan.

History is not a chapter of the past – history is alive and we are acting in the history that will be told to future generations. It is up to us how the future will be, especially for those who need a different and better one.

This Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we painfully repeat the phrase “never again”, let us both pray and proactively campaign against any form of discrimination, hate, and ethno-nationalist ideology that terrifyingly leads to genocide – we cannot sit by idly as another Holocaust unfolds before our very eyes.