#SilentProtest
Marwa Charmand
Charcoal on paper
760mm x 560mm
Colour
black
The Xinjiang Ughyur Autonomous Region in China’s far west has a long history of discord. As a succession of dynasties and empires have vied for control over all or parts of the territory, the ethnic Muslim Ughyur population have been subjected to de-Islamicisation and displacement. The region has had brief periods of autonomy, but came under Chinese rule during the 18th century Qing dynasty, and later the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Since this time, the Chinese government have viewed the Ughyur’s Islamic faith as ‘extremist’ and their desire for independence as a separatist risk. Social commentators have observed that the government uses these perceived threats to legitimise its discriminatory policies and human rights violations against Ughyur people. These have included banning Muslim civil servants from fasting during the month of Ramadan, illegally detaining Ughyurs in internment camps, forced labour and restricting travel, among other policies. Currently, there is believed to be over 1 million people detained in detention camps, with over 500,000 children taken away and having no contact with their families. Through this artwork, Marwa seeks to question that why, in a society that is quick to depict Muslims as evil, there is no coverage and outrage when the evil is committed against them?