The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the Chinese government for reportedly forcing Uyghur Muslims to perform hard labor in a bid to prevent them from observing the fast of Ramadan. 

Videos circulating on social media last week showed Uyghurs performing forced labor en masse during Ramadan. Some toiled in fields, while others performed cleaning work. Forced labor is one of several measures employed by the Chinese government to prevent fasting and other religious practices among Uyghurs. 

SEE: China forces Uyghurs to work during Ramadan in bid to prevent fasting – Radio Free Asia

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison said:

“The cruelty of using forced labor to bar people from practicing their faith is appalling. It is not however out of the ordinary for the Chinese communist government, which has been conducting a genocide against the Uyghur people and a campaign to eliminate Islam from the Uyghur region. The nations of the world cannot stay silent in the face of these crimes.”

He noted that CAIR has repeatedly condemned the Chinese government’s genocidal actions targeting the Uyghur people.

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March 21, 2025, CAIR