East Turkistan Foundation Issues Comprehensive Report on Current Humanitarian Situation and Calls for International Action to Protect Human Rights

At a critical juncture in the history of the Islamic Ummah, and amid the escalating systematic targeting of the religious and cultural identity of the Muslim Uyghur people, the **East Turkistan Foundation** (through its human rights arms in Istanbul) issued a comprehensive human rights report titled "East Turkistan Human Rights Violations Index for 2025." This was announced during a crowded press conference held on February 16, 2026, at the "Neslişah Sultan" Cultural Center [Turkistan Press](https://turkistanpress.com/ar/page/2025-human-rights-report-on-east-turkistan-situation-presented). This report serves as a cry to the world's conscience and a damning document revealing how the region has turned into a global laboratory for digital repression and modern slavery, amidst a suspicious international silence and the failure of some institutions expected to protect Muslim rights.

2025 Index: Documenting Genocide in the Age of AI

The new annual report, prepared by the East Turkistan Human Rights Watch (ETHR), revealed a qualitative shift in China's strategy of repression. Authorities have moved from traditional physical surveillance to an AI-powered "Digital Apartheid" system [Uyghur Times](https://uyghurtimes.com/east-turkistan-human-rights-violations-index-2025-released-in-istanbul/). Researchers explained that 2025 saw an intensification in the use of advanced algorithms and facial recognition cameras to classify individuals based on their religious commitment, making the practice of simple Islamic rituals sufficient grounds for arbitrary detention.

The report, based on a systematic survey of international news and reports in multiple languages, confirmed that violations are no longer isolated incidents but part of a structured systemic framework aimed at erasing the collective memory of an entire people [Turkistan Times](https://turkistantimes.com/ar/page/launch-of-the-east-turkistan-human-rights-violations-index-2025). During the launch, Kaya Kartal, President of the "MAZLUMDER" Association, emphasized that this index represents an indelible historical record, demanding it serve as a basis for imposing strict international sanctions against the perpetrators.

War on Islamic Identity: Demolishing Mosques and the "Sinicization" of Religion

From our perspective as an Islamic Ummah, the most painful aspect of the report is the continuation of the "Sinicization of Islam" policy. The foundation documented the ongoing demolition of mosques or their conversion into tourist centers and cafes in an attempt to obliterate the region's Islamic landmarks [Maarif](https://maarip.org/en/china-wages-war-on-mosques/). This has extended beyond physical structures to the people themselves, through the criminalization of fasting in Ramadan, banning the hijab, and prohibiting the teaching of the Holy Quran to children.

These policies, described by the report as a "total war on Islam," aim to create a new generation of Uyghurs severed from their religion and Ummah [East Turkistan Net](https://east-turkistan.net/etge-calls-for-global-action-as-the-beijing-regime-institutionalizes-normalized-genocidal-control-in-east-turkistan/). Targeting religious identity is not just a human rights violation in the Western sense; it is a flagrant assault on the sanctities of Allah and an attempt to uproot the creed of Tawhid (monotheism) from the hearts of millions, necessitating urgent legal and religious action from the Ummah's scholars and institutions.

Modern Slavery: Forced Labor Camps and Compulsory Labor Transfers

In January 2026, UN experts expressed grave concern over persistent reports of a system of forced labor imposed by the Chinese state on Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities [OHCHR](https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/01/un-experts-alarmed-reports-forced-labour-uyghur-tibetan-and-other-minorities). The report by the East Turkistan Foundation noted that so-called "poverty alleviation" programs are merely a cover for the forced transfer of millions of workers to factories deep within China, where they live under strict surveillance and are forced to work in humiliating conditions.

This economic system, built on the blood and sweat of Muslims, extends to global supply chains, placing international companies and consumers before a major moral responsibility. Turning Muslims into "slaves" in the 21st century is a stain on the forehead of humanity and a blatant challenge to all Islamic values that came to liberate man from the servitude of servants to the worship of the Lord of servants.

International Failure: OIC Silence and the Complicity of Interests

As Muslim writers and thinkers, we cannot ignore the stark contradiction in the positions of some Islamic countries and institutions. In January 2026, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) met with high-ranking Chinese officials in Beijing to strengthen bilateral relations, without any public reference to the suffering of millions of Muslims in East Turkistan [Turkistan Times](https://turkistantimes.com/ar/page/oic-china-engagement-ignores-ongoing-genocide-and-religious-persecution-of-uyghur-muslims).

The East Turkistan Studies Center described this position as a "betrayal of the organization's founding principles" and a "tacit blessing of the Sinicization of Islam policy" [Uyghur Study](https://uyghurstudy.org/the-uyghur-plight-and-the-need-for-an-enhanced-role-of-the-organization-of-islamic-cooperation-oic/). Prioritizing fleeting economic and political interests over the blood and faith of brothers in religion is a dangerous deviation from the concept of the "one body" described by the Prophet (PBUH). We call on the OIC to review this approach and adopt positions that reflect the aspirations of Muslim peoples who reject injustice regardless of its source.

Roadmap for Action: Foundation Demands and Religious Responsibility

The East Turkistan Foundation concluded its report with a set of urgent recommendations, addressing its call to both the international community and the Islamic Ummah [East Turkistan Net](https://east-turkistan.net/etge-marks-human-rights-day-human-rights-cannot-exist-under-occupation/):

1. **International Recognition:** Demanding the UN and international parliaments officially recognize what is happening in East Turkistan as "genocide" and crimes against humanity.
2. **Legal Accountability:** Supporting efforts to bring cases before the International Criminal Court to hold Chinese officials accountable for these violations.
3. **Economic Boycott:** Activating the weapon of boycott against companies involved in using Uyghur forced labor.
4. **Humanitarian and Political Support:** Calling on Islamic countries, especially Turkey, which hosts the Uyghur diaspora, to provide legal and political protection for migrants and reject any pressure to extradite them [Uygur News](https://uygurnews.com/east-turkistan-ngo-leaders-and-intellectuals-convene-in-istanbul-to-address-uyghur-security-and-cooperation-challenges/).

The issue of East Turkistan is not just a border or political dispute; it is a true test of our faith and justice. Allah says: {And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children} [An-Nisa: 75]. Supporting these oppressed people is a religious duty that falls upon every Muslim, each from their position, through word, stance, and support.

Conclusion

The 2025 East Turkistan Foundation report remains a witness to an era where a people are being annihilated because of their religion and ethnicity before the eyes and ears of the world. Taking action to protect human rights in this region is not a diplomatic choice, but a moral and religious necessity. In this editorial, we join our voice to the Foundation's, affirming that the dawn of freedom for East Turkistan is inevitably coming, as long as there are hearts beating with truth, tongues speaking with sincerity, and an Ummah that does not accept injustice for its brothers.