Visit to East Turkestan aims to beautify China's ugly face at expense of Muslims: Ulamas

Beijing [China], January 19 (ANI): The Ulamas (the learned of Islam) and non-governmental organisations have strongly condemned the visit of the World Council of Muslim Communities to East Turkestan (a region in the western province of China).
They said the visit aims to beautify the ugly face of China at the expense of the Muslims in East Turkestan, according to a joint press release by Ulamas and non-governmental organizations on the misleading Chinese propaganda against the Islamic world.
"We, the signatories of this Declaration, remind all Muslims that China conceals tricks and lies to persuade the Islamic world to organize such visits," the release read.
The press statement was released with the signature of more than 30 religious scholars and more than 55 civil society organizations from different countries of the world against China's misleading propaganda in the Islamic world.
According to the release, the delegates who made a visit praised China's atrocities in East Turkestan which China calls its "fight against "terrorism" and "extremists" in the region.
The East Turkestan tragedy continues, as millions of people are still in Chinese concentration camps, and mosques and some of them are turned into bars and cafes, Qurans are burned, and all kinds of Islamic worship is prohibited, the release read.
In East Turkestan, it is completely forbidden for women to cover their heads. China's policies to erase the Islamic identity of the people of East Turkestan are intensifying with such activities. China's aim is to sinicize the people of East Turkestan and to destroy their beliefs and cultures.
The Ulamas and non-governmental organisations condemned the visit of the aforementioned Council delegation to East Turkestan, which is occupied by China and named as "Xinjiang", in response to the invitation of the Chinese regime to beautify its ugly face, the press release by the Ulamas said.
It further said the council does not represent Muslim scholars' views because Muslim scholars' views on Muslims in East Turkestan are clear.
The Ulamas called for interviews with the Uyghur community in the diaspora to learn the real conditions of Muslims. They said scientists, politicians, writers and journalists should conduct independent visits to East Turkestan, as well as conduct independent field trips and communicate directly with the people of the country, to examine the situation of Muslims there. They should also visit camps and prisons called rehabilitation centres.
"We call on the delegations visiting the region not to get involved in political calculations that will turn a blind eye to the suffering and grievances of the people of East Turkestan. Because making statements that will make China's ugly face beautiful justifies those crimes by participating in China's crimes against the Uighur people, and this attitude will not suit a free person, let alone being a Muslim scholar," the release said. (ANI)