The Jewish Center for Justice calls on Congress, as well as other foreign governments, to condemn the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) repression and cultural genocide of the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region.
We urge Congress to swiftly pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (S.65 / H.R 1155), the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act (S.1080 / H.R 1630), the Resolution Condemning the Ongoing Genocide Against Uyghurs (H.Res 317).
Since 2014, the Chinese Communist Party, the country’s official governing body, is believed to have illegally detained more than 1 million Uyghurs, the largest minority ethnic group in China’s north-western province of Xinjiang. Families have been separated with many being detained in state-sponsored internment camps where numerous human rights crimes have occurred, including forced labor, forced sterilization, political indoctrination, and torture, among other violations.
Throughout our history, Jews have been subjugated and oppressed for our religious beliefs. As a result, we are compelled to speak out against human rights violations, faith-based persecution, and religious intolerance. Please join us in taking action on the following pieces of legislation and a House resolution.
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (S.65 / H.R 1155)
- Ensures that products made using forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China are not allowed to be imported into the United States.
Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act (S.1080 / H.R 1630)
- Allows persecuted residents in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China to become Priority 2 refugees of special humanitarian concern, allowing them to more easily seek refuge in the United States.
Resolution Condemning the Ongoing Genocide Against Uyghurs (H.Res 317)
- Calls upon the President to bring the topic of genocide in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations in order to adequately address the crisis and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its actions.
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Sample Call Script (use this or write your own):
Hello my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am calling on behalf of the Jewish Center for Justice to urge [SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE] [NAME] to support [NAMES OF BILLS]. Jewish tradition teaches us about the importance of speaking out and standing up against any group of people who are subjugated for their religious beliefs. As a nation that promotes freedom and religious liberty, we must take action by condemning the Chinese Communist Party for its actions, provide the necessary resources to end this cultural genocide, and assist the Uyghur people in any way possible. We urge you to support and advocate for these bills and the House resolution. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Action alert compiled by JCJ Fellow Ben Weiner.