CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20th, 2026 8:45 AM EST
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
https://campaignforuyghurs.org/
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) wishes Eid Mubarak to Muslims worldwide. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is one of the most important Islamic celebrations. While many observe this occasion, Uyghur Muslims endure another Eid under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing genocide and war on Islam.
This Ramadan, the persecution of Uyghur Muslims intensified. Drones, AI facial recognition, and random searches for halal food turned the holy month into what observers have called a siege. Uyghurs were arrested and punished for fasting and small religious gatherings. They continue to be forced to film themselves eating during daylight to prove they are not fasting, while collective labor and mandatory political “study sessions” are organized by the state to disrupt sahur and iftar. These cases demonstrate the CCP’s determination to criminalize every aspect and expression of faith.
On March 1, 2026, a new secrecy law took effect, intended to conceal evidence of crimes against Uyghurs during Ramadan and beyond. Additionally, a new “ethnic unity law” is being introduced to codify forced assimilation, legally supporting the CCP’s policy of cultural and religious erasure. These laws institutionalize genocide, providing legal justification for arrests, forced labor, reproductive violence, and the destruction of Uyghur identity.
“As the Muslim community celebrates Eid al-Fitr, millions of Uyghurs face heightened surveillance and arrests, depriving them of their freedom to observe this sacred day and celebration,” said Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of CFU. “Millions of unjustly detained and imprisoned Uyghurs, including my sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, are enduring yet another Eid in the CCP’s prisons, separated from their families, deprived of their freedom, and denied justice. We must keep them in our prayers, raise our voices for them, and continue demanding justice.”
This Eid al-Fitr, we urge solidarity with the Uyghur people as they seek justice and human rights. CFU calls on governments to impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for these new laws and Ramadan arrests, enforce import bans on goods produced with Uyghur forced labor, and hold China accountable for its grave human rights abuses. We also call on the global Muslim community and all defenders of human rights to amplify Uyghur voices and refuse to remain silent in the face of genocide.
Support CFU’s work: Your contribution enables us to document human rights abuses, raise international awareness, and advocate for the Uyghur people. Every donation strengthens our efforts against the Uyghur genocide. Visit https://campaignforuyghurs.org/donation/ to donate this Eid.
