On August 17, 2023, a delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) visited occupied East Turkistan in response to an invitation. The delegation, led by Ambassador Dya-Eddine Bamakhrama, the Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the OIC. The delegation included representatives from 25 OIC Member States, including Saudi Arabia and Mauritania, as well as officials from the OIC General Secretariat.
During the meeting, the OIC and its Member States discussed their relations with Communist Party of China, including the situation of the Muslim in the occupied East Turkistan. The delegation intends to visit East Turkistan to observe the living conditions of the local Muslim community in the region.
In reality, it's a known fact that China has been implementing genocidal policies which are concentration camps, indoctrination, total ban of practicing Islam, abortion, forced family separation, and state oppression at a genocidal level where millions are arrested and other millions are dead since the occupation in 1949.
China has been implementing its "Sinicization of Islam" policy since 2012 to restrict Islamic practices, demolish mosques, arrest Muslim Scholars, Ulemas, and thinkers, legitimize its policies against Islam, and cover up ongoing genocide in East Turkistan. Furthermore, China consistently invites delegates from Islamic countries with which it maintains good diplomatic relations and deceives them by showcasing religious activities that are normally forbidden but specifically staged for these delegations. China rationalizing its human rights violations against East Turkistan people as ‘war against terrorism’ and has actively avoided any third-party interventions into this matter under the guise of ‘non-interventionism’.
OIC’s Charter underscores its role to safeguard the interest of the ummah in the socio-economic and political spheres, which transcends the responsibility of the OIC member states. However, despite its mandate to champion the cause of the Muslim community, the OIC’s silence and mixed signals on the East Turkistan issue are concerning.
International Union of the East Turkistan Organizations (IUETO) would like to remind OIC delegation to fulfill their duty to safeguard the rights of people in East Turkistan. IUETO recommends OIC delegation to report and make a press statement about their visit in Urumqi in a truthful way, upholding the truth and justice as taught in Islam. IUETO also recommends the OIC delegation put pressure on China to stop forceful Sinicization of Islam and elimination of Muslim identity of East Turkistan.
IUETO urges Muslim scholars, Islamic organizations, movements, Muslim countries, and politicians to stand with people of East Turkistan and take action to end the ongoing genocide and Chinese colonization.
