News Desk
WASHINGTON — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned new travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, calling the measures discriminatory and urging the Trump administration to take a stand.
A recent report by Human Rights Watch detailed how Uyghurs are prohibited from traveling to so-called “sensitive countries” with large Muslim populations, such as Turkey. Those allowed to travel face heavy restrictions and are barred from speaking critically about the Chinese government.
“We condemn the Chinese Communist Party’s discriminatory travel restrictions on Uyghur Muslims in their homeland and urge the Trump administration to speak out against the restrictions and against all other policies by any nation that prevent freedom of travel for its citizens,” CAIR said in a statement.
This latest condemnation follows a series of statements from CAIR in recent months addressing China’s treatment of Uyghurs. Last month, the organization denounced the reported sentencing of a Uyghur Muslim woman to 17 years in prison for teaching Quranic verses to her children and a neighbor.
CAIR has also supported trade restrictions targeting Chinese firms accused of human rights violations. In November, it welcomed the addition of 29 Chinese companies to a U.S. government blacklist over allegations of forced labor involving Uyghur minorities. That same month, it supported a ban on imports from Esquel Group, a major textile manufacturer, over similar concerns. In October, the Department of Homeland Security banned two Chinese companies accused of using forced Uyghur labor, a move also praised by CAIR.
China has long faced international criticism for its treatment of Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in Xinjiang. Human rights groups and Western governments accuse Beijing of operating a network of detention camps, imposing forced labor, and enforcing repressive policies in the region. Beijing denies the allegations, describing its policies as efforts to counter extremism and promote economic development.
CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, says it remains committed to advocating for Uyghur rights and continues to call for action against human rights abuses in China.
