World Uyghur Congress continues to lead global advocacy efforts for human rights and religious freedom on the international stage.

Introduction: A Beacon of Hope for East Turkistan

As of February 2026, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) stands as the preeminent international voice for the millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims facing systematic erasure in East Turkistan. For the global Muslim community (the Ummah), the struggle for East Turkistan is not merely a political dispute but a profound crisis of religious freedom and human dignity. Under its newly elected leadership, the WUC has intensified its efforts to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for what has been widely recognized as a genocide and a direct assault on the Islamic faith [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/press-release-uyghur-delegates-elect-new-wuc-leadership-at-8th-general-assembly/). From the halls of the United Nations to the grassroots of the Muslim world, the WUC continues to lead a multifaceted campaign to preserve the identity, culture, and religious heritage of a people whose very existence is under threat.

A New Era of Leadership: The Sarajevo Mandate

In a historic gathering from October 24–27, 2024, the WUC held its 8th General Assembly in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The choice of Sarajevo—a city that still bears the scars of the Bosnian Genocide—was deeply symbolic, bridging the gap between past atrocities and the current suffering in East Turkistan [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/world-uyghur-congress-8th-general-assembly/). During this assembly, 176 delegates from 27 countries exercised their democratic rights to elect a new leadership team committed to a three-year mandate of justice and accountability [Source](https://uyghurtimes.com/who-is-turghunjan-alawudun/).

**Turgunjan Alawudun**, a distinguished legal scholar and graduate of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, was elected as the new President, succeeding Dolkun Isa [Source](https://www.table.media/china/news/wuc-presidential-election-why-alawdun-was-elected-unopposed/). Alawudun’s background in Islamic studies and his previous role as the Chair of the WUC Religious Committee bring a unique theological and ethical depth to the organization's leadership. His election signals a strategic shift toward deeper engagement with the Muslim world, leveraging his expertise to counter the CCP’s narrative that its policies are merely "counter-terrorism" measures. Alongside him, **Zumretay Arkin**, **Abdureshit Abdulhamit**, and **Arkin Akhmetov** were elected as Vice Presidents, while **Rushan Abbas** assumed the role of Chairperson of the Executive Committee [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/current-leadership/).

The War on Faith: Resisting the 'Sinicization of Islam'

A central pillar of the WUC’s advocacy in 2025 and 2026 has been the exposure of the CCP’s "Sinicization of Islam" policy. This state-mandated campaign seeks to strip Islam of its core tenets and replace them with loyalty to the Communist Party. The WUC has documented the systematic destruction of mosques, the criminalization of basic religious practices such as fasting during Ramadan and wearing the hijab, and the detention of over 1,000 imams and religious scholars since 2014 [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/weekly-brief-03-october-2025/).

Recent reports highlighted by the WUC include the tragic death of 96-year-old imam **Abidin Damollam**, who died in prison in 2024 while serving a sentence for his religious teachings [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/weekly-brief-03-october-2025/). For the Ummah, these are not just statistics; they represent the martyrdom of the keepers of the faith. The WUC has been vocal in condemning the CCP’s new "Patriotic Education Law," which mandates that religious institutions instill a "love for the CCP" in children, effectively attempting to brainwash the next generation of Muslims into abandoning their spiritual heritage [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/weekly-brief-03-october-2025/).

Global Advocacy: From Geneva to Tokyo

The WUC’s diplomatic reach has expanded significantly under President Alawudun. In late 2025 and early 2026, WUC delegations conducted high-level missions to Japan, Turkey, and the European Union. In Japan, the delegation met with lawmakers to push for a Japanese version of the **Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act**, aiming to close markets to goods produced through the enslavement of Muslim workers [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/weekly-brief-15-november-2025/).

At the United Nations in Geneva, the WUC has remained a persistent thorn in the side of the CCP. During the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, WUC representatives engaged with over 15 diplomatic missions to demand action on the 2022 OHCHR report, which concluded that China’s actions in East Turkistan may constitute crimes against humanity [Source](https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/world/world-uyghur-congress-strengthens-worldwide-advocacy-to-expose-chinas-atrocities). The WUC has also utilized the **Universal Periodic Review (UPR)** process to keep the spotlight on the mass arbitrary detentions and forced sterilizations that continue to plague the region [Source](https://www.tibetrightscollective.in/news-v-reviews/world-uyghur-congress-advocates-urgent-action-against-uyghur-genocide-at-un-event).

The Ummah’s Dilemma: OIC Silence and Grassroots Solidarity

One of the most challenging fronts for the WUC is the geopolitical landscape of the Muslim world. While grassroots Muslim communities globally offer unwavering support, many governments in Muslim-majority nations remain silent or even complicit due to economic ties with China. The WUC has been sharply critical of the **Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)** for its perceived betrayal of the Uyghur people [Source](https://uyghurstudy.org/oic-china-engagement-ignores-ongoing-genocide-and-religious-persecution-of-uyghur-muslims/).

In January 2026, the OIC Secretary-General met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss "strengthening cooperation." The WUC and the Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS) condemned this meeting, noting that it failed to raise the issue of the Uyghur genocide or the suppression of religious freedom [Source](https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/press-release-wuc-laments-the-lack-of-references-to-uyghurs-or-human-rights-matters-during-the-oic-official-visit-to-china/). President Alawudun stated that the OIC’s "unwavering support for China on Xinjiang" is a direct contradiction of its charter, which mandates the protection of Muslim minorities worldwide [Source](https://turkistanpress.com/en/oic-china-meeting-condemned-as-betrayal-of-uyghur-muslims/). Despite this, the WUC continues to build bridges with civil society in countries like Turkey and Indonesia, where the call for "Adl" (justice) for East Turkistan remains strong [Source](https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/world/world-uyghur-congress-strengthens-worldwide-advocacy-to-expose-chinas-atrocities).

Transnational Repression: The Long Arm of Beijing

The struggle for East Turkistan is no longer confined to the borders of China. The WUC has raised the alarm regarding "transnational repression," where the CCP uses surveillance, intimidation, and legal pressure to silence activists abroad. In February 2026, the WUC reported incidents in Paris where Chinese authorities attempted to coerce Uyghur activists into spying on their own community by threatening their families back home [Source](https://www.ianslive.in/wuc-raises-alarm-over-chinas-transnational-repression-against-uyghurs/).

Furthermore, the WUC has initiated legal proceedings in Europe against technology giants like **Hikvision** and **Dahua**, whose surveillance systems—used to monitor Muslims in East Turkistan—are being deployed in Western public spaces [Source](https://www.edexlive.com/news/2026/Feb/21/chinas-global-footprint-under-scrutiny-over-alleged-uyghur-surveillance-and-intimidation). By fighting these battles in international courts, the WUC is not only protecting the Uyghur diaspora but also defending the privacy and security of the global community from authoritarian overreach.

Conclusion: A Call for Islamic Solidarity

The World Uyghur Congress, under the leadership of Turgunjan Alawudun, remains the vanguard of the struggle for East Turkistan. As we move further into 2026, the organization’s message to the Ummah is clear: the defense of East Turkistan is the defense of Islam itself. The systematic attempt to erase the Uyghur identity is an affront to the values of justice, brotherhood, and faith that define the Muslim world. While the path to liberation is long and fraught with geopolitical obstacles, the WUC’s unwavering commitment to the truth (Haqq) ensures that the cries of the oppressed will never be silenced. The global Muslim community must stand in solidarity with the WUC, demanding that the dignity of our brothers and sisters in East Turkistan be restored and that the light of faith be allowed to shine once again in the mosques of Kashgar and Urumchi.