Uyghur Association of France: Human Rights Initiatives in Paris Call for Global Action on Cultural Heritage and Human Rights

Introduction: Voices of Faith and Demands for Justice by the Seine

In the early spring of 2026 in Paris, while the waters of the Seine remain quiet, a new phase of the struggle for national survival and religious dignity is unfolding at the Place du Trocadéro and Place de la République. The Uyghur Association of France (Association des Ouïghours de France, AOF) recently held a series of high-profile human rights initiatives in Paris, aimed at raising deep international concern regarding the crisis of Uyghur cultural heritage and the current human rights situation. For the global Muslim community (Ummah), this is not merely the political demand of a distant people, but a contemporary practice of the core Islamic teachings of "Justice" (Adl) and "Resistance against Oppression" (Zulm) [Source](https://www.ouighour.org/events).

A New Landmark in Paris: The Inauguration of the European Uyghur Institute and Cultural Resistance

On January 20, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the Uyghur community in France, the European Uyghur Institute (Institut Ouïghour d'Europe, IODE) held the inauguration ceremony for its new headquarters in Paris [Source](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/18/china-officials-pressuring-uyghurs-france). This initiative received full support from the Uyghur Association of France. The new headquarters is not just an administrative office; it is seen as a spiritual fortress for the Uyghur people in exile. At the ceremony, association representatives emphasized that while mosques in their homeland are being demolished and religious customs systematically stripped away, preserving Uyghur language teaching, traditional Muqam music, and Islamic cultural studies in Paris represents the most resilient counter-attack against "cultural genocide."

However, this process of cultural revival has not been without obstacles. According to Human Rights Watch, the Chinese Embassy in France pressured French officials invited to the ceremony in an attempt to obstruct this event of national identity [Source](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/18/china-officials-pressuring-uyghurs-france). Such external interference has instead galvanized solidarity among the local Muslim community and human rights defenders. Mirqedir Mirzat, president of the Uyghur Association of France, pointed out that protecting Uyghur culture is about protecting the diversity of human civilization and defending the religious rights of Muslim brothers and sisters worldwide [Source](https://east-turkistan.net/the-etge-and-uyghur-association-of-france-call-for-french-government-action-following-protest-against-xi-jinpings-visit/).

Shadows of Transnational Repression: Security Challenges in 2026

As France prepares to host the G7 summit in 2026, the risk of "transnational repression" faced by Uyghur activists has risen significantly. In February 2026, multiple reports confirmed that Abdurahman Tohti and Mirkamel Tourghoun, Uyghur refugees living in Paris, received threatening and coercive phone calls from individuals claiming to be Chinese officials [Source](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/18/china-officials-pressuring-uyghurs-france). The callers used the safety of their family members in Xinjiang as leverage, demanding they monitor the activities of the Paris Uyghur community and cease their human rights advocacy [Source](https://www.molihua.org/2026/02/19/paris-uyghurs-threatened/).

This "long-arm jurisdiction" is not only a challenge to French sovereignty but also a cruel violation of Muslim family ethics. In Islam, the family is the cornerstone of society, and the act of using family ties for political blackmail has been condemned by the Uyghur Association of France as "anti-human moral depravity." The association has called on the French government to push for a transnational legal framework at the upcoming G7 summit in Évian to protect persecuted minorities from intimidation by foreign powers [Source](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/18/china-officials-pressuring-uyghurs-france).

Legal Advocacy: The Long War Against Forced Labor

Legal advocacy has remained a core agenda in the Uyghur Association of France's initiatives in Paris. Since 2021, the association, in collaboration with the European Uyghur Institute and several NGOs (such as Sherpa), has continuously filed lawsuits against multinational corporations suspected of using forced labor in Xinjiang supply chains [Source](https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-05172023041920.html). Companies under investigation include Uniqlo, Inditex (parent company of Zara), and Skechers [Source](https://www.guancha.cn/internation/2021_07_02_596645.shtml).

Although the legal process is long and challenging, the French courts' decision to restart relevant investigations in 2023 was seen as a glimmer of justice [Source](https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-05172023041920.html). From a Muslim perspective, refusing to consume goods produced through enslavement and oppression is an extension of a "Halal" lifestyle. Through distributing pamphlets and holding seminars on the streets of Paris, the association calls on French consumers to consider the suffering behind their clothing, emphasizing that economic interests must never override basic human dignity. In February 2025, Human Rights Watch further criticized the backsliding of certain companies regarding supply chain accountability, calling on the French government to strengthen the enforcement of the Duty of Vigilance Law [Source](https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/11/france-backsliding-corporate-accountability).

Preserving National Heritage: Rooting in Exile

To counter the systematic erasure of their homeland's culture, the Uyghur Association of France increased its investment in youth education between 2025 and 2026. In cooperation with international organizations like "Uyghur Hjelp," the association distributed a large number of Uyghur-language children's textbooks in Paris and established weekend language classes [Source](https://www.uyghurhjelp.org/2026/02/19/2025-annual-report/). These materials not only teach the language but also integrate the historical memory of the Uyghur nation and Islamic moral standards.

Furthermore, the association regularly hosts documentary screenings, such as "All Static and Noise," to show the French public the suffering and unyielding spirit of the Uyghur people [Source](https://www.uyghurhjelp.org/2026/02/19/2025-annual-report/). These cultural initiatives have resonated widely in Paris, a multicultural hub, attracting participation from many French Muslims of North African and Middle Eastern descent, fostering cross-ethnic Muslim solidarity.

Responsibility and Reflection of the Global Muslim Community

In several rallies, the Uyghur Association of France has been outspoken in its criticism of the silence of some Muslim-majority countries on the Uyghur issue. The association believes that many countries turn a blind eye to the suffering of their fellow believers due to economic dependence, which deviates from the Quranic teaching that "the believers are but brothers." During the initiatives in Paris, the association called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take a more proactive stance, no longer viewing the Uyghur issue merely as an "internal affair," but as a litmus test for global human rights and religious freedom.

On February 28, 2026, at a rally in the Place de la République, an association spokesperson stated emotionally: "Our faith teaches us that when we see injustice, we should first stop it with our hands; if we cannot, then we should speak out against it. Every cry we make in Paris is for our brothers and sisters in the camps who cannot speak for themselves." [Source](https://www.adhrrf.org/paris-rally-calls-for-govs-heed-to-uyghurs.html)

Conclusion: Justice Will Prevail

The series of activities by the Uyghur Association of France in Paris not only demonstrates the vitality of an exiled nation in the face of adversity but also provides a window for the international community to examine human rights and freedom of belief. From the French National Assembly's formal recognition in 2022 that the actions against Uyghurs constitute "genocide" [Source](https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/cp-01202022101539.html) to the fearless resistance against transnational repression in 2026, this struggle has transcended borders. For Muslims worldwide, the fate of the Uyghurs is a shared pain for the Ummah, and the flame of justice they have lit in Paris will surely illuminate the long road to freedom and dignity. As the association stated in its closing remarks: "As long as faith remains, the nation lives."