We are very concerned about the day by day increase of religious oppressions in our country East Turkistan and fully condemn the ban on religious freedom, forbidding the basic teachings of Islam and personal choice such as Hijab, growing beard and keeping the Quran at home. Chinese government has legislated 50 new rules on banning various types of religious freedom in East Turkistan. The aim of this new legislation is to deprive our people further from their religious freedom and to try to assimilate Islam into Socialism, which will officially take effect from 1st April, 2017. The following are some of the legislations announced in Chinese media:

• Any religious symbol such as hijab (headscarf), veil (face covering) and beard will be banned
• involvement in religious teaching, learning or preaching it, reading or watching any other media other than the Chinese government run media and refusal to watch state media will be a crime leading to severe punishable.
• No religious practices should be followed in the process of marriage, divorce, inheritance and funeral processions, failing to abide with these rules will be treated under religious extremism.
• It also prohibits the selling, buying, printing, photocopying, carrying any type of religious materials or using any means for that purpose.

   Union of East Turkistan Uyghur Scholars condemn all those rules which go against the spirit of our religion Islam. We also urge the international communities, governments, human rights organisations to condemn the unjust and unethical rules of Chinese government and use diplomatic channels to put pressure on China to stop all types religious oppression.

Union of East Turkistan Uyghur Scholars

Abdulvaris Abdulhalik HOTEN

Secretary-General of U.E.T.U.S