Uyghur group accuses China of destroying 16,000 Xinjiang mosques
Washington DC
The East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM), a US-based organization focused on raising awareness about human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, has called on the international community, human rights authorities, and activists to support their efforts against China. The ETNM accuses China of converting 16,000 mosques and religious sites into clubs and bars. In a statement on X, the ETNM described these actions as part of a deliberate strategy by Beijing to erase Uyghur cultural and religious identity. They claim that over 16,000 mosques have been demolished, religious sites desecrated, and historic Uyghur neighborhoods destroyed, all aimed at undermining Uyghur heritage.
The ETNM also criticized Muslim countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Central Asian nations for their silence on China's actions, accusing them of tacitly supporting China's efforts to suppress Uyghur Muslims. They argue that the global community has largely ignored the atrocities occurring in Xinjiang, thus enabling China's ongoing repression and colonization of East Turkistan.
According to a 2021 report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, satellite images show significant damage to over 20% of the region's mosques, with many either demolished or repurposed. Xinjiang is heavily monitored with extensive use of facial recognition and surveillance technology. Reports and satellite images reveal large-scale internment camps, described by China as re-education facilities but considered by human rights groups as detention centers aimed at erasing East Turkistan's identity.