ISLAM More business than Islam: Arab world praises Beijing and denies abuses against Uyghurs

A delegation of Palestinian and Arab politicians applauds Chinese policies and describes Western accusations of human rights violations as false. According to experts, China organizes trips to Xinjiang to hide the persecution of the Muslim minority. At the same time it seeks to expand its influence in the Muslim (and global) world.

Dubai () – The silence of the Islamic world, especially the Middle East, on the human rights violations of the Uyghur Muslim minority of Xinjiang, in the far west of China, added to the interested praise for Beijing, registers in These days a new chapter. Indeed, a delegation of Palestinian and Arab politicians “praised” Chinese policies and called allegations of abuses by Western governments false during a recent visit to the area, prompting an indignant response – and criticism – from local and international experts and activists.

Referring to the visit, the Global Times, the official English-language newspaper of the Communist Party, explains that the delegation was headed by Bassam Zakarneh, a member of Fatah's Palestinian Revolutionary Council, and included politicians from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen , Jordan and Tunisia. On March 27, Xinjiang Communist Party chief Ma Xingrui welcomed delegates in the capital, Urumqi.

The goal of the visit, according to a report in Xinjiang Daily, was to provide an overview of the situation in the western region and convey to the international community the story of a peaceful and vibrant area. A story in stark contrast to the complaints of the United States and Western foreign ministries, which have repeatedly accused Beijing of implementing a policy of genocide against the 11 million Uyghur Muslims, imprisoning, torturing and sterilizing those who do not submit. These accusations have always been rejected by Beijing, which claims that the (alleged) concentration camps were actually vocational training centers and have already closed them.

Reports from pro-Beijing newspapers report that during the meeting with Ma, the delegation praised China's creative governance measures and “unprecedented progress in economic development.” The head of the delegation then reportedly stated that “people of all ethnic groups lead a good life, enjoy full religious freedom and have a smile on their face,” although the article does not mention the names of the authors of the statements. nor does he attribute direct quotes. The newspaper goes on to say that the delegation criticized the United States and other Western countries for allegedly “smearing” China's policy in Xinjiang by fabricating false and unfounded accusations.

However, experts and scholars of the region point out that Beijing orchestrated every moment and every aspect of the visit, establishing a priori what the delegates could (or could not) see, to hide the persecution against the Uyghurs. “Visitors should have been able to speak directly and freely” with people living in the region, said Robert McCaw, director of the Department of Government Affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “Apparently China wants to get closer to these leftist movements in the Arab world and use them for its own propaganda,” added Mustafa Akyol, senior researcher at the Cato's Institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. “The Arab world – he warns – should not be influenced by China ” and its propaganda.

On several occasions, analysts, NGOs and activist groups have shown that Beijing uses these visits to Xinjiang to win over Muslim groups and distance them from the sphere of influence of the United States and other Western powers. China has also supported the Palestinians, seeking to expand its influence in the Middle East, as was evident during the resumption of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia mediated by Beijing. Ten months ago, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing that he believed the Xinjiang issue, often cast as a human rights issue, was actually a battle against terrorism, extremism and separatism. “China seeks to build consensus and strengthen its global influence,” says Ma Ju, a Hui Muslim scholar living in the United States. Meanwhile, Muslim countries may become less willing to criticize China because they need its political support and investments.