OIC Secretary-General met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing on January 26, 2026. Photo Credit: oic-oci.org
BEIJING – On January 26, 2026, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) met with high-ranking Chinese officials, including the Vice President and Foreign Minister, to discuss strengthening bilateral ties. While Chinese state media, Xinhua, hailed the meetings as a step toward deeper cooperation in political, economic, and cultural sectors, the Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS) has issued a sharp condemnation, labeling the engagement a betrayal of the OIC’s fundamental mission.
A Betrayal of Founding Principles
The CUS expressed grave concern that the OIC is prioritizing diplomatic optics over the systematic destruction of Uyghur Muslim identity. Despite the "historical ties" cited during the Beijing meetings, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to carry out a state-led campaign of genocide in East Turkistan. This includes mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, and the total criminalization of basic Islamic practices—such as fasting, prayer, and wearing the hijab.
Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris criticized the OIC's stance, stating that "unwavering support for China on Xinjiang" effectively endorses the "Sinicization of Islam." Idris noted the hypocrisy in viewing China as a friend of the Muslim world while it treats Islam as a threat to be neutralized through forced assimilation and the desecration of mosques.
Call for Moral Clarity and Action
The ongoing repression extends beyond the Uyghurs to include Tibetans and Chinese Christians, highlighting a broader crackdown on faith communities. Since 2017, the CCP has utilized pervasive surveillance and coercive labor schemes to maintain control, actions that the CUS argues are being ignored by the international body meant to protect Muslim rights.
The Center for Uyghur Studies is calling on the OIC and its member states to move beyond "uncritical engagement." They argue that silence in the face of these documented crimes against humanity only emboldens the perpetrators and deepens the suffering of millions.
