Undoubtedly, as an Islamic nation, we live in a challenging historical reality, as Muslim societies are facing humanitarian crises and challenges. Almost no country in the Islamic world is free from these challenges and injustices that have affected them in one way or another. It may be difficult to fully understand its real magnitude, especially if we distance ourselves from them or become indifferent to their conditions.
When we think of the state of the Muslim community, it becomes obvious that every Muslim must reexamine their identity and their religion, which connects them to their community and fellow Muslims. As Allah, the Most High, says: "The believers are but brothers" (Quran, Al-Hujurat: 10), so they can come together and unite in facing any danger.
That’s when, one might be facing fundamental questions about the meaning of the word "Ummah," a concept that Muslims are gathered under and contains about two billion people. It embodies the principles of unity and cooperation, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The example of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion is like that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever," unlike our painful reality.
Upon a gracious invitation from a friend, I recently attended a conference that contained experts and consultants from over 15 countries. Everyone delivered speeches and papers highlighting the challenges facing the Muslim family in the era of globalization. The topics of these papers varied widely, on issues like the systematic destruction of the family through Western ideas like feminism, the influence of corrupt morals on Muslim society, the absence of early marriage, the corruption of family and community education, the dangers of internet addiction on parents and children, and the role of cybersecurity in dismantling the Muslim family, etc. The reason of this discussion is to defend Islamic values and protect children from Western influences.
I absolutely agree with this, and I believe it's an intriguing and important topic for discussion for a better future for the Muslim community. However, I've noticed another aspect; spending hundreds of thousands on organizing seminars and conferences about the Arab and Islamic family, while completely neglecting the discussion about identity and its role in facing these dangers.
I believe that it’s most importantly for Muslims today to revisit their Islamic identity, as individuals and communities. It's crucial to understand true Islam with its duties and rights and to work together to protect the well-being of the Muslim community. The Muslim elite should be aware of the challenges facing the identity of this nation in all its components, materially and morally. They should motivate writers, intellectuals, and influencers to raise awareness campaigns to reinstate the foundation of a unified identity in the hearts of the Ummah.
In this regard, I'd like to present what I see through focusing on the situation of the Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan as a model of an Islamic identity threatened to extinct.
Firstly, the necessity of reviewing Islamic identity and the ways to preserve it:
As we have mentioned, the Islamic Ummah is facing challenges related to the loss of its identity and an intellectual war, especially in regions under occupation or in communities that are deliberately labeled as "Muslim minorities." We are witnessing the reality of the Muslims in East Turkestan who are living through extreme hardships, and their identity is openly under attack. This highlights the role of the media in preserving the Islamic identity, improving social life, and shaping public opinion.
It's gravely important to work towards unifying the thinking of the Ummah, fostering unity and mutual understanding, and focusing on the values of compassion and brotherhood, while avoiding defamation and following the world's Islamic nations lapses in the media.
Defending the sanctities of the Ummah, connecting contemporary issues with faith, countering anti-Islamic campaigns aimed at tarnishing the image of Islam, promoting the peaceful image of Islam in non-Muslim countries, and the role of educational institutions in preserving Islamic identity are all critical aspects.
Individuals encounter numerous educational and cultural institutions, starting from the family, moving to schools, universities, mosques, public libraries, clubs, cultural centers and ending with the media. Certainly, schools and universities are particularly important educational and cultural institutions.
This is why I’m writing these lines, due to the silence in many Islamic societies regarding what is happening to Muslims in various places, such as East Turkestan, Kashmir, and the Rohingya.
Rarely does it cross the minds of many today, the conditions of those oppressed in East Turkestan, the demographics of the Muslim population, the structure of Uyghur families, and their current challenges with China, which has invaded them. As we discuss the topics of identity and the Muslim family and their issues and solutions in various Arab and Islamic countries, it is essential to address the structure of Turkic families and their current challenges and to talk about the isolated, Uyghur Muslims imprisoned in their own homeland, East Turkestan.
Secondly, the structure of Uyghur families and their current challenges:
As for the Uyghur Muslims and Muslims under the oppressive occupation, they have no freedom of choice, and none of the suggestions made by experts apply to their society. Instead, they live under the oppressive regimes that at times enforce their cruelty through “policies of societal atheism” and “policies aimed at denouncing Islam and its socialism”. In other instances, forcibly detaining millions of Muslims, especially the educated elite, in political reeducation camps, a term you might be familiar with due to its prevalence.
Regarding the structure of Uyghur families, we may observe that it is characterized by a political and Islamic identity, like any other identity. They adhere to its four key elements:
- The Uyghur native language, one of the Turkic languages, which China have attempted for decades to ban in schools and erase from existence.
- The Islamic faith, particularly the Hanafi doctrine in terms of worship practices, family matters like marriage and transactional affairs, while following the Maturidism doctrine in faith, including beliefs and Islamic thought. China enforces upon them the dominance of atheism, Confucianism, Marxism, and Maoism.
- Architectural engineering in city development, mosques, and social centers, characterized by cultural features and the heritage of an ancient civilization. While China falsely claims to unify Turkic appearances with Chinese clothing.
- Daily life aspects, clothing styles, and the organization of daily activities and crafts that distinguish Turkics from Han Chinese in all aspects of life and communal events.
Any identity, whether Arab or non-Arab, brings its members together under these four common elements. This ongoing conflict and determination are the reason for the persistence of the Turkic struggle and the continuous survival of Islamic identity in East Turkestan.
It is essential to distinguish between the Chinese and the Turkic culture and identity. Turkic identity is fundamentally different from Communist and atheist China. It is characterized by a strong adherence to Islamic identity, embodied in the mentioned elements above. Their efforts can be seen as a model of resilience in preserving the Muslim family and identity.
Thirdly, current family challenges and problems in East Turkestan:
The family in East Turkestan faces severe threats from Chinese authorities, as invaders and controllers of the region, are waging a comprehensive assault on Turkic cultural and Islamic values. There is no equivalent worldwide war on Islam, as what is happening in East Turkestan.
Several countries have declared that the Chinese authorities actions, that aims at destroying the foundational elements of Uyghur culture and erasing their historical civilizations, can only be considered a genocide and a crime against humanity.
The most significant dangers facing families in East Turkestan can be briefly summarized as follow:
- The family policy of twinning, meaning the mandatory sharing of daily life by Turkic families with the Chinese, day and night. This policy is enforced harshly by the terrorist Chinese Communist Party, who compile comprehensive reports on the movements and activities of every family member.
- Forced marriages of Turkic women with Han Chinese men, where Chinese settlers (who are atheists) have complete freedom of choice, while Turkic women do not. The cultures are different, and Islam does not allow a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim, and even her guardians cannot interfere. However, the Chinese Communist Party forces these marriages on them.
- The banning of social and Islamic traditions related to family matters, including marriage, divorce, inheritance, the one-child policy, and childbirth. All these matters are completely controlled by the authorities, and there is a specific clause in the constitution from 2003 that strictly prohibits religious interference in these five issues.
- The complete banning of Islamic education, whether in families or schools. Families are closely monitored using modern surveillance technologies and spying devices by the authorities. There are street signs that threaten passersby with legal violations, imprisonment, and arrests. The authorities have even issued provisions prohibiting religious activities.
And so, everything that represents Islamic identity is considered a terrorist act, and any attempt to preserve culture, traditions, and family structure is accused of being separatist and extremist. Words are never going to be enough when describing issues facing families in East Turkestan, most of which are political and related to the invasion by Chinese authorities.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The Uyghurs are isolated Muslim people who are completely cut off from the reality of the Muslim Ummah, and they are imprisoned in their own land. East Turkestan has been an Islamic land since the early history of Islam and served as a geographical fortress for Islam in the East.
There may be ways and attempts to reform the Muslim family, and this can be achieved as follows:
- Raising awareness of the importance of preserving our Islamic identity and committing to educating our Arab and Islamic societies on the necessity of Islamic unity in all its aspects, within the framework of social and cultural development programs.
- Instilling the sense of defending the honor of Muslims and reviving the pride of the youth of the Arab and Islamic world.
- Instilling the true essence of Islam in the hearts of children and youth, and raising them to be proud Muslims, so that they preserve their Islamic identity and become beneficial to their society and humanity as a whole.
