CUS Press Release
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2025
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June 6, 2025, marks the arrival of Eid al-Adha, a sacred time of sacrifice, devotion, and unity for Muslims across the globe. On this important occasion, the Center for Uyghur Studies extends our heartfelt congratulations to all Muslims celebrating this blessed festival. While families around the world gather in joy and prayer, we are reminded that for millions of Uyghur Muslims in East Turkistan, this Eid is once again marked by sorrow, separation, and suppression.
For yet another year, Uyghur Muslims were not permitted to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. As part of its violations of religious freedom of the Uyghurs, the Chinese government has continued its policy of barring Uyghur Muslims from the Hajj pilgrimage, even though it allows Chinese Muslims, such as the Hui Muslims, to participate in the Hajj pilgrimage. This discriminatory ban is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s broader campaign to forcibly eliminate Islam from the lives of Uyghur Muslims and erase their religious identity.
Uyghur Muslims are not allowed to freely practice religious festivals, including but not limited to Eid celebrations. What should be moments of spiritual connection and communal joy are instead met with fear, surveillance, and repression. In recent years, any visible religious activities are tightly controlled and often staged by the Chinese authorities to deceive the international community. Genuine expressions of faith such as attending mosque prayers, performing religious rituals, or gathering with family during sacred times are systematically restricted or criminalized, leaving Uyghurs unable to observe their beliefs in peace.
In the diaspora, Uyghur Muslims will gather for Eid with heavy hearts, knowing they cannot contact or celebrate with their loved ones back home. Many have not spoken to family members in years due to the risk of retaliation from Chinese authorities. This forced disconnection serves as a painful reminder of the scale and cruelty of the ongoing repression in East Turkistan.
Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris said, “This sacred Eid al-Adha, which symbolizes sacrifice, compassion, and solidarity, should serve as a powerful reminder to governments of Muslim-majority countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Islamic NGOs of their moral and religious duty to stand with the oppressed. As millions of Muslims around the world enjoy the freedom to worship and gather with their loved ones, Uyghur Muslims remain denied even the most basic expressions of faith. It is time for the Muslim world to speak with one unified and courageous voice, to demand an end to the Uyghur Genocide, to call for the restoration of religious freedom in East Turkistan.”
The Center for Uyghur Studies reaffirms our commitment to raising awareness of the Uyghur people’s plight and advocating for their basic human rights, dignity, and freedom. This Eid, let us renew our collective responsibility to stand with the oppressed, to amplify the voices of the silenced, and to ensure that no one is left behind in their fight for freedom and dignity. Let us not allow their suffering to be silenced or forgotten.
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