1725 I Street N.W. Suite 300
Washington. D.C. 20006
Rushan@campaignforuyghurs.org
September 26th, 2025
The Honorable Cherelle L. Parker
Mayor of Philadelphia
City Hall, Office of the Mayor
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Mayor Parker,
I write to you with deep concern regarding the planned flag-raising ceremony for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on September 30, 2025.
As an advocate for human rights and the Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, I have dedicated my life to amplifying the voices of millions silenced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This mission is deeply personal. My sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, is a retired medical doctor and a deeply compassionate woman. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in China solely because of my peaceful advocacy within the United States. She is now 63 years old and remains unjustly detained as part of Beijing’s policy of collective punishment against the families of dissidents.
The red flag of Communist China is not a symbol of culture or unity. It is the banner of a totalitarian regime that the U.S. government and numerous parliaments have determined is committing genocide. Under this flag, the CCP has built an extensive system of mass surveillance, separated millions of children from their families, sterilized women, erased religion, and targeted ethnic and faith communities, including Uyghurs, Christians, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, and practitioners of Falun Gong. It imprisons innocent people like my sister, fuels a fentanyl crisis that has killed millions of Americans, and spends billions spreading propaganda and infiltrating civic institutions abroad.
Raising this flag in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the U.S. Constitution and a city that stands as a symbol of liberty and justice, would normalize and legitimize these atrocities. It is a slap in the face to victims of CCP oppression and sends a message that China can reach them even in the United States.
As the sister of one of the millions of people in camps, as an American citizen who has served this country, and as someone who believes deeply in the values this city represents, I urge you to cancel this ceremony. Doing so would not be an act against the Chinese people, many of whom long for freedom and justice, but a clear statement that Philadelphia will not be used as a platform for authoritarian propaganda.
Stand with the American people, with victims of tyranny, and with the principles of freedom born in your city. History will remember where you stood.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
With respect,
Rushan Abbas
Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs
