How Do YOU View Uyghur?
There is a poll up on the FarWestChina Facebook page right now that I’d love to get your opinion on. It has to do with how the world views Uyghur in light of all that has happened over the past year and a half (or longer, depending on your familiarity with Xinjiang history).
A Uyghur Neighbor?
If a Uyghur moved next door to you today, how would you react? Take a second to give your opinion and hopefully we can get a good picture of how Xinjiang’s largest minority group are viewed globally. If you don’t see the answer you’d like, just leave a comment there.
Also, if you haven’t already, become a fan of the FarWestChina Facebook page. It helps share the website with people who otherwise wouldn’t have seen it and in the next month I’ll also be holding a contest there.
Uyghurs (I say “ooygoor”) are great people – great attitude to life, food and hospitality. Best food I’ve ever eaten – and I have eaten Uyghur food lots – even at a big fat Uyghur wedding – Central Asians really know how to cook.
They are also a very beautiful people. I would throw a street party if my new neighbours came from East Turkestan (I take that as an ethnic, not a geopolitical term – in the same way that Kurdestan is often used)
I even learnt to read and understand the language – as well as Kirgiz – so I don’t have an xenophobic or ignorant prejudices. I have never been to Xinjiang or anywhere in China. I don’t know Chinese but I have dear Chinese friends.
I am Cornish and am just entranced by the peoples, languages and history of Central Asia.
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idjles says: September 1st, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Forgot to mention that this all started in 1988, when I got to know someone who was studying at Urumchi university.
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While I guess because i just rented an apartment in an entirely Uyghur complex, I am the one becoming their neighbor. But trust me I am pretty excited about the prospect. It is worth the raise in rent just to be surrounded by a language and culture that I have come to love so much.
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Josh says: September 2nd, 2010 at 11:06 am
Nice! I’m glad the authorities have allowed you to rent that apartment. Where I was at, my options were limited by a certain area of town that foreigners were allowed to stay. Needless to say, it was far from the Uyghur neighborhoods (although there were many middle-class Uyghur living in our community).
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Well, I am a Chinese in Taiwan, and never met Uyghurs in China or Taiwan; however, i really made several good Uyghur friends in US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. They are great people with interesting culture background, and I like them to be my neighbors.
Any way, I just don’t understand why Chinese government cannot stand with those great people in [Xinjiang]…
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Paulaxilai says: September 3rd, 2010 at 9:46 am
I was born in Urumqi, it is fair to me to say that anyone who did not experienced ‘7.5’shared different views towards Chinese government. I never think that the government cannot stand with great people in Xinjiang, when accident occured, as long as you witnessed hundreds of Han residents lost their lifes, their bodies scattered over the city. What I cannot stand for is that those who stood behind the plan never cherished people’s life, nomatter muslim or others.
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Just like one of western politicians said, “Muslim people are great as long as they are minorities.”
Uyghurs are great people living among others. I would love to have a Uyghur neighbor, not a Uyghur neighborhood.
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Josh says: September 3rd, 2010 at 7:28 am
So your beef isn’t with Uyghur people in Xinjiang…it’s with Muslim people all over the world?
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Frank says: September 3rd, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Not beef. Pork is what makes the difference.
I would like to invite all of my neighbors to have BBQ pork sausages. Can I do that peacefully in a Uyghur neighborhood?
I would wish that Uyghurs or Muslims can accept other people in THEIR neighborhoods the same way they wish to be received.
When that day comes, there will be peace.
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Josh says: September 8th, 2010 at 1:58 am
That’s only one side of the coin.
The other side of peace is dependent on people like you learning to respect somebody enough to not eat pork around them. It’s a simple thing, really…why must you make it so difficult?
Frank says: September 5th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Josh:
I am wondering why you removed my answers to your question.
Is that your way to have CONTROL?
And, you were complaining about that Chinese government want to CONTROL the media?
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Josh says: September 8th, 2010 at 1:55 am
I didn’t realize you were so important, Frank. Please forgive me for going on vacation and forgetting that my priority is to approve your comments over everything else in my life.
Next time I’ll bring along my laptop and make sure not to let your comment sit for more than a couple hours. Heaven forbid I make you mad – even though I know there’s nothing I could do to make you happy.
Frank says: September 8th, 2010 at 7:31 am
Do you think Uyghurs would welcome people of other races moving into their neighborhood?
We can accept Uyghurs moving into our neighborhood, why can’t Uyghurs do the same?
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Josh says: September 8th, 2010 at 7:49 am
People who openly eat pork to provoke them? Probably not. Any why should they? I wouldn’t be happy about somebody moving in who brazenly disrespects me and my culture.
Interestingly, there are plenty of Kazakh, Mongol, American and (gasp!) even Chinese I know that live in Uyghur neighborhoods. Somehow they survive, and I think that says more about you than it does about them, Frank.
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Frank says: September 8th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Other people eating pork is disrespecting Uyghurs? Nobody forced Uyghurs to eat pork.
I guess we should ban BLT sandwiches.
You are trying to avoid answering my question.
We can accept Uyghurs moving into our neighborhood, why can’t Uyghurs do the same?
There are Han Chinese living inside Uyghur neighborhood. That does not mean that Uyghurs welcome Han people living there. Last year, they killed many of those Han and Dongan people living there.
By the time that anybody can move into Xinjiang freely without provoking Uyghurs, there will be peace in Xinjiang.
damo says: September 17th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Would that include Mexicans Josh moving into your neighborhood somewhere in Texas.
You might not object but I bet a overwhelming number of your neighbors might object to a Muslim or Mexican moving into your neighborhood.
If someone has a particular view on one ethnic group, it has to be biased since every group has equally complex characteristics. View of the Chinese public on Uyghur swung from a nice & happy fairy tale to a scary & dirty nightmare. It is partially caused by the manipulation by the authoritarian government for the benefit of their rule and partially caused by the tunnel-vision side of human nature.
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Sounds and looks like alot of Americans would not want a Uyrgur or any Muslim moving in to there neighborhood.
Burning the Koran. Shame Shame Shame.
Maybe you should fix up your own country Josh before you start on Xinjiang.
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Josh says: September 13th, 2010 at 12:34 am
When did we become enemies, damo? This is a blog about Xinjiang and I don’t intend to make it a political commentary about the US.
This was merely an attempt to gauge public perception of the Uyghur. According to what I’m reading in my comments and on the Facebook page it seems like the only person who has a real problem with Uyghur is my resident troll…and he’s Chinese!
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damo says: September 13th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Where not enemies Josh.
You just keep harping on about the Uyghurs being hard done by the Chinese.There are something like twelve other nationalities in Xinjiang I don’t see you championing there cause.
I just pointed out that your own country on the whole are highly suspicious of any Muslim.
Inferring that the Chinese don’t like any Uyghur moving into the neighborhood is rather wrong.
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Josh says: September 14th, 2010 at 1:28 am
You call this “championing a cause”? Your standards for activism are set quite low, my friend.
This was the question you asked Josh
“A Uyghur Neighbor?
If a Uyghur moved next door to you today, how would you react? Take a second to give your opinion and hopefully we can get a good picture of how Xinjiang’s largest minority group are viewed globally. If you don’t see the answer you’d like, just leave a comment there.”
Obviously Josh this was aimed at people in Xinjiang mainly Han from what you said ie you had never met a Muslim in Texas.
A rather loaded and biased question if you think my response was angry imagine the response of the Han Chinese in Xinjiang who I might add offered you employment in there city why are you surprised?
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Josh says: September 14th, 2010 at 1:26 am
Damo, a majority of my readers are Americans (60%). This survey was aimed towards Americans, period.
How could you not tell? Do you really think I would put a possible response of “Who are the Uyghur?” if it was directed towards people in Xinjiang? Come on, man! Besides, my site is blocked in China and if I really wanted to know Han opinion I would have asked it in Chinese.
So to respond…no this obviously wasn’t aimed at Han in Xinjiang. I would venture to guess that there are only a handful of Han people in Xinjiang (if any!) who read this.
I always find it funny how people attack me on posts that offer very little controversy. I wanted to know how my readers – American, Canadian, European or Chinese – viewed Uyghur. I ask the question because I DON’T KNOW.
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damo says: September 14th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
How many Uyghurs in America I bet it would be a very,very,very small percentage of the population.
Your average American would not no what a Uyghur was.
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damo says: September 15th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
As you know Josh there are ways and means to get around blocked web site in China and Xinjiang if your living there. hell you where even foolish enough to post on this very blog that it was being done.
If you don’t think the Chinese and certain Chinese at that are reading this blog you are indeed gullible.
You should know how the Chinese view the Uyghur after living there through that bad period.
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Josh says: September 16th, 2010 at 3:50 am
It’s always fun to be called “foolish” and “gullible” on my own site.
It’s a relief, really. You’re grasping for straws when you start calling me names.
“If a Uyghur moved next door to you today, how would you react?”
Josh, you live in USA now. That question includes your Americans.
It is just too easy to mess with other people’s dirty laundry. And it feels good to pass your judgments to others. It is a lot harder to look into the mirror to see your own ugly faces.
I am not your enemy either. I just would hope that you can judge Chinese the same way you judge Americans.
Eating pork is not intended to hurt others. Burning Koran is.
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Josh says: September 14th, 2010 at 1:32 am
OF COURSE IT INCLUDES AMERICANS!
Good grief you guys. Why do you think I wrote an article on what I learned about Islam from the Uyghur? Because I think my American audience needs to hear it! I think the guy who wants to burn the Koran is an idiot and does not represent the vast majority of Americans.
But think about this, Frank: what’s the harm in burning the Koran? Nobody gets hurt and we have the freedom to do so, right? But the fact is he shouldn’t go through with it because it is an offense to another person.
Bringing pork into a Uyghur neighborhood would be completely offensive so…what’s the difference?
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damo says: September 14th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Because if that idiot American burned the Koran or any other American I think you would see a whole world of violence against Americans.
Bit of a difference to “bringing pork into a Uyghur neighborhood”
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Akihiro says: September 16th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
In the way that I do with damo that agree that most of the articles in this site are keep harping on about the Uyghurs being hard done by the Han Chinese. And yes, there are much more other ethnic races living in Xinjiang and seem like only the Uyghurs are always being championing or being speak out for… how about the other races?
Some netizen here ever mentioned about the need for interviewing the aftermath of the Han Chinese victims’ families who were brutally murder by those Uyghurs during the last July riot. Will I get a chance to read that in this site….? Or it’s as what others said that this is only a site for championing the Uyghurs…?
Me and my families are considering just as a guests for many years in where I am living… Being a guest here, I learn to respect a lot for the local government and their ethnic races… even though I may not agree with many things with the way they run the country. But I know that it not appropriate for a foreigner to say things which will cause hurt to any of the local people there.
Especially I feel that it’s actually being a very sensitive issue for an American to put on certain bias or one-sided articles in the website which will cause conflict or disharmony among the local people there. Moreover the American is also just being a guest there.
So I think that’s the reason why the Chinese government censor or block many sites from coming into their land. As it’s what I always like to say, “Its take both hands to clap” for any unhappiness.
We must be more of a peace maker rather than a…
God bless!
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Akihiro says: September 16th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Sorry for my bad written English… In my 1st sentence of my above comment, I was just simply trying to say:
… In the way that I do AGREE with damo that most of the articles in this site are keep harping on about the Uyghurs being hard done by the Han Chinese…
Burning Koran and eating pork are VERY different.
Intentions are different.
Burning other people’s holy book is intended to show disrespect.
Chinese have been eating porks many thousands of years before Uyghurs moved to Xinjiang. Having a pork dinner is for food and tradition. Eating pork has nothing to do with trying to offend other people.
Uyghurs should not feel offended about Chinese people’s long lasting tradition. Much longer than theirs.
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Reading the comments by Frank and Damo makes me sick. You are from a country which practises the most extreme sort of censorship and where there is no recourse against the authorities. Now instead of doing something in your own country you have nothing better to do than trolling foreign websites aimed at foreigners to look for slights against the Chinese nation. What cowards you are!!!
Taking advantage of other people liberality!!!!
Let me tell you one thing: I am not American and there is lot´s I don´t like in the States. I even firmly believe the system in the States is so corrupt and disfunctional that it is bound for a crash. But I also know one thing for absolutely certain since I have lived there: this Koran burning pastor is the absolute exception. As long as you follow the law people are amazingly tolerant of other creeds and customs. More so by far than Europeans. Shame on you Frank and Damo!!!!
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damo says: September 17th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Tom I am not from China but have lived there off and on for the last 10+ years.
I am not from America but have traveled there on numerous occasions if you think Americans are “amazingly tolerant of other creeds and customs.” you are also ignorant.Here’s some examples for you
Arizona and Mexicans.Lets not forget Arizona ,Texas and New Mexico where once Mexico and Mexico invited the USA to come over and the USA said we like it so much where having it.
I’ve seen the racism in Texas and Arizona from Americans to fellow Americans of Mexican decent and it was absolutely disgusting far far worse than any thing I have ever seen happen in Xinjiang in my time there.
African Americans I have seen racism against these people.Depends which state you live in.
While on the most part in most states in America people are tolerant and friendly of other people but there are some places in America that racism raises it ugly head in an extermly ugly manner.
Tom I don’t think China is perfect far from it I have seen many injustices there but lets be fair the injustices in China are by the most part across the board on all races including Han Chinese not just Uyghurs which Josh keeps going on about.
Maybe if America had more strict controls they might not have gone in and invaded Iraqi looking for weapons of mass destruction even though the United Nations told them there where none there and the weren’t any weapons of mass destruction there and we where all dragged into another Vietnam with huge losses of life and injuries on all sides.
So the American system doesn’t work too.Lets not mention there financial system what a bad joke.
There are many good things in Xinjiang and many races why do I keep seeing mostly Uyghur stories that portray the Han Chinese in a negative light
(I have emailed him stories which he has ignored no problem his blog he does what he wants with it for example the story of a abandoned new born Han child that was taken in by a elderly Uyghur couple and raised. Short of money the community mostly Han raised money for the family.
What about a story about how when like now how it is cotton picking time and all the migrants come to Xinjiang from other parts China who are very poor and have no winter clothes and the Han communities organize to donate winter clothes for them.The middle school students and government workers up until a few years ago had to stop work and school for a week and go and hand pick cotton men and women boys and girls.The Uyghurs who where unemployed have steadfastly refused to do this work preferring to remain unemployed no problems that is their choice )
Tom take a trip to the good old boy redneck gunrack in your pick up(SUV) States and there not burning the Koran there probably shooting it.
The KKK is alive and well in some parts of America.
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Akihiro says: September 17th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Tom,
I am not a Chinese either…
And I have been always trying my best in learning and improving the Chinese language.
It’s always a very good benefit in knowing others language in order to understand more about them before we jump into conclusion.
And I would like to advise you to take what damo had written as a good reference.
And please don’t jump into conclusion and started accusing others…
That’s how the world is now in a mess…
Take care anyway! God bless!
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My husband and I would be thrilled to have a Uyghur neighbor. We would try to make friends with him/her/them as soon as possible. If they brought a kazon with them we would beg for polov all the time. We would try to learn Uyghur from them, and help them learn English (if required).
The responses you have gotten here strike me as quite bizarre. It was a straightforward question. So many trolls. Good job balancing the discussion and deflection of nonsense.
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vay xuda, the ignoratio elenchi in this room is making my head spin
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“this Koran burning pastor is the absolute exception.” What a lie. Have you lived in America’s Bible belt?
“people are amazingly tolerant of other creeds and customs.” Lie again. You have not heard of Arizona, have you?
“trolling foreign websites aimed at foreigners”
There is no better place you can find European hypocrites. That includes European Americans.
Shame should be on those European liars and hypocrites who judge others more than themselves.
Your heads spin? You should be. Shame on you.
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Josh:
I visited your website in silent for a long time because you had many great non-biased articles about Xinjiang. There are many white people who are subjective and not biased. I thought you are one of them.
What prompt me to post comments was the biased hypocritical articles. Those articles were nothing but passing judgments to other people, however never used the same judgment for yourselves.
So I posted my opinions to let you, European (Americans), know that “Do as white people say but don’t do as white people do” is NOT acceptable to Asians.
That is ALL.
Frank
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Porfiriy says: September 17th, 2010 at 5:56 am
I love how Josh = [all] “white people,” that’s freakin’ sweet
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Frank says: September 17th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Yes. You are still white even when you are not burning a cross.
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Porfiriy says: September 18th, 2010 at 7:10 am
No, I’m not white, irrespective of whether or not I’m burning a cross.
Derp!
damo says: September 17th, 2010 at 8:04 am
I agree Joshs blog used to be about a broad range of things Xinjiang while he lived in Xinjiang.
Since he has been back in America it is more about Uyghur this Uyghur that government no good blah blah.
Tom who is the coward in this instance.
Why didn’t he write these stories while living and working in Xinjiang?
Oh well I guess we don’t have to look particularly as he said it is for Americans.
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Akihiro says: September 17th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Frank,
It’s almost exactly as what I was before…
Ultimately Xinjiang has got nothing to do with me at all… and I come to get interested with the place only after I saw an uncensored foreign media showing all the dead bodies of the Han Chinese who were brutally murdered by the Uyghur there in last July.
After knowing that most of the western media which I found that’s more on reporting bias and 1-sided news… I surfed the web trying to find out more about the place… and I found this site. Initially it gives me very good information and nice introduction about the place… some of the articles also give me a nice and balance view on Xinjiang.
I even ever posted a comment using anonymous when we are allowing to use that for posting… to write a comment defending for Josh while a netizen sent in a comment criticizing very badly on this site…
But as times went by I really find that most of the article here are championing the Uyghurs and give a rather more negative side of the Han Chinese and the CCP.
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Shame on you Josh! Your blog used to be so 亚克西 but now it is 太不客观！ Looks like someone needs a good ole’ fashioned struggle session…….!
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Josh can I start a poll for example maybe
If a Mexican or Latin American moved into your neighborhood or next door how would you react.
You don’t think that is a loaded question?
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30% Mexicans are Native Americans. Arizona was their home.
Muslim Americans were censored. Their voices were nowhere to be heard in American major medias.
“Now instead of doing something in your own country you have nothing better to do than trolling foreign …. nation. What cowards you are!!!”
Quote from Tom
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About FarWestChina
FarWestChina is a website dedicated to opening the door to Xinjiang, China's most mysterious province.
My name is Josh Summers and I have an unexplained passion for this region. Although I now reside in the US, I spent almost 4 years living and traveling in the region and I continue to research the history and stories Xinjiang has to tell. If you're interested there's plenty to read about Xinjiang on this website, or learn about me on my about page.
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