Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 16, 2020

Uighar prisoners in Xinjiang Re-education Camp Lop County 2018 - Wiki image

Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, Indonesia and Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences, Myanmar are among 80 Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist faith leaders who have condemned the persecution and genocide of the Uyghurs in China in an open statement.

The full text of the statement follows:

As religious leaders and leaders of belief-based communities, we come together to affirm human dignity for all by highlighting one of the most egregious human tragedies since the Holocaust: the potential genocide of the Uyghurs and other Muslims in China.

We have seen many persecutions and mass atrocities. These need our attention. But there is one that, if allowed to continue with impunity, calls into question most seriously the willingness of the international community to defend universal human rights for everyone - the plight of the Uyghurs.

At least one million Uyghur and other Muslims in China are incarcerated in prison camps facing starvation, torture, murder, sexual violence, slave labour and forced organ extraction.

Outside the camps, basic religious freedom is denied. Mosques are destroyed, children are separated from their families, and acts as simple as owning a Holy Quran, praying or fasting can result in arrest.

The world's most intrusive surveillance state invades every aspect of life in Xinjiang.

Recent research reveals a campaign of forced sterilization and birth prevention targeting at least 80% of Uyghur women of childbearing age in the four Uyghur-populated prefectures - an action which, according to the 1948 Genocide Convention, could elevate this to the level of genocide.

The clear aim of the Chinese authorities is to eradicate the Uyghur identity. China's state media has stated that the goal is to "break their lineage, break their roots, break their connections and break their origins." As the Washington Post put it, "It's hard to read that as anything other than a declaration of genocidal intent." High-level Chinese government documents speak of "absolutely no mercy"

Parliamentarians, governments and jurists have a responsibility to investigate.

As faith leaders we are neither activists nor policy-makers. But we have a duty to call our communities to their responsibilities to look after their fellow human beings and act when they are in danger.

In the Holocaust some Christians rescued Jews. Some spoke out. To quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act". After the Holocaust, the world said "Never Again."

Today, we repeat those words "Never Again", all over again. We stand with the Uyghurs. We also stand with Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and Christians throughout China who face the worst crackdown on freedom of religion or belief since the Cultural Revolution.

We urge people of faith and conscience everywhere to join us: in prayer, solidarity and action to end these mass atrocities. We make a simple call for justice, to investigate these crimes, hold those responsible to account and establish a path towards the restoration of human dignity.

Signatories:

Imam Daayiee Abdoul, Executive Director for Mecca institute, Washington DC, USAMufti Shareef Ahmad, Imam Al Madni Center, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAThe Reverend Jonathan Aitken, London, UKSheikh Rashad Ali, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, UKImam Shamsi Ali, New York, USASayed Yousif Al-Khoei OBE, Director of Centre of Academic Shia Studies, UKArchbishop Angaelos, Coptic-Orthodox Archbishop of London, UKDr Khalid Anis, Islamic Society of Britain, UKRabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen, Manchester Reform Synagogue, UKImam Qari Asim, MBE, Chair, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, UKRabbi Charley Baginsky, Interim Director of Liberal Judaism, UKQari Zeshan Balooch, Imam, Ghousia Mosque, Leeds, UKRabbi Dr Harvey Belovski, Senior Rabbi, Golders Green Synagogue, UKThe Reverend Dr Andrew Bennett, Director and Senior Fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute, and former Canadian Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, CanadaRabbi Miriam Berger, Finchley Reform Synagogue, UKDesmond Biddulph CBE, President of the Buddhist Society, UKCardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences, MyanmarImam Dr Mamadou Bocoum, Muslim Chaplain and Lecturer in Islamic Studies, UKThe Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, UKImam Irfan Chishti MBE, Chashtiah Educational Trust, Rochdale, UKAndrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UKThe Bishop of Coventry, UKSheikh Imtiyaz Damiel, CEO, Abu Hanifah Foundation, UKRabbi Joseph Dweck, Senior Rabbi, S&P Sephardi Community & Ecclesiastical Authority of The Board of Deputies of British JewsThe Reverend Dr Joel Edwards CBE, UKCanon Dr Giles Fraser, Rector of St Mary Newington, UKSonam T Frasi, FCA, RAS, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Northern Europe, Poland and Baltic States, London, UKRabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, Senior Rabbi, New West End Synagogue, UKRabbi Paul Freedman, Senior Rabbi, Radlett Reform Synagogue, UKRabbi Aaron Goldstein, Chair of Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors, UKRabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, UKImam Dr Usama Hasan, London, UKSheikh Saeed Hashmi, Imam Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking, UKShaykh Sultan Niaz ul Hassan, Chairman, Bahu Trust, UKThe Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, MBE QHC, Bishop of Dover, UKImam Sheikh Mohammad Ismail DL, Lead Imam, Birmingham Central Mosque, UKImam Dr Abdul Jabbar, Atlanta, USARabbi Richard Jacobi, East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue, UKRabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi, UKRabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism, UKRabbi Dr Elliott Karstadt, Alyth North Western Reform Synagogue, UKImam Adam Kelwick, Muslim Chaplain, UKThe Reverend Cindy Kent MBE, UKFr Nicholas King, SJ, Assistant Catholic Chaplain, University of Oxford, UKBishop Declan Lang, Catholic Bishop of Clifton, UKRabbi Josh Levy, Principal Rabbi, Alyth North Western Reform Synagogue, UKAl-Haj U Aye Lwin, Chief Convenor, Islamic Centre of MyanmarUstadh Dawood Masood, Al-Hira Mosque, Luton, UKRabbi David Mason, Muswell Hill United Synagogue and Executive Member of the Rabbinical Council of United Synagogue, UKRabbi Monique Mayer, Liberal Judaism, UKThe Reverend Dr Russell Moore, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention in USAThe Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, Chair of UK FoRB Forum and former Chair of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, UKRabbi Lea Mhlstein, Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, UKImam Abdul Malik Mujahid, Washington, DC, USAThe Rt Rev Michael Nazir-ali, former Anglican Bishop of Rochester, UKRabbi Baroness (Julia) Neuberger, UKFr Uche Njoku, Parish Priest, St Joseph's Church, New Malden, UKImam Yahya Pallavicini, President of COREIS Islamic Religious Community, ItalyThe Rt Rev John Perry, former Bishop of Chelmsford, UKShaykh Umar Hayat Qadri, Chair, Suffah Foundation, UKMufti Abdul Rahman Qamar, Madni Masjid, LaGuardia, New York, USAFr Timothy Radcliffe, former Master of the Dominican Order, UKImam Nabel Rafi, Director of the International Centre for Tolerance UKDr Sheikh Ramzy, founder, Oxford Islamic Information Centre, UKImam Ghulam Rasool QTS, Trustee Bahu Trust UK network, UKImam Yusuf Rios, Three Puerto Rican Imams Project , Islamic Learning Foundation Chicago, USAFr Dominic Robinson, SJ, Parish Priest, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception and Chair, Justice and Peace Commission, Diocese of Westminster, UKAbdurahman Sayed, CEO, Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, London, UKImam Mustaqeem Shah, Abu Bakr Trust, Walsall, West Midlands, UKImam Zaid Shakir, California, USAThe Rt Revd Alan Smith, Bishop of St Alban's, UKDr Muzammil Siddiqi: President Fiqh Council of North America and Religious Director, Islamic Society of Orange County, Garden Grove, California, USACardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, IndonesiaCanon Dr Andrew White, Ambassador of Jerusalem MERIT, UKThe Rt Hon and Rt Rev Lord Williams of Oystermouth, former Archbishop of Canterbury, UKRabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi for Masorti Judaism, UK

Tags: Uyghurs, China, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong, Faith Leaders, Cardinal Bo, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo

ICN aims to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. As our audience increases - so do our costs. We need your help to continue this work.

Please support our journalism by donating today.

Visit link:

Two cardinals among 80 faith leaders demanding justice for Uyghurs and other persecuted groups in China - Independent Catholic News

Category: Synagogue
Tags: