Save Uyghur Welcomes the Appointment of Nury Turkel to USCIRF

Justice For All welcomes the appointment of Nury Turkel to the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced the appointment of Nury Turkel, a lawyer and Uyghur rights advocate, to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

Turkel was born in a re-education camp in East Turkestan, and has been advocating for the rights of the Uyghur people in this region. Turkel is the former president of the Uyghur American Association (UAA), as well as the former executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), an organization committed to promoting human rights and democracy. Turkel serves as a prominent voice for the Uyghur people by urging international action against their repression in China, advocating for policies such as sanctions against Chinese government officials who actively participate in the abuse of human rights.

“Thank you, speaker, Speaker Nancy Pelosi for appointing a Uyghur leader, Nury Turkel, as the USCIRF commissioner. It demonstrates very clearly that the Democrats like Republicans are committed to religious freedoms and they respect what Uyghurs are doing to inform the world about the dangers of Chinese totalitarian capitalism,” stated Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid.

Nury is a dear friend of Justice For All and the Save Uyghur Campaign.

“Nury Turkel deserves this. I cannot think of a better person as a commissioner of USCIRF,” added Imam Mujahid, Chair of Save Uyghur Campaign of Justice For All.

“As a Uyghur immigrant, I am thrilled and humbled to be appointed by Speaker Pelosi as a Commissioner on USCIRF. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to USCIRF’s important work to promote and protect religious freedom around the world,” shared Turkel.

“USCIRF welcomes the appointment of Nury Turkel to the Commission,” said USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins. “Mr. Turkel brings significant experience as a lawyer and human rights advocate making him a great asset to the Commission’s work. He will especially bring insight and knowledge to the plight of Uyghur Muslims in China and elsewhere.”

We look forward to this appointment expediting justice for the Uyghur and other Turkic people in East Turkestan.