Uighur...

For some of us, perhaps the word Uighur is very new, after the recent tragedy at Xinjiang.

So, who are they really?? Well, they are ethnically Uyghur, they are Muslims, and they reside at Eastern Turkestan or better known as Xinjiang. They can be grouped as Turkic people speaking the Uyghur language. For more information about this group of people, you can refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghur_people

In the past, believe it or not, these Chinese Muslims have helped spread Islam around Nusantara. We all know about the great admiral Zheng He, he was one of the figures that actually helped alot in spreading Islam across Nusantara.

These Uyghurs now, they are facing some trials and tribulations. Unlike us Malaysians who live peacefully, over there at Xinjiang, there are riots. Death toll have increased to 197. The Uyghurs claim persecution, and they are not given their rights to practice their religion and culture, there has been alot of tensions between the Uyghur minority with the majority Han Chinese. Around 1000 Uyghurs have been detained as a result of the government crackdown.

Here, this is just to inform that Muslims around the world are not as lucky as we Malaysian Muslims are. We are allowed to practice our religion, but they are being suppressed. Our language and culture is thriving, but theirs is under threat. They are striving, but there is no one to see.

Perhaps, the least we can do for them now is to show our solidarity with them, to pray for them. Pray for their wellbeing, pray that someday, they will not have to face persecution anymore. Please, do, please include them in your prayers, as they are after all, our kin in Islam. If we do not help them, who else will? It is mandatory upon us, that seeing our brothers being oppressed, that we should help them. I am suggesting Doa, that is indeed the least we could do, but of course, you guys can suggest a much better help we could offer to the Uyghurs.

“Indeed the believers are only brothers.” 

[Surah Al-Hujuraat (49):10]

“The believing men and women are supporters and allies to each another.”

[Surah Al-Tawbah (9):71]