Fasting during Ramadan is not just a religious obligation for Muslims, it is an act of faith, resilience, and devotion. While millions around the world freely observe this sacred month, Uyghur Muslims in East Turkistan (also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) are denied this fundamental right, their faith criminalized, their traditions shattered, and their very identity systematically erased.
For centuries, fasting during Ramadan has been a cornerstone of Uyghur culture, a spiritual practice that unites families and communities. I still remember the harmonious atmosphere of my childhood in Hotan. I witnessed how neighbors shared what little food they had and invited each other to join in. As children, we went door to door during Iftar time to collect gifts. The month of Ramadan was a time for us to enjoy solidarity with one another and appreciate what we had. Ramadan was a month for us to recharge our energy for survival. But today, in a chilling display of state oppression, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has waged war on Islam in the Uyghur Region, imposing brutal restrictions that make the simple act of fasting a dangerous act of defiance.
Reports from human rights organizations, eyewitness accounts, and leaked government documents reveal a dystopian reality. Uyghur Muslims—especially government workers, students, and teachers—are forced to eat and drink during daylight hours in Ramadan, directly violating their religious beliefs. The Chinese regime has transformed East Turkistan into an open-air prison, with authorities closely monitoring Uyghur families, businesses, and places of worship. Even the suspicion of fasting can lead to interrogation, harassment, or arrest. The Chinese authorities have organized alcohol-drinking festivals across East Turkistan to ensure Uyghurs do not observe Ramadan.
The few remaining mosques in East Turkistan are heavily controlled, and communal iftar gatherings are often banned or discouraged. Wearing religious attire, teaching Islam to children, or simply expressing one’s faith can be labeled as “signs of extremism” – charges that have led to the mass internment of Uyghurs in China’s notorious concentration camps.
The consequences of these oppressive policies are devastating. A lost generation of Uyghur children is being forcibly assimilated, separated from their families, and raised without their religious and cultural identity. Uyghurs in exile live in agony, knowing that their loved ones back home cannot practice their faith freely. Many have lost contact with their families entirely, unsure if they are still alive or imprisoned in China’s vast network of “concentration camps.” For many Uyghurs, the choice is stark: abandon their religious beliefs or risk persecution, imprisonment, or worse. Fasting – an act of spiritual purification – has become a silent protest against an authoritarian regime determined to erase an entire people’s faith and identity. The Chinese government is deliberately severing their connection to Islam, replacing their heritage with state-imposed communist, chauvinistic ideology.
The crackdown on fasting is not an isolated policy—it is part of a broader, well-documented campaign of cultural genocide against the Uyghur people. Alongside the forced assimilation of children, mass incarceration, forced labor, forced sterilization, and forced marriage, China’s assault on Uyghur religious freedoms is a calculated attempt to dismantle an entire ethnic and religious identity.
The international community cannot afford to remain silent. Governments, human rights organizations, and religious leaders must take a stand against this gross violation of fundamental human rights. In particular, Muslim-majority countries, Islamic institutions and organizations, and the Muslim Ummah must take real action. Words of condemnation are not enough; there must be concrete action. First, Stronger Sanctions: governments must impose harsher penalties on Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses. Second, Diplomatic Pressure: The UN and global leaders must demand unrestricted access to the Uyghur region to investigate these crimes. Third, Support for Uyghur Voices: Uyghur activists and exiled communities need global solidarity, legal protection, and platforms to share their stories.
Religious freedom is not a privilege, it is a right. The ability to fast, to pray, to believe must never be censored by a government. The world must stand with the Uyghur people, not only in words but in action. The fight for justice, dignity, and religious liberty in East Turkistan is not just a Uyghur struggle – it is a global human rights battle that concerns us all.
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