CUS Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2026
Contact@Uyghurstudy.org
Uyghurstudy.org
As Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate Eid al-Adha, a sacred occasion symbolizing sacrifice, devotion, compassion, and unity, the Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS) extends our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Muslims across the globe. While families gather in prayer and celebration during this blessed festival, millions of Uyghur Muslims in East Turkistan (AKA Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) continue to face separation, repression, and the denial of their most basic human rights and religious freedoms.
For decades, Uyghur Muslims have faced systematic restrictions on religious life under Chinese Communist Party rule. Since 2017, the Chinese authorities heavily criminalized religious practices, gatherings, and expressions of faith. Important religious occasions, including Eid celebrations, which should serve as moments of spiritual reflection and family unity, continue to take place under an atmosphere of fear and surveillance.
Recent developments have once again highlighted the contradiction in China’s claims regarding religious freedom. Reports of the detention of Abdushukur Rahmatulla, a state-sanctioned imam, who had long served within the government-approved religious system and had been promoted as a model “ethnic minority religious figure”, demonstrate that even individuals who worked within officially approved structures are not immune from repression.
At the same time, as Eid al-Adha approaches, Chinese authorities organized a carefully staged visit for religious figures from several Muslim-majority countries to East Turkistan during May 17 to May 21, where delegates were taken to pre-selected religious institutions and sites intended to project an image of religious harmony and prosperity. Such staged visits form part of China’s longstanding propaganda efforts aimed at portraying an image of religious freedom while Uyghur Muslims continue to face pervasive surveillance and restrictions on their faith. Together, these developments reveal the stark contrast between China’s international narratives and realities on the ground.
For many Uyghur Muslims living in the diaspora, Eid remains a painful reminder of family separation. Countless Uyghurs have been unable to contact their loved ones for years due to fear of retaliation by Chinese authorities. Many continue to live without knowing the fate or well-being of parents, siblings, children, and relatives back home.
Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris said,
“Eid al-Adha teaches us the values of sacrifice, compassion, and standing with the oppressed. As Muslims around the world celebrate this sacred occasion in freedom, Uyghur Muslims remain deprived of even the most fundamental expressions of faith and family life. It is deeply heartbreaking to see Muslim countries and religious figures being drawn into China’s propaganda efforts and even being used to help legitimize narratives that conceal the suffering of Uyghur Muslims. We call on governments, Muslim-majority countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and civil society organizations to uphold their moral responsibility and stand in solidarity with Uyghur Muslims.”
The Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS) reaffirms its commitment to raising awareness of the Uyghur people’s plight and advocating for their fundamental rights and freedoms. This Eid, we urge the international community not to forget those whose voices continue to be silenced and whose suffering must not be ignored.
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