In the spirit of Ramadan, we remember those Uyghur clergy who have been wrongfully detained or convicted, and we commit ourselves to doing everything possible to secure their release and justice for them.
Ehmet Metniyaz got sentenced 25 years at the end of 2017, he had been sent to the “reeducation center” in April 2017.
Ehmet Metniyaz (Aihemaiti Maitiniyaz, 艾合麦提·麦提尼亚孜), male, 50 years old (Fig.1, photo possible taken in 2012), also well known as name of Ehmet Damollam, very popular among the Aksu citizens. He was well supported by governments and one of the most prized patriotic religious scholars, imam of Langer Mosque of Aksu city (阿克苏市栏杆大清真寺) (Fig.2)[1], general secretary of Aksu Islamic religious association . Because of his good behavior and strong loyalty for the governments, each years he get a lot of reward and prize by governments. The government top officials in Aksu city always meet him and discuss with him the government religious policies (Fig.3) [2]. He is very good speaker. Every Fridays pray speech, he always prized governments religious policies and required people to keep discipline and do not participate illegal religious activities. He not only prized by the governments, but also got good reputation among the Uyghur people. In 2015, he got « model of ethnic unity and progress » prize by Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous regions governments (Fig.4) [3].
He is one of the 90 patriotic religious scholars which received by Chenchuan Guo ( 陈 全 国 ) in Urumqi at 1 December 2016(Fig.5 and Fig.6)[4][5]. In this conference, he also give a speech with other eight scholars and Imams.
According to the video which someone uploaded on YouTube[5], all religious scholar shake hand with newly arrived Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Chenchuan Guo and other officials (including Shohrat Zakir, 雪克来提·扎克尔, Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, we can see from group photo in ending of the video). They also claps their hand and express they strong loyalty for the governments. However, in approximately January to April 2017, Ehmet Damollam have been sent to the “reeducation center” and end of 2017, sentenced to 25 years considered as religious extremist. Since then, there is no information about him in government news and media as like before.
Ehmet Damollam is father of four children and his daughter graduated from Xinjiang Medical University in 2017. After her father became a prisoner, she also failed to get job in hospitals and forced to participate the governments arranged “poverty elimination program”( 脱贫工作). He is a good father and always want to well educate his children. He visited many times the inner land of china with governments arranged “patriotic education programs” and each two years go to the Beijing for participate “Chinese religious conference” as representative of Muslim people in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
He has strong loyalty to Chinese governments and communist party and never have sign of extremist behavior. However, the government shamelessly prisoned such patriotic Imam and ruined his families. We never believe such a person also became a victim of Chinese governments.
- http://www.chinaxinjiang.cn/zixun/xjxw/201507/t20150715_497316.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20200501045943/http://www.chinaxinjiang.cn/zixun/xjxw/201507/t20150715_497316.htm
- http://xjaks.wenming.cn/yaowen/201609/t20160910_2609343.shtml
- http://www.xjmzw.gov.cn/zthd/mcqjjbcj/5837.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20200501050413/http://www.xjmzw.gov.cn/zthd/mcqjjbcj/5837.htm
- http://www.urumqi.gov.cn/znsx/jdxw/zwxx/296951.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20200501045627/http://www.urumqi.gov.cn/znsx/jdxw/zwxx/296951.htm
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHvJEYWikM
Fig.1, photo from Abduwaly Ayup face book page, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2551855548183655&set=pb.100000777053688.- 2207520000..&type=3&theater
Fig.4 Ehmet Metniyaz mentioned in state media news 3
Fig.5 Ehmet Metniyaz on state media TV news
Fig.6 Ehmet Metniyaz mentioned in state media news 4
