CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 29, 2025, 5:00 PM ET

Contact: [email protected] 

(925) 404-9531

www.campaignforuyghurs.org

Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) wishes a blessed Eid Mubarak to all Muslim brothers and sisters worldwide. Once again, the Uyghur people’s Eid celebration is marred by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing genocide and war on Islam. As Ramadan comes to an end, CFU highlights their resilience in the face of brutal religious repression and efforts to erase their ethnic and religious identity.

This Ramadan, the oppression against Uyghurs has intensified under the CCP’s dystopian system of surveillance and coercion. It has been reported that Uyghurs are forced to film themselves eating lunch to prove they are not fasting, while collective meals and mandatory political “study sessions” are organized by the state to disrupt sahur (the pre-dawn meal) and iftar (the post-sunset meal). Forced labor programs have also escalated, aiming to surveil Uyghur workers constantly and prevent religious activities. Those who resist face severe consequences, including detention in so-called “re-education” camps. 

Since 2017, about 16,000 mosques—two-thirds of the region’s total—have been destroyed or damaged, often replaced with shopping malls and tourist attractions as part of the CCP’s efforts to whitewash the genocide and spread propaganda. Remaining mosques have been stripped of their Islamic symbols, and converted into bars, cafés, and clubs, while religious leaders are arrested and imprisoned. Uyghurs are banned from fasting and praying, forced to consume pork and alcohol which are prohibited in Islam. Wearing a hijab, growing a beard, or even having an Islamic name has been criminalized.

“As the Muslim community celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr, a time of joy, reflection, and togetherness, for millions of Uyghurs, it is yet another reminder of the families torn apart and the faith suppressed by the Chinese government’s ongoing genocide. For them, Eid means heightened surveillance, restrictions, and the constant need for caution and hiding their faith. The genocide has stripped Uyghurs in the region of their freedom to observe this sacred day, and for the diaspora Uyghurs, the CCP has robbed them of the ability to celebrate with their loved ones. My sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, remains unlawfully imprisoned by the regime, spending another Eid without her children and grandchildren. As we mark this joyful occasion, we must remember those suffering in silence, amplify their voices, and demand justice,” noted CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas. 

This Eid-ul-Fitr, we must stand in solidarity with the Uyghur people as they struggle for freedom, dignity, and the right to survive. Join us in empowering their message, boycotting products tied to Uyghur forced labor, and holding the CCP accountable for its grave human rights abuses. Additionally, we invite supporters to donate to the Campaign for Uyghurs to strengthen Uyghur advocacy efforts as we continue our work to bring an end to their suffering.