10 minutes with … Rebiya Kadeer

WASHINGTON — Many Americans had probably never heard of Chinese Muslims until a handful of Uighur men were released from U.S. detention in Guantanamo Bay and, more recently, when ethnic tensions flared in China’s western Xinjiang province. Muslims in China? Who knew? The Uighur (pronounced Wee-ger) minority has chafed under Chinese rules for decades, and […]

(RNS6-NOV01) Don Levine, the creator of G.I. Joe, recently launched a series of biblical action 
figures called ``Almighty Heroes.'' See RNS-10-MINUTES, transmitted Nov. 1, 2006. Religion 
News Service photo courtesy of Family Values LLC.

(RNS6-NOV01) Don Levine, the creator of G.I. Joe, recently launched a series of biblical action
figures called “Almighty Heroes.” See RNS-10-MINUTES, transmitted Nov. 1, 2006. Religion
News Service photo courtesy of Family Values LLC.

WASHINGTON — Many Americans had probably never heard of Chinese Muslims until a handful of Uighur men were released from U.S. detention in Guantanamo Bay and, more recently, when ethnic tensions flared in China’s western Xinjiang province.

Muslims in China? Who knew?


The Uighur (pronounced Wee-ger) minority has chafed under Chinese rules for decades, and long-simmering tensions erupted July 5 when riots broke out between Uighurs and Han Chinese. At least 192 people have died in the violence.

At the center of the controversy has been Rebiya Kadeer, the exiled “spiritual mother” of the Uighur people, whom Chinese authorities have blamed for inciting the uprisings.

Kadeer, a successful businesswoman in her native China, was exiled to Washington in 2005; she continues to advocate for the Uighur Diaspora and those still in Xinjiang, which many Uighurs prefer to call East Turkestan.

In an e-mail exchange, Kadeer, 63, answered questions about Muslim life in China and comparisons to China’s better-known Tibetan Buddhist minority. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: How did you end up in exile in Washington, D.C.?

A: I was arrested on false political charges in 1999 and subsequently imprisoned by the Chinese authorities. My “crime” was that I had sent some newspaper clippings to my husband, who was living in Washington, D.C. In prison, I witnessed torture and spent long periods in solitary confinement. The U.S. government helped in my release and I was exiled from my homeland to Washington.

Q: The image many Americans have of Muslims is an Arab man or woman in a headdress. What should they know about the Uighurs?

A: They should know that Uighurs are Sunni Muslims. Our Islamic beliefs are influenced by Sufism. Uighurs are devout Muslims, but we do not subscribe to extremist forms of Islam.


Q: People have been comparing the Uighur plight to the Tibetan one, and your exile to the Dalai Lama’s. How would you differentiate your cause from the cause of the Tibetans?

A: The plights of Tibet and East Turkestan share many similarities. I feel very saddened by the egregious human rights abuses in Tibet. However, our cause suffers from a lack of understanding and awareness on the part of the international community.

Q: The Chinese government has blamed you for inciting much of the violence of the past month. How do you respond?

A: These allegations are completely without substance. The real blame for the unrest lies with six decades of Chinese government oppression of the Uighur people. The Chinese government seems content to blame others rather than conduct a thorough self-examination.

Q: Recent reports indicated that mosques are being closed in the region. What other restrictions on religious freedom have been placed on Chinese Muslims?

A: Religious repression has long been a feature of Chinese government policies toward Uighurs. Children under the age of 18 and government employees are not permitted to attend mosques. Government employees are also not allowed to observe Ramadan. Imams are forced to undergo “patriotic education” before assuming their posts.


Q: Since China’s Communist Party took power in 1949, large numbers of Han Chinese have immigrated to Xinjiang. How has this changed the religious life of Uighurs and the practice of Islam in the region?

A: Traditional Uighur life has come under intense pressure since the Chinese government initiated the mass migration of Han Chinese to East Turkestan. This has driven a wedge between Uighurs and their customs, including their religious practices.

Q: The 9/11 attacks in the United States ushered in an anti-terrorist campaign in China as well. In what ways has this campaign affected ethnic Uighurs?

A: The campaign has been used by the Chinese government to justify the repression of the Uighurs. The Chinese government has labeled peaceful Uighur dissent as terrorism and has used this as a pretext to falsely imprison, torture and execute Uighurs.

Q: The government accuses you of engaging in separatism and terrorism. What do you say to Chinese officials that call you a terrorist?

A: Of course the accusation has no basis and merely reflects the desperation of Chinese officials to cover up their years of failed policies towards Uighurs.


Q: Are you a separatist?

A: No. I advocate for the peaceful realization of democracy, human rights and freedom — all fundamental elements for a prosperous society — in East Turkestan.

Q: Do you seek an independent East Turkestan?

A: I seek self-determination for East Turkestan.

Q: Beijing now calls the province the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region. How autonomous are the Uighurs, or the region?

A: The autonomy label is a good example of Communist doublespeak. There is no autonomy in East Turkestan. Uighurs live their lives in a climate of fear and repression.

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