A group of Islamic figures and scholars visited China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on 8 January to get “a clear and better understanding” of the situation in the region, in contrast to a western sponsored media campaign.
The delegation, led by Ali Rashid al-Nuaimi, chairman of The World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC), comprises more than 30 personalities and scholars from 14 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, and Tunisia.
According to a statement on the visit issued on 9 January, the group “hailed the achievements of the Chinese government in battling terrorism in Xinjiang.”
The scholars also pointed out that some anti-Chinese groups have criticized China on issues regarding the Xinjiang and Xizang regions and the island of Taiwan, which are connected to China’s national security.
According to Al-Nuaimi, there is no such thing as a “Chinese culture that targets Muslims or the Islamic civilization.”
he delegation was welcomed by Ma Xingrui, Party chief of the Xinjiang region, at a meeting in Urumqi on Monday. He acknowledged their support for China’s stance on Xinjiang-related issues, noting that the US and some Western nations continue to spread rumors and try to sow discord between China and Islamic countries.
The delegation also visited the “Museum of Combatting Terrorism and Extremism” while in Xinjiang, the TWMCC reported on 10 January.
The exhibition showcased the history of Xinjiang and showed how the “three forces of separatism, extremism, and terrorism plagued the region from 1990 to 2016,” resulting in thousands of terror attacks.
Fahad Ahmed, an Emirati reporter, said the images and videos were like “horror movies” and that it was hard to imagine that people could do such cruel things to others. Such acts had nothing to do with religion, he said.
Meanwhile, Osama Elsayed Mahmoud Mohamed Saad, the Egyptian president’s advisor for religious affairs, said that the exhibition exposed the crimes of terrorists and showed the efforts made by the Chinese government and Chinese people to counter terrorism.