30th March 2025
Once again, the Uyghur people’s celebration of Eid has been overshadowed by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing campaign of genocide and repression against Islam.
This Ramadan, the CCP’s authoritarian control has intensified, marked by a dystopian system of surveillance and coercion. Reports indicate that Uyghurs are being forced to record themselves eating during daylight hours to prove they are not fasting, while state-mandated communal meals and compulsory political indoctrination sessions deliberately interfere with sahur (pre-dawn meal) and iftar (post-sunset meal).
The escalation of forced labor programs has further entrenched constant surveillance, restricting any form of religious expression. Those who refuse to comply risk being detained in so-called “re-education” camps.
Since 2017, an estimated 16,000 mosques—around two-thirds of all in the region—have been destroyed or damaged. Many have been replaced with commercial developments such as shopping centers and tourist attractions, as part of a broader effort to erase Islamic culture and whitewash the ongoing atrocities. Remaining mosques have been stripped of religious symbols and converted into entertainment venues, while imams and religious leaders face arrest and imprisonment. Uyghurs are banned from observing basic Islamic practices like fasting and prayer, and are often forced to consume pork and alcohol. Acts such as wearing a hijab, growing a beard, or even having an Islamic name have been criminalized.
While Muslims around the world gather to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr—a time of joy, reflection, and unity—millions of Uyghurs face a starkly different reality. For them, Eid is not a celebration, but a time of heightened surveillance, increased restrictions, and the erasure of faith.
Within Xinjiang, the freedom to observe Eid has been brutally stripped away. For those in the diaspora, the holiday serves as a painful reminder of families torn apart and the impossibility of celebrating with loved ones under the shadow of persecution.
The article is based on https://campaignforuyghurs.org/cfu-highlights-uyghur-repression-during-eid/
