Date: May 8, 2025
The Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS), in partnership with OIC Youth Indonesia, recently concluded a successful advocacy tour across Indonesia, aimed at raising awareness about the ongoing genocide and religious persecution of the Uyghurs in East Turkistan. The tour, led by Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris, included strategic engagements with Indonesian parliamentarians, religious leaders, academics, youth leaders, and university students across several major cities.
Jakarta: Roundtable with Youth and Visit to Parliament
The advocacy efforts began on April 28 in Jakarta, where Executive Director joined a roundtable discussion in Jakarta, Indonesia, with youth leaders from various Indonesian NGOs and youth organizations. He shared firsthand insights on the plight of Uyghur Muslims and answered questions on the Chinese government’s genocide and religious persecution of the Uyghurs. The youth leaders expressed strong solidarity and pledged their support for the Uyghur people.
On April 30, a delegation from the Center for Uyghur Studies visited the Indonesian Parliament with the OIC Youth Indonesia team. They were welcomed by Dr. H. Jazuli Juwaini, MP and Chairman of the F-PKS DPR RI, along with MP Habib Idrus Aljufri. Abdulhakim Idris briefed them on the current situation of the Uyghur Muslims and called for their support and solidarity. The meeting included a Q&A session focused on China’s human rights violations, religious persecution, and genocide against the Uyghur people.
Both MPs voiced their concern and expressed clear solidarity with the Uyghur cause.
Yogyakarta: Student Dialogue on the Uyghur Crisis
On May 2, Abdulhakim Idris visited Yogyakarta, where he held a student dialogue with over 50 students from Muhammadiyah University, State Islamic University, and other local institutions. The interactive discussion highlighted the Uyghur crisis, China’s war on Islam, and the role of youth in international solidarity. Students asked critical questions and conveyed their heartfelt support for the Uyghur struggle.
Medan: International Seminar on Uyghur Crisis and Islamophobia
One of the key highlights of the tour was an international seminar co-organized by CUS and hosted at Nusantara Muslim University of Al Washliyah (UMN) in Medan, North Sumatra on May 5. Titled “Human Atrocities and Human Rights Violations Amidst Islamophobia: The Uyghur Crisis,” the seminar drew more than 100 students and faculty and began with the Indonesian national anthem, the university anthem, a Qur’an recitation, and an opening prayer.
Prof. Dr. H. M. Jamil, M.A., Rector of UMN, welcomed participants with a powerful call for Muslim unity, linking the suffering of the Uyghur people to other global struggles for justice.
Astrid Nadya Rizqita, President of OIC Youth Indonesia, followed with opening remarks encouraging youth-led solidarity with the Uyghurs.
The panel featured Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris, Prof. Dr. Hasan Asari, Lecturer at UIN Sumatera Utara, Dr. Nelvitia Purba, Lecturer at UMN
In his remarks, Idris outlined the current situation in East Turkistan, described China’s campaign to erase Uyghur identity and religion, and urged global Muslim solidarity.
Prof. Asari provided academic analysis on the ideological roots of Islamophobia and the mechanisms of China’s religious repression. Dr. Purba addressed the broader dynamics of Islamophobia and how they intersect with the Uyghur crisis.
The seminar concluded with a speech by Dr. H. Masyhuril Khamis, S.H., M.M., Chairman of Al Jam’iyatul Washliyah, who expressed strong solidarity with the Uyghurs and called on students to become informed advocates.
Jakarta: Meeting with Minister of Religious Affairs
The advocacy tour concluded on May 6 at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, where Abdulhakim Idris met with Imam Nasaruddin Umar, Minister of Religious Affairs of Indonesia and Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque. Abdulhakim congratulated him on his recent appointment and shared a briefing on China’s religious persecution of the Uyghurs.
The Center for Uyghur Studies thanks its partners and hosts in Indonesia and looks forward to further collaboration in advancing human rights and religious freedom.
Since 2022, the Center for Uyghur Studies has been conducting a strategic advocacy campaign in Indonesia to raise awareness about the Uyghur crisis. As part of this effort, CUS has developed and distributed educational materials in the Indonesian language, including the booklet East Turkestan and the Uyghurs, a report on Islamophobia in China, a new publication on the plight of the Uyghurs, and a recent report on China’s boarding school system targeting Uyghur children. CUS also operates a dedicated Indonesian-language website and runs an active social media campaign to reach broader audiences in Indonesia. Through partnerships with local organizations, CUS has empowered a growing network of university students, youth leaders, and civil society actors across Indonesia, fostering deeper understanding and solidarity with the Uyghur people.
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