The Uyghur Association of France Strengthens Efforts to Protect Uyghur Rights and Expose Human Rights Violations on International Stages

Introduction: Voices on the Path to Justice

In today's world, the severe oppression and genocide faced by Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan has become a deep wound in the heart of the entire Islamic Ummah. In the quest to expose this oppression and mobilize the international community, the "Uyghur Association of France" (Association des Ouïghours de France - AOF), operating in Paris—the cultural heart of Europe—plays a unique role. This association carries out powerful activities not only within France but across Europe and on international stages to protect Uyghur rights, reveal China's human rights violations, and preserve Islamic identity [Source](https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/fransiye-uyghur-jemiyiti-01202022153545.html).

Legal Struggle: Opposing Forced Labor

One of the most prominent activities of the Uyghur Association of France is the legal battle to stop international corporations from profiting from Uyghur forced labor. Under the leadership of the association's president, Dilnur Reyhan, the AOF, along with other human rights organizations, filed complaints in French courts against global brands such as Inditex (owner of Zara), Uniqlo, SMCP, and Skechers [Source](https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2023/05/17/travail-force-des-ouighours-une-nouvelle-plainte-deposee-en-france-contre-quatre-geants-de-l-habillement_6173713_3234.html).

The goal of these legal actions is to hold accountable companies linked to China's internment camps and forced labor system in East Turkestan. In Islam, "consuming the rights of others and being complicit in oppression" is considered one of the greatest sins. The struggle of the Uyghur Association of France is, in essence, an attempt to implement Islamic principles of justice through Western legal systems. In 2024 and early 2025, driven by these complaints, French prosecutors deepened investigations into several companies [Source](https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/french-prosecutors-probe-fashion-giants-over-uyghur-forced-labour-48041).

Diplomatic Victory: Recognition of Genocide

As a result of years of political lobbying by the Uyghur Association of France, on January 20, 2022, the French National Assembly passed a resolution recognizing China's policies against Uyghurs as "genocide" [Source](https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/fransiye-parlament-01202022105739.html). This was a historic turning point, and the Uyghur Association of France played an active role in meeting face-to-face with parliamentarians, providing testimony, and presenting evidence during this process.

This victory is not just a political decision but a formal recognition by the Western world of China's hostility toward Islam and Muslims. Following this resolution, the association has not stopped, continuing to call on the French government to impose stricter economic and diplomatic sanctions on China. Notably, the AOF's influence in the European Parliament was significant in the adoption of the EU's "Forced Labour Regulation" in 2025 [Source](https://uyghurcongress.org/en/wuc-welcomes-the-adoption-of-the-eu-forced-labour-regulation/).

Youth and Education: Preserving Identity

The Uyghur Association of France is not limited to political activities; it also organizes "mother tongue schools" and cultural courses to ensure that Uyghur children in France do not forget their language, culture, and religious faith. At a time when the Chinese government is destroying mosques, banning the Quran, and prohibiting Muslim names back home, it is a great success for Uyghur children in the heart of Paris to greet each other with "Assalamu Alaikum" and take pride in their identity.

The association also organizes "Uyghur Culture Weeks" at French universities and public venues to inform the French public about the cultural erasure being attempted against the Uyghurs. Through these activities, the Uyghur issue transcends being merely a political matter and becomes a humanitarian and cultural concern [Source](https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/fransiye-uyghur-03152024142230.html).

Appeal to the Islamic World: The Responsibility of the Ummah

In its activities, the Uyghur Association of France frequently criticizes the silence of the Islamic world. Association leaders emphasize in various international forums that for Muslim countries to remain silent about the blood of their brothers for the sake of economic interests with China is contrary to the spirit of Islamic brotherhood.

Based on the Hadith "Muslims are like one body," the AOF is strengthening cooperation with other Muslim organizations in France to make the Uyghur issue a primary agenda for the French Muslim community. In particular, "Iftar with Uyghurs" events held during Ramadan have increased the sympathy of Arab, Turkish, and African Muslims in France toward the Uyghurs [Source](https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/fransiye-uyghur-04102023164512.html).

Conclusion: The Struggle Continues

The activities of the Uyghur Association of France have shown that the struggle for truth and justice never stops. Whether in courtrooms, parliamentary corridors, or street protests, this association plays a vital role as a bridge in making the Uyghur voice heard by the world.

Despite China's counter-propaganda and pressure, the Uyghur Association of France continues to move forward without abandoning its goals. For us Muslims, supporting this struggle is not just a political obligation but a responsibility of faith. Oppression will not last forever; justice will surely prevail. The efforts of the Uyghur Association of France are an important foundation for the liberation of East Turkestan and for the Uyghur people to worship freely in their own land.