British Jews ‘will not turn a blind eye’ to plight of Muslim Uighurs in China
Communal condemnation comes after a massive trove of classified government documents showed up to a million people incarcerated
The Board of Deputies has said British Jews “will not turn a blind eye” to the mass detention of Muslim Uighurs in China after a massive trove of classified government documents showed up to a million people incarcerated.
The documents, leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, revealed what the Chinese government’s mandatory “vocational training” for an entire population actually entails.
Huge schools, which have the notional goal of combating terrorism, are in fact the centre of a vast and Orwellian surveillance network which includes pervasive CCTV with “no blind spots” and something called “predictive policing”.
Among the more alarming findings from the China Cables is the revelation that Chinese embassies worldwide help facilitate the mass detention, as well as the Chinese government explicitly targeting foreign nationals to send to the camps.
Board senior vice-president Sheila Gewolb said: “These reports of psychological torture and brainwashing are just the latest in a series of disturbing and sinister revelations about the treatment of Uighur Muslims by the government of China.
“Because of our history, British Jews will refuse to turn a blind eye to the persecution of an entire community, anywhere. We will be working with partners in the British Muslim community to continue raising awareness of this grave issue.”
Read more:
- Orthodox man protests against plight of Uyghurs: ‘The world did nothing for us’
- Jewish dad reunites with Muslim woman who confronted his children’s abuser
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.