(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/13/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to designate as priority refugees Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region suffering persecution.
The Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act would also expedite the ability of those suffering persecution to apply for asylum in the United States.
“This legislation is a significant step toward fulfilling our nation’s obligations as a compassionate and just society,” said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw. “By prioritizing the admission of Uyghur refugees, we demonstrate our commitment to upholding human rights and offering protection to those who have been subjected to abuse by the Chinese government.”
He noted that CAIR recently called on the Biden administration to take action to prevent China from partially demolishing a mosque and continuing to suppress the Muslim minority and the practice of Islam in that nation.
CAIR also welcomed the U.S. State Department’s highlighting of religious persecution in China in its latest report and expressed support for a bipartisan call by some two dozen members of Congress for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to halt the initial public offering of Chinese fashion giant Shein until it proves it does not use forced labor.
In April, CAIR commended the efforts of congressional lawmakers for urging greater enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
The Chinese government is targeting Uyghur Muslims and other Turkic ethnic minorities with a campaign of genocide. Millions of Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps in which beatings, torture and rape are the norm. Millions more are being used as slave labor on plantations and in Chinese factories.
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 Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]