 "Why Uyghur groups have contradictory stances on Israel-Hamas war")
Since Hamas launched surprise attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Tel Aviv’s relentless counter-attacks have killed far more than Hamas militants, with estimates putting the civilian death toll at over 38,000 people—primarily women and children. Meanwhile, attacks against Palestinians are also on the rise in the West Bank, where Hamas does not operate.
Various experts and international organisations have described the physical destruction of Gaza, the loss of thousands of innocent lives and property, and the forced exodus of its population as “ethnic cleansing” and even as “potential genocide". Muslims around the world have united to support the Palestinian people’s struggle to safeguard themselves from Israel’s aggression.
However, there is an Islamic organisation that stands in solidarity with Israel, overlooking the history of Palestinian suffering and openly supporting Israel, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), based in Germany’s Munich city. The WUC stated on October 9, 2023, condemning Operation Al-Aqsa Typhoon as a “terrorist attack”, just a couple of days after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel. Omer Kanat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the WUC and Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), went one step ahead and publicly condemned Hamas’s actions and expressed solidarity with the victims of the attacks.
Similarly, the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP), a Canada-based Uyghur rights group, issued a statement condemning “the barbaric attacks by Hamas terrorists on innocent Israelis.” Additionally, the “Campaign for Uyghurs”, affiliated with the WUC, while expressing solidarity with the victims of the attacks, stated that the organisation stands with the Jewish state.
However, in response to the humanitarian disaster caused by Israel’s military operations in Gaza, no Uyghur organisation has so far condemned the actions as genocide. The fact mentioned above contradicts the widespread assertion of Chinese action against Uyghurs in Xinjiang as genocide.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsConsequently, Uyghur groups have faced severe criticism from the Muslim world. On social media, posts about Uyghurs claiming to be victims of genocide while supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza have sparked intense debate among Muslim groups. Critics accuse these Uyghurs of ignoring Islamic principles and supporting genocidal actions.
In an astounding development, the Malaysian opposition built up tremendous pressure on the Anwar Ibrahim government to stop patronising the Uyghurs and even ban their activities on Malaysian soil. It is essential to mention that Kuala Lumpur has been soft to a few Uyghur organisations, who have opened up their diasporic activities there.
Further, the President of the Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations of Malaysia (MAPIM), Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, criticised the WUC for contradicting the Islamic world and Islamic principles. Mohd Azmi said, “We want the World Uyghur Congress to correct its attitude and stance because the Uyghur as a Muslim ethnic group should show a parallel stance with Muslims around the world and also those who love the justice of the liberation of Palestine.”
In addition, Mohd Azmi did not rule out the possibility that Western countries might sponsor the WUC. “I think there may be an influence from Western countries because they are based there. So it clearly shows that they are carrying the West’s agenda, thus scratching the image of the Uyghur to the point that it can be looked at as an askance by the international community,” he explained.
Earlier, in a short piece published by these authors, they argued how the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supported the WUC, with average annual funding ranging from $5 million to $6 million since its inception in 2004.
The NED, too, provided financial support to Hidayet Oguzhan, the leader of the East Turkistan Education and Solidarity Association, and instructed him to ramp up anti-China rallies and sow discord between China and Turkey. The NED also funded Rushan Abbas, head of an East Turkistan organisation, to frequently visit Turkey and work with East Turkistan forces to stir up trouble.
The WUC has not only received substantial funding from the US but also has developed a closer and deeper relationship with the US-based Zionist organisations. On July 10, 2023, the United States Zionist organisation, the Elis Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, announced a generous amount of $550,000 as a donation to three organisations, the WUC, the UHRP, and Jewish World Watch (JWW), to support its operational activities.
Furthermore, the Uyghur leader, Omer Kanat, actively participated in activities organised by a few Zionist organisations in the US. On October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas attacks on Israel, Omer Kanat attended an event hosted by the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.
Similarly, on October 25, 2023, Omer Kanat participated in the Basic Rights Award ceremony organised by the Lantos Foundation. The foundation openly supports Zionist atrocities and condemns Hamas for launching ’terrorist attacks’ to ’eliminate the Jews and their homeland'.
In the name of supporting Uyghur’s human rights project, both the NED and Jewish foundations have their political considerations. To counter the growing outpouring of global support for Palestine, the US, and Israel, propagandists are trying to misdirect the widespread outrage towards China by reviving the “Uyghur genocide” narrative.
Some people, even within the Uyghur diaspora, argue that the WUC does not stand for all the Uyghurs. Some Uyghurs who live in Turkey, including the East Turkistan National Assembly, showed their different stands in the Israel-Hamas conflict. They stand with Palestinians to fight for freedom as Muslims. Geopolitical considerations might be an element of their decisions; they have to keep pace with the Turkish government as refugees. However, not receiving donations from Western countries may be a more important reason for them having an independent stand towards Israel.
Selena Green is a feminist advocate and human rights activist with eight years of experience as a coordinator of various human rights organisations. Mahesh Ranjan Debata teaches at the Centre for Inner Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The views expressed are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost views.
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