LOS ANGELE.–Well-armed Uyghurs from China’s western, Jinjiang province, calling themselves the Turkistan Islamic Party [TIP], fought hard with other rebel groups during the last seven years to eventually drive Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of Damascus. Joining forces with Abu Mohammed al-Golani’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] rebel forces, the disciplined, hard-fighting Uyghurs proved they can hold their own with any of the fierce rebel groups seeking to topple the al-Assad regime. Based in Syria for over a decade, Uyghurs escaped Chinese oppression to survive as well-organized rebel group working along side HTS, Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] and other rebels group working to liberate Syria. “Now here in Syria, in all the cities here, we fight for Allah, and we will continue to do this in our Urumchi, Aqsu and Kasghar in the future,” said a Uyghur fighter.
Uyghurs escaped the brutality of Chinese oppression in China’s Jinyiang province on the old Silk Road to join other rebel groups in Syria where the playing field was leveled if the Uyghurs agreed to fight for a common cause, to topple 54-year-old al-Assad rule in Syria. “We will chase the Chinese infidels away,” said the fighter, hoping at some point, they can return to Western China to liberate their Uyghur brothers from Chinese oppression. “We have fought in Homs, in Idlib and we will continue to fight in East Turkistan,” bathing in the glory of driving al-Assad out of Damascus. HTS leader al-Golani gave high praise to TIP fighters saying they fought together on the front lines to take over the Damascus regime. “They weren’t necessarily a larger force that the other Syrian insurgent groups that were assisting HTS, but they were part of the offensive,” said Aymenn Jawad al-Tamini, a Syrian War expert.
Earning respect from al-Golani, TIP remains a welcomed addition to the forces seeking to build a news Syria with the al-Assad dictatorship finally gone. “While the Muslims are celebrating these victories in every place, the Muslims of oppressed East Turkistan remain far removed from the news of them as the live under a filthy oppressive, disbelieving occupation that suppresses them by every means possible,” said TIP leaders Abd Haq al-Turkistani. Turkistani want to liberate Uyghurs from Chinese oppression, a tall order in Western China because of the heavily armed Chinese military. Ad Haq wants the world to remember the 1990 Baren Uprising where the Chinese government massacred untold numbers of Uyghurs. “Through God’s support, the Chinese disbelievers will soon taste the same torment that the disbelievers in al-Sham have tasted, if God wills,” said Ad Haq.
Chinese crackdown on the Uyghur population was publicized by the Biden White House in 2021, creating a big rift in U.S.-Chinese relations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 63, and 47-year-old National Security Jake Sullivan accused China of genocide at a summit with China March 18, 2021. Since then, the rift with China deteriorated to talk of war in 2022 with 82-year-old President Joe Biden threatening to commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan. White House officials stopped their campaign against China, fearing a break off of diplomatic relations. But the plight of Muslim Uyghurs in Western China has been well known by the U.N. for years. “They see this as one step of a global jihad, where one day all Muslims will be free, and part of that will be Muslims in East Turkistan. There’s saying, ‘Now we are guests, but with God’s help, we will soon be hosts,’” said Rune Steenberg, a Uyghur expert.
Fighting on the front lines with al-Golani’s HTS rebels, TIP earned themselves the respect of other Syrian rebel groups all working since the 2011 Arab Spring to liberate Syria from al-Assad’s dictatorship. Uyghurs who were smuggled out of Western China to join TIP talked about the horrific conditions faced living under China, including mass incarcerations, beatings and Chinese Communist Party indoctrination, forces to worship Chinese President Xi Jinping. Uyghurs in Western China only have access to Chinese state censored Qurans with only Chinese-approved imans permitted to run prayer groups. TIP leader Ad Haq fears that once China gets involved in the new Syrian government, they will demand extradition to face charges of treason. “These guys have been in Syria for seven years and have never constituted as threat to the outside world,” al-Golani said.
Al-Golani used the TIP force to defend Idlib from al-Assad’s forces, something they took seriously and kept Idlib in rebel hands. “They are committed solely to defending Idlib against regime aggression,” al-Golani said, welcoming TIP to stay in Syria for as long as the new regime remains in control. “The Chinese government drove us out our country, oppressed us, killed us, and imprisoned us,” said a masked Uyghur fighter in Latakia. “We left our country and came here . . . we have seen from you all the goodness for the past 10 years. We are the mujahedeen of East Turkistan,” referring to life as a Uyghur fighter liberated from living under Chinese oppression or, worse yet, ethnic cleansing. Uyghurs have little chance of liberating Western China against the militiary, something Xi isn’t willing to give up. Standing victorious in Syria, Uyghur fighter found freedom.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
