New Books Network 13.4 - Zumretay Arkin
Nov 7, 2025
Zumretay Arkin, Chair of the Women's Committee at the World Uyghur Congress, shares her insights on the ongoing Uyghur genocide in East Turkestan. She highlights the colonial occupation and mass detentions affecting over three million Uyghurs, particularly the repression of religious practices and family separations. Arkin discusses the parallels between China's Islamophobia and global anti-Muslim sentiments, and emphasizes the importance of nonviolent resistance. Listeners learn actionable ways to show solidarity and support Uyghur advocacy.
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Colonial Occupation Escalated To Genocide
- The Uyghur situation in East Turkestan is framed by Zumretay Arkin as a colonial occupation that escalated into genocide.
- Policies include mass surveillance, arbitrary detention of over three million, forced sterilizations, and cultural erasure.
War On Terror Language Facilitated Repression
- Post-9/11 framing let China label Uyghurs as terrorists to justify repressive laws and mass detention.
- Leaked documents later showed normal religious practices triggered internment and criminalization.
Demographic Engineering And Family Separation
- Forced sterilization and family separation are tools used to reduce Uyghur population and erase identity.
- Around a million children were placed in state boarding schools to force cultural assimilation.
