CFU Press Release
For Immediate Release
June 19, 2021 9:00 a.m. EDT
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
www.campaignforuyghurs.org
Campaign For Uyghurs (CFU) is pleased to acknowledge Juneteenth being designated as a federal holiday and joins in honoring this very special day. This represents a key moment in human history, but the importance of this action is undermined by the devastating necessity of its issuance, and a sobering occasion to recall that in order to stop the worst parts of human nature from triumphing, we must learn from history, and retain the self-awareness necessary to act as is required of our consciences in the present.
In acknowledging the dignity of each and every man, we retain hope for the future. As Uyghurs are facing enslavement and genocide at present, and the Chinese regime justifies these horrors by pointing to the greatest affronts to human dignity in history, we are reminded of the vital importance of retaining a commitment to fight for justice. We must counter the rise of authoritarianism, racism, and dehumanization perpetrated by the Chinese regime, and which are markedly at odds with the spirit of humanity.
CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas stated “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, and today reminds me how grateful I am to be in a society where the topic of confronting the injustice of our own dark history remains a central part of the conversation. While we commemorate the Juneteenth today, I long for the day when the Uyghur people will also have their opportunity to seek justice, and until that day comes, we will continue to fight for the end of their modern-day slavery and genocide.”
To read CFU’s press release on Juneteenth 2020, click here
To make a donation to support CFU’s work advocating for the human rights and democratic freedoms of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, click here
