Turkistan Times, October 21, Istanbul: Zumretay Arkin, Vice President of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), revealed the current grave situation of the ongoing genocide by China in East Turkistan during an interview with the “News and Views” program on Salaamedia channel. She strongly criticized the silence of Muslim countries on this issue.
The program’s host emphasized that the Uyghur crisis deserves the same level of urgent attention as the crises in Gaza, Ukraine, and Africa. Connecting live from Belgium, Ms. Zumretay Arkin stated that contrary to the Chinese government’s propaganda, the situation for Uyghurs remains extremely dire.
“Over 30 of My Relatives Have Disappeared in the Camps”
During the interview, Zumretay Arkin mentioned that since 2017, China has detained over a million Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in concentration camps solely because of their ethnic and religious identity. She also noted that more than 16,000 mosques have been demolished or damaged. She sorrowfully recounted that over 30 of her own relatives have disappeared without a trace in the camps, particularly those who had studied Islamic knowledge at Al-Azhar University in Egypt or had traveled to countries like Turkey, only to be arrested upon their return.
She further exposed that China has classified normal religious practices such as praying, fasting, and pilgrimage as signs of “terrorism.” Families have been torn apart, children are confined to boarding schools for Sinicization, and homes are being monitored from within.
The “Hypocritical” Silence of Muslim Countries
Zumretay Arkin described the silence of Muslim countries in the face of this eight-year-long genocide as “extremely disturbing.” She pointed out that these nations are quick to react to issues like Gaza or Quran-burning incidents but remain silent on the Uyghur issue due to economic interests with China. She labeled this stance, where some even support China, as “hypocrisy.”
During the conversation, it was specially mentioned that despite this, a few countries like Turkey, Bosnia, and Somalia have taken some positive steps, and that Muslim populations around the world are supportive of the Uyghurs.
At the end of the interview, it was announced that the World Uyghur Congress will strive to achieve three main goals over the next 12-24 months: compelling governments to publicly condemn China, obtaining information about the fate of those in the camps, and reuniting separated families.
