(WASHINGTON D.C., 2/15/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on international corporations to stop doing business in Xinjiang following the release of a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) – an agency of the United Nations – accusing China of using ethnic Uyghurs for forced labor in that nation’s Xinjiang autonomous region.
The ILO’s report, “Application of International Labour Standards,” accuses China of “engaging in a widespread and systematic programme involving the extensive use of forced labour of the Uyghur and other Turkic and/or Muslim minorities for agriculture and industrial activities throughout the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.” It also noted China’s use of “re-education” camps for Uyghurs.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Labor called on China “to take the steps requested by the Committee of Experts, and to end its abuses of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, as well as its use of these groups for forced labor in Xinjiang and beyond.”
“This report serves as another reminder of why American corporations must stop doing business in the Uyghur region of China. Corporations must stop profiting from the forced labor of Uyghur Muslims who are being tortured, sterilized and otherwise abused in concentration camps,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell.
He noted that CAIR last year welcomed President Biden’s signing of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (S.65/H.R.1155) into law. CAIR also welcomed new sanctions by the Biden administration on several Chinese government entities and corporations over abuses they committed against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities.
SEE: BREAKING: CAIR Welcomes President Biden’s Signing of Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Into Law
CAIR Welcomes New Biden Administration Sanctions on Chinese Govt. Entities, Companies Over Abuses in Uyghur Region
BACKGROUNDER:
It is well documented that China carries out acts of torture, rape, forced abortions and sterilizations, mass detention, denial of religious rights, and cultural erasure targeting Uyghur Muslims.
SEE: CAIR Calls for ‘Immediate International Action’ After Amnesty Report Describes ‘Dystopian Hellscape’ for Uyghur Muslims in China
CAIR recently called on the Biden administration to protect the free speech rights of American athletes during the Beijing Winter Olympics and urged Olympic athletes to defy China’s announced ban on political expression and speak out against the Uyghur Genocide.
SEE: CAIR Urges Olympic Athletes to Defy China Free Speech Ban, Speak Out Against Uyghur Genocide
CAIR has urged community members to call on U.S.-based corporations advertising during the Beijing Winter Olympics to speak out against the ongoing genocide targeting China’s Uyghur Muslim minority.
SEE: CAIR Action Alert: Call on Beijing Olympics Advertisers Coca-Cola, Intel, Airbnb, Procter & Gamble, Visa to Speak Out Against Uyghur Genocide
TAKE ACTION: Urge China Olympics Advertisers Coca-Cola, Intel, Visa, Others to Speak Out Against Uyghur Genocide
Last month, CAIR called on Elon Musk to close a recently-opened Tesla showroom in China’s Xinjiang region, epicenter of the Uyghur genocide.
SEE: CAIR Calls on Elon Musk to Close Tesla Showroom in China’s Xinjiang Region, Epicenter of Uyghur Genocide
Earlier in 2021, CAIR and its #BoycottHilton coalition partners called on the Departments of State and Commerce to investigate the Hilton Corporation for its complicity in the Uyghur genocide.
SEE: #BoycottHilton Coalition Asks Secs. Antony Blinken, Gina Raimondo to Probe Hilton Worldwide, Chinese Partner for Complicity in Uyghur Genocide
SIGN THE PETITION TO BOYCOTT HILTON: change.org/BoycottHilton
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]