Maajid Nawaz calls on Pope Francis to condemn Uighur atrocities

9 August 2020, 15:50 | Updated: 9 August 2020, 15:54

Maajid's reaction to religious leaders letter condemning treatment of Uighurs

As a range of faith leaders penned a letter condemning the Chinese government's oppression of Uighurs, Maajid Nawaz demanded more leaders come forward.

Maajid Nawaz praised a group of 40 religious leaders including the former Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dalai Lama's representative in Europe who have come out in condemnation of the continued atrocities committed on the Uighur people by the Chinese Communist Party in "reeducation camps".

"We need people with a moral authority to come behind this campaign," he said, calling on leaders with a higher reach to rally behind the cause.

"I beseech the serving Archbishop of Canterbury," Maajid said, "break his silence on the Uighur genocide and condemn it. History demands it, morality demands it."

He told the religious leader that his silence is "inexcusable," and he must come out in outright condemnation of the treatment of the Muslim minority by the CCP.

Maajid went further to call out Pope Francis for not coming out in criticism of the atrocities. "That man is a global faith leader and is looked to by millions upon millions as a moral authority.

"It is inexcusable that The Pope has remained silent," he insisted.

Maajid went further to criticise some Islamic community leaders in the UK for not condemning the CCP for their treatment of Uighurs.

"I guarantee you if there was a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed on the cover of a newspaper tomorrow there would be protests," he said, attacking what he saw as a distraction from the main issue.

"If you believe in an omnipotent, omnipresent god then what matters more is human beings who need your help," he said.