Beginning in 2013, Chinese authorities initiated the confiscation of Qurans and other religious texts in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, under the pretext of eliminating “extremist content” (Hoshur, 2017). Xinjiang, home to an estimated 12 to 13 million Uyghur Muslims and other Muslim ethnic minorities, has since witnessed a broadening campaign of cultural and ideological repression (Maizland, 2022). In 2016, following the appointment of the former Communist Party chief of Tibet as the top official in Xinjiang, these efforts intensified. The campaign extended beyond religious materials to include Uyghur-language educational materials, with authors and editors accused of promoting separatism and subsequently facing bans, arrests, and severe penalties (Thompson & Grow, 2019). One prominent example is Sattar Sawut, former head of the Xinjiang Education Department, who was sentenced to death for his alleged role in producing subversive textbooks (Wu, 2022).
The suppression also targeted historical and literary works, including those authored by government-endorsed figures such as Seypidin Azizi, the first chairman of the region and a long-time Communist Party loyalist (Sulaiman, 2017). In a recent example, testimonies revealed that in spring 2022, two Uyghur citizens, Professor Arzugül Abliz and her husband, Firqet Abdukerim, were detained for possessing Uyghur historical novel-Ana Yurt (Glickman, 2025).
Further evidence of this crackdown emerged from leaked Chinese documents, which detail the 2023 arrest of three Uyghur brothers—Ekber, Musajan, and Enwer—in Bügür County. Prior to China’s National Day, their homes were searched, and they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to ten years, in addition to fines of 10,000 to 30,000 yuan, for possessing Uyghur-language books. It remains unclear whether such home searches were limited to Bügür County or occurred across Xinjiang more broadly. These developments demonstrate that the longstanding campaign against Uyghur literature and cultural expression remains ongoing.
Case 1:
Ekber Abliz was born in 1978 in the 4th Group of Qaridong village, Qaribagh township, Bügür county. After graduating from a technical secondary school, he worked as a teacher at the Qaribagh township middle school, then transferred to the primary school in County. Later, due to his worsening eyesight, he was reassigned to manage the student dormitory.
When the government unlawfully confiscated Uyghur-language books in the Uyghur region and declared some self-printed books illegal, Ekber Abliz took a portion of the books from his house in the county to the parents’ house in Qaridong to burn them. However, since he didn’t have enough time to burn all of them, he buried some of the books in a farmland area a few kilometers from his house.
In 2023, when the police searched the house, they found some of the books and through interrogation of Ekber Abliz, they found the books he had buried (Ekber Abliz had made a list of the books he owned and saved it, but when he buried the books, he forgot to throw away this list). For this reason, he has been detained in Bügür county until now under the accusation of storing illegal items. According to recent information from relatives, Ekber Abliz faces the risk of being sentenced to 8–10 years. He already had weak eyesight, and after being detained for a year, his eyesight has worsened significantly.
Case 2:
Musajan Abliz was born in 1983 in the 4th Group of Qaridong village, Qaribagh township, Bügür county. After middle school education, he graduated from a technical school in Shihenzi and began working at the government of Chumpaq township in Bügür county. Later, he worked in Qaribagh township, Lapa township, and other places. In mid-August 2023, Musajan Abliz was arrested under the accusation of helping his brother Ekber Abliz move illegal books and hiding them from the government. He has been detained until now and currently faces the risk of an 8–10-year sentence.
Case 3:
Enwer Abliz was born in 1973 in the 4th Group of Qaridong village, Qaribagh township, Bügür county. He finished primary school and is a farmer. In mid-August 2023, he was also arrested under the accusation of helping Ekber Abliz bury books and hiding this from the government. He is currently detained and facing a sentence of 2–3 years.
According to available information, the police issued detention notices on January 24, 2023, which were signed by the families. Recently, the individuals were accused of “endangering public safety.” As a result, a fine of 10,000 yuan was imposed on Anwar Abliz’s family, and fines of 30,000 yuan each were imposed on the families of Ekber and Musajan Abliz.
Bibliography
Ashley Thompson & George Grow . (2019, 8 30). China’s Ban on Some Textbooks Seen as Aimed at Uyghur Culture. Retrieved from VOA Learning English: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/china-ban-on-some-textbooks-seen-as-aimed-at-uyghur-culture/5059165.html
Glickman, W. (2025, 2 8). The Fight for Uyghur Rights. Retrieved 5 2025, from The New York Rewiew: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2025/02/08/fight-for-uyghur-rights-abduweli-ayup/
Hoshur, S. (2017, 5 25). Xinjiang Authorities Confiscate ‘Extremist’ Qurans From Uyghur Muslims. Retrieved 5 2025, from Radio Free Asia: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/qurans-05252017142212.html
Maizland, L. (2022, 8 22). China’s Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Retrieved 5 2025, from Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-xinjiang-uyghurs-muslims-repression-genocide-human-rights?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Sulaiman, E. (2017, 8 14). Xinjiang Authorities Ban Books by Uyghur Former Chairman of Region. Retrieved 5 2025, from Radio Free Asia: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/ban-08142017153148.html
WU, H. (2022, 2 1). A Uyghur gets death sentence, as China bans once OK’d books. Retrieved 5 2025, from AP: https://apnews.com/article/uyghur-death-sentence-china-banned-books-6da7d5d6ed5c9937d1a4796b3bcb94b1
