{"id":5511,"date":"2021-07-02T15:40:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T15:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=5511"},"modified":"2021-07-02T15:40:30","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T15:40:30","slug":"china-is-buying-muslim-leaders-silence-on-the-uyghurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=5511","title":{"rendered":"China is buying Muslim leaders\u2019 silence on the Uyghurs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\n“As the world increasingly speaks out against China\u2019s genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang<\/a>, the quietest voices continue to belong to the leaders of Muslim-majority countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look no further than Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s interview this week with Axios\u2019s Jonathan Swan<\/a>. Swan asked why the premier, who often speaks out on Islamophobia in the West<\/a>, has been noticeably silent on the human rights atrocities happening just across his country\u2019s border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khan parroted China\u2019s denial that it has placed roughly 2 million Uyghurs in internment camps<\/a> and then evaded the issue over and over again. \u201cThis is not the case, according to them,\u201d Khan said, adding that any disagreements between Pakistan and China are hashed out privately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a jarring statement. Instead of offering a pro forma \u201cYes, of course we\u2019re concerned by this\u201d before moving on, Khan chose instead to minimize the problem altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why would Khan do such a thing during a high-profile interview, with his self-enhanced image as a defender of Muslims on the line? The prime minister gave the game away later in the interview: \u201cChina has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times, when we were really struggling,\u201d Khan told Swan. \u201cWhen our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has given Pakistan billions in loans<\/a> to prop up its economy, allowing the country to improve transit systems and a failing electrical grid, among other things. China didn\u2019t do that out of the goodness of its heart; it did so partly to make Pakistan dependent on China, thus strong-arming it into a closer bilateral relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a play China has run over and over through its \u201cBelt and Road Initiative<\/a>.\u201d China aims to build a large land-and-sea trading network connecting much of Asia to Europe, Africa, and beyond. To do that, it makes investment and loan deals with nations on that \u201croad\u201d \u2014 like Pakistan \u2014 so that they form part of the network. The trade, in effect, is that China increases its power and influence while other countries get the economic assistance they need.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“”In 2019<\/a>, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were among 37 countries that signed a letter<\/a> to the U.N. Human Rights Council praising China\u2019s \u201ccontribution to the international human rights cause\u201d \u2014 with claims that China restored \u201csafety and security\u201d after facing \u201cterrorism, separatism and extremism\u201d in Xinjiang…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited<\/a> China in 2019, he declared that \u201cChina has the right to take anti\u2010terrorism and de\u2010extremism measures to safeguard national security.\u201d And a March 2019 statement<\/a> by the Saudi\u2010based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) praised China<\/a> for \u201cproviding care to its Muslim citizens.\u201d””<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In 2009 \u2014 as Chinese authorities cracked down on Uyghurs amid ethnic violence in Xinjiang, and long before there were credible reports of arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and forced labor \u2014 the Turkish leader spoke out about what was happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe incidents in China are, simply put, a genocide. There\u2019s no point in interpreting this otherwise,\u201d Erdo\u011fan said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ut now his tune has changed. In January, Turkish police broke up a protest led by local Uyghurs outside China\u2019s consulate in Istanbul<\/a>, and the government stands accused of extraditing Uyghurs to China in exchange for Covid-19 vaccines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why such a shift? You guessed it: Money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Turkish economy was in a downturn<\/a> well before the coronavirus pandemic, but China has come to the rescue. Erdo\u011fan and his team have sought billions from China<\/a> in recent years, and China became the largest importer of Turkish goods in 2020<\/a>. Saying anything negative about the Chinese government \u2014 especially on the Uyghur issue \u2014 could sever the financial lifeline China provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, the pressure from the pro-Uyghur public in Turkey has forced a slight shift in the Erdo\u011fan regime\u2019s rhetoric in recent months. In March, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu<\/a> said his administration has brought up the plight of the Uyghurs in private discussions with Chinese officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, that falls far short of what the world should expect from Muslim leaders.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2021\/6\/23\/22545232\/axios-pakistan-khan-china-uyghurs-belt-road<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“As the world increasingly speaks out against China\u2019s genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, the quietest voices continue to belong to the leaders of Muslim-majority countries.
\nLook no further than Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s interview this week with Axios\u2019s Jonathan Swan. Swan asked why the premier, who often speaks out on Islamophobia in the West, has been noticeably silent on the human rights atrocities happening just across his country\u2019s border.<\/p>\n

Khan parroted China\u2019s denial that it has placed roughly 2 million Uyghurs in internment camps and then evaded the issue over and over again. \u201cThis is not the case, according to them,\u201d Khan said, adding that any disagreements between Pakistan and China are hashed out privately.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a jarring statement. Instead of offering a pro forma \u201cYes, of course we\u2019re concerned by this\u201d before moving on, Khan chose instead to minimize the problem altogether.<\/p>\n

Why would Khan do such a thing during a high-profile interview, with his self-enhanced image as a defender of Muslims on the line? The prime minister gave the game away later in the interview: \u201cChina has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times, when we were really struggling,\u201d Khan told Swan. \u201cWhen our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n

China has given Pakistan billions in loans to prop up its economy, allowing the country to improve transit systems and a failing electrical grid, among other things. China didn\u2019t do that out of the goodness of its heart; it did so partly to make Pakistan dependent on China, thus strong-arming it into a closer bilateral relationship.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a play China has run over and over through its \u201cBelt and Road Initiative.\u201d China aims to build a large land-and-sea trading network connecting much of Asia to Europe, Africa, and beyond. To do that, it makes investment and loan deals with nations on that \u201croad\u201d \u2014 like Pakistan \u2014 so that they form part of the network. The trade, in effect, is that China increases its power and influence while other countries get the economic assistance they need.”<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

“”In 2019, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were among 37 countries that signed a letter to the U.N. Human Rights Council praising China\u2019s \u201ccontribution to the international human rights cause\u201d \u2014 with claims that China restored \u201csafety and security\u201d after facing \u201cterrorism, separatism and extremism\u201d in Xinjiang…<\/p>\n

When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited China in 2019, he declared that \u201cChina has the right to take anti\u2010terrorism and de\u2010extremism measures to safeguard national security.\u201d And a March 2019 statement by the Saudi\u2010based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) praised China for \u201cproviding care to its Muslim citizens.\u201d””<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

“In 2009 \u2014 as Chinese authorities cracked down on Uyghurs amid ethnic violence in Xinjiang, and long before there were credible reports of arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and forced labor \u2014 the Turkish leader spoke out about what was happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe incidents in China are, simply put, a genocide. There\u2019s no point in interpreting this otherwise,\u201d Erdo\u011fan said.<\/p>\n

ut now his tune has changed. In January, Turkish police broke up a protest led by local Uyghurs outside China\u2019s consulate in Istanbul, and the government stands accused of extraditing Uyghurs to China in exchange for Covid-19 vaccines.<\/p>\n

Why such a shift? You guessed it: Money.<\/p>\n

The Turkish economy was in a downturn well before the coronavirus pandemic, but China has come to the rescue. Erdo\u011fan and his team have sought billions from China in recent years, and China became the largest importer of Turkish goods in 2020. Saying anything negative about the Chinese government \u2014 especially on the Uyghur issue \u2014 could sever the financial lifeline China provides.<\/p>\n

That said, the pressure from the pro-Uyghur public in Turkey has forced a slight shift in the Erdo\u011fan regime\u2019s rhetoric in recent months. In March, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his administration has brought up the plight of the Uyghurs in private discussions with Chinese officials.<\/p>\n

Still, that falls far short of what the world should expect from Muslim leaders.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[89,1305,314,1047,391,84,661,1322,1321],"class_list":["post-5511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article-share","tag-china","tag-genocide","tag-international-relations","tag-islam","tag-middle-east","tag-muslims","tag-tyranny","tag-uyghurs","tag-xinjiang"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5511"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5512,"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5511\/revisions\/5512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}