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China Sentences Uyghur Woman to 17 Years for Teaching Islam to Her Children and Neighbor

Published by Tope Fakinlede on January 14th, 2025.

China Sentences Uyghur Woman to 17 Years for Teaching Islam to Her Children and Neighbor

A 49-year-old Uyghur woman, Seylihan Rozi, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison in Xinjiang for teaching her two sons and a neighbor Islamic prayers, according to reports from officials in the region, as shared with Radio Free Asia.

Rozi was convicted of engaging in “illegal underground religious activities” after instructing others in the recitation of 10 Quranic verses used by Muslims during daily prayers (namaz), a policeman from Saybagh village confirmed. Further details regarding her imprisonment were not disclosed.

Rozi, who is originally from Saybagh village, was found guilty of conducting unauthorized religious teachings, as stated by a local Party Committee staff member in Kashgar’s Konasheher county. This sentence is part of broader efforts by Chinese authorities in Xinjiang to crack down on religious practices, especially among Uyghurs, under the guise of combating separatism and extremism.

Punishments for Her Family

Rozi’s two sons, Sattar Kadir and Yusuf Ahmed Kadir, were also sentenced to prison for receiving “illegal religious education.” Sattar was given a seven-year sentence, while Yusuf received 10 years, according to local police reports.

Rozi was further accused of teaching her neighbor, Yakup Hidayet, Islamic practices, which led to Hidayet being sentenced to nine years in prison. Rozi herself was handed a 17-year term for providing religious education to both her children and neighbor.

Documents from the Xinjiang Police Files, leaked in 2022 and detailing the personal records of over 800,000 individuals, confirmed the sentences handed down to Rozi’s sons. The files also included references to Rozi’s activities, though they did not specify her sentence. These documents revealed that Rozi taught her sons between 2004 and 2008 and instructed Hidayet for three days in 2006.

International Outcry

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent U.S.-based Muslim civil rights organization, condemned Rozi’s sentencing on January 11, calling it an unjust punishment for someone simply exercising her right to religious freedom. CAIR urged the United Nations to take action in response to the Chinese government’s violations of basic human rights.

Since 2017, China has detained an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs, accusing many of practicing their faith or sending their children abroad for Islamic studies. While China claims these facilities were vocational training centers, human rights groups continue to describe them as internment camps. Other Uyghurs have also been sentenced to long prison terms for teaching their children the Quran or sending them to study Islamic teachings, with prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years for the parents.