China jails Uyghur woman for 17 years over religious teaching to sons: Report
China has sentenced a 49-year-old Uyghur woman, Seylihan Rozi, to 17 years in a Xinjiang prison for teaching religious verses to her sons and a neighbour, an act authorities classified as “illegal underground religious activities,” Radio Free Asia reported.
The sentencing occurred in Kashgar’s Konasheher county and is part of a wider campaign against religious expression in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs face growing penalties for practising their faith. (Pic for representation)
The sentencing occurred in Kashgar’s Konasheher county and is part of a wider campaign against religious expression in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs face growing penalties for practising their faith.
According to Radio Free Asia, Rozi, a resident of Saybagh village in Kashgar’s Konasheher county, was convicted for providing religious instruction. A local police officer involved in her case stated that such activities are classified as illegal under China’s stringent regulations on religious education.
Her sons and neighbour were penalised too
Rozi’s sons were also handed prison sentences—one received 10 years, and the other 7 years—for participating in what authorities referred to as “illegal religious education” conducted by their mother.
A neighbour, Yakup Hidayet, who had attended the lessons, was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
Critics argue that these policies represent an attack on the Uyghur population’s fundamental religious rights rather than a genuine effort to combat extremism, separatism, and terrorism.
The Chinese government’s actions have drawn widespread condemnation internationally. Human rights advocates have called for an end to the repression of Uyghur culture and religion.
RFA reported that Rozi’s case is not unique. Numerous accounts, including leaked Chinese government documents, testimonies from former detainees, and data from Uyghur advocacy groups, suggest that Uyghurs are routinely punished for practising their religion.
Who are Uyghurs?
According to a BBC report, approximately 12 million predominantly Muslim Uyghurs reside in Xinjiang, officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
The Uyghurs speak a language closely related to Turkish and identify culturally and ethnically with Central Asian nations. They now constitute less than half of Xinjiang’s population.
In recent decades, a large influx of Han Chinese, China’s ethnic majority, has moved to Xinjiang, reportedly as part of a state-driven initiative to dilute the minority population.
China has been accused of suppressing Muslim religious figures, banning religious practices, and demolishing mosques and historical tombs in the region. Uyghur activists have voiced concerns over the potential erasure of their culture.
The UK Parliament’s House of Lords recently held a significant event addressing allegations of genocide and human rights violations against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic groups in East Turkistan, a region China designates as the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”
(With inputs from ANI)
