CFU Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 9th, 2021 8:00 AM EDT
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU)
Contact: Contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
www.campaignforuyghurs.org
We at Campaign For Uyghurs (CFU) celebrate Mother’s Day by thanking you all for your thoughts and actions to save Uyghurs. This Mother’s Day marks for so many families around the world a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by the mothers in their lives. For so many of us, mothers serve the role of caretaker, advisor, and friend. For our communities, they are the link between each subsequent generation, connecting us to our common heritage and culture.
Today, the genocide in East Turkistan is put in even starker relief. While so many of us are free to celebrate the wonderful mothers in our lives, so many others have seen their maternal bond threatened by the CCP’s draconian tactics of separation. For too many Uyghurs, both inside and outside the borders of East Turkistan, today will serve as yet another sobering reminder of the impact of the Chinese regime. The campaign to disconnect Uyghurs from their history is one that threatens each and every family, and should strike at the heart of all people.
Akida Pulat, Director of Outreach for CFU, is the daughter of Dr. Rahile Dawut, who is a prominent Uyghur scholar whose research has been praised around the world. Dr. Dawut has been in detention since December 2017. Pulat said “for the past three and a half years, not only have I been unable to hear my mother’s voice, I have not even been made aware of her whereabouts. She has committed no crime, but her Uyghur identity itself has been criminalized by the CCP.”
Importantly, today is a day for reflection on all we share in common with one another. The bond between a mother and child is one that transcends culture, faith, and nationality. It is a rare connection driven not by a specific location or position, but by our humanity. We should think of our brothers and sisters who cannot celebrate this bond because their mother, daughter, sister or son is a victim of the Chinese regime’s genocidal actions.
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of CFU, stated “Uyghur women’s bodies are the battleground of this genocide, and they are facing forced abortions, forced sterilizations and government-sponsored mass rape. Confronting the crimes of the Chinese regime is presently the greatest test for the conscience of the world. The international community must follow the principles of human dignity and must not fail to stop these horrors.”
On all days, but on this one especially, we should commit to building a world in which all people are able to celebrate their mother, with no barriers to impede their connection. The Chinese regime must end its genocide against the Uyghur people. It must stop the separation of families, the removal of mothers from their homes and Uyghur children from their mothers, and the eradication of the Uyghur culture and ethnicity.
Until that day, we pray for the mothers who will see no celebrations today.
