Skip to content
November 9, 2025
  • ئۇيغۇرچە
  • 中文
  • Deutsche
  • Türkçe
  • Русский
  • 日本語
  • العربية
  • Français
  • Español
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Writers

Uyghur Times

We Speak the Truth about China and Uyghurs

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Uyghurland
    • Governance and Control
    • Regions and Cities
    • Economy and Resources
    • Society and Culture
    • State Propaganda and Disinformation Tracker
  • China
    • Chinese Politics
    • Chinese Business
    • China threat
    • Hong Kong, Taiwan & Tibet
  • Human Rights
    • Uyghur Forced labor & human trafficking
    • Uyghur Prisoners and Victims
    • Facilities & prisons
    • Culture and religion
    • Uyghur Refugees & Transnational repression
    • Uyghur Women and Children
    • The Chinese documents
    • Testimonies
    • Uyghur Genocide Reports
  • Politics
    • International Response
      • Countries
      • International organizations
      • Corporations
      • Muslim World
      • Jews and Christians
      • International figures
    • Uyghur Politics
      • Uyghur Institutions
      • Civic Pulse
    • Laws and Policies
  • Diaspora
    • Community News
    • Global Communities
      • Uyghur Diaspora in Americas
      • Uyghur Diaspora in Central Asia
      • Uyghur Diaspora in Turkiye
      • Uyghur Diaspora in Europe
      • Uyghur Diaspora in Middle East
      • Uyghur Diaspora in Pacific
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columnists
    • Global Observers
    • Uyghur Perspective
    • Organizational Watch
      • Group Announcements
    • Debates
    • Speeches
    • Letters
  • People
    • Artists
    • Politicians & Activists
    • Business Leaders
    • Scholars & Intellectuals
    • Public Figures & Thought Leaders
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Dance
    • Photography and Design
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Life Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Literature
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Letters
  • What does freedom mean?
  • Letters

What does freedom mean?

Uyghur Times November 19, 2020
What-Would-You-Do-With-Your-Freedom

Image credit: © PsychoShadow - www.bigstockphoto.com

By Erdem

Nov 19, 2020

For us, freedom means speaking in the mother tongue, reading in the mother language, loving the mother language, and protecting the mother language! Freedom means being able to see, love, and laugh with your parents, siblings in your motherland!
Freedom is the tear of the eyes of infants who have lost their parents, the chastity of the oppressed women who have lost their husbands, the grief of the poor Uyghur, whose freedom and pride have been violated!
Freedom is the final cry of the captives, who have their hair cut off, their limbs shackled, and they prefer death more than living! Freedom is the little sunshine, a glass of clean water, a piece of hot bread, it is a precious and priceless dream!
Freedom is the golden key to the locked mosques, the locked houses, the locked hearts! Freedom is the legacy of fathers, the prays of mothers, the dignity of women, the smile of children, the pride of men!
Freedom is not a privilege, but a basic right! Freedom is a condition of living with our pride! Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. And the guarantee of that freedom is the freedom of our motherland!
In recent history, our motherland has twice declared independence. Our independent homeland was occupied by the Chinese Communists 70 years ago. During these 70 years, our people have been subjected to systematic exclusion, ethnic discrimination, linguistic and cultural degradation, forced assimilation, forced labor, forced marriage, general supervision, strict religious repression, censorship, constant surveillance, massacre and concentration camps of the Chinese government.
So, for us, freedom means freedom from slavery, imprisonment, colonialism and genocide! Freedom means freeing oneself from the fears imposed by the Chinese government, freeing oneself from the spiritual shackles imposed by the Chinese government, and shouting for the conscience, faith, and dignity as a free human being! The great revolution in the history of man, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free. Freedom is the dream of all our people in East Turkestan! That dream is the great goal of the people of East Turkestan who have shed blood, sacrificed their lives and fought with their whole body and soul for 100 years!
We, therefore, appeal to the world for the rectitude of our goal. The East Turkistan is, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent State again. And for the support of this goal, with every friendship you make, and every bond of trust you establish, you are shaping the freedom of Uyghur people! Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves!

About the Author

Uyghur Times

Administrator

View All Posts

Post navigation

Previous: Yusufjan: former Chinese spy shot and injured in Istanbul
Next: No Road Back Home – A Poem by Abduqadir Jalalidin

Related Stories

Letter to Erdogam
  • Letters

The Letter to Erdogan from Uyghur Parents in the Uyghur Homeland

Uyghur Times July 27, 2023
Uyghur activism
  • Letters

What should be the priorities of Uyghur Activism in 2021?

Uyghur Times January 14, 2021
20191220_2_39940385_50527059
  • Letters
  • Opinion

Arab silence on the Uighur genocide is no surprise

Uyghur Times March 13, 2020

Uyghur Homeland

  • Chinese Government Issues White Paper to Celebrate 70 Years of Uyghur Occupation and Genocide
    by Uyghur Times Staff
    September 23, 2025
  • Xi to Lead Ceremony on 70 Years of Uyghur Subjugation: Timeline of Major Visits & Meetings on Uyghur Issues
    by Uyghur Times Staff
    September 23, 2025
  • China Appoints United Front Operative Chen Xiaojiang as Communist Party Chief of Uyghur Region
    by Uyghur Times Staff
    July 1, 2025
  • China Appoints Kashgar University President as Director of “Xinjiang” Education Department
    by Uyghur Times Staff
    April 6, 2025
  • China Starts Using AI for Uyghur and Kazakh Film Translations
    by admin
    January 25, 2025

Uyghur Studies

  • 10 Truths the World Must Face About China’s Uyghur Genocide
    by tipilmas
    June 3, 2025
  • George Washington University Offers Online Chaghatay Course for Summer 2025
    by Uyghur Times Staff
    May 1, 2025
  • China’s First Xinjiang Tomb Museum Attempts to Rewrite Uyghur History
    by tipilmas
    July 19, 2024
  • Ugur by Aziza:  A fusion of Uyghur culinary traditions with a touch of Saudi Arabia
    by Uyghur Times
    January 6, 2024
  • What is Uyghur forced labor ?
    by Uyghur Times
    December 26, 2023

World

  • EU Leaders Commit to Decrease Dependency on China
  • Statement against the Chinese government’s false propaganda regarding the UIGHUR Act passed by the U.S. House
  • Urgent: Save Abulikemu YUSUFU, a Uighur man facing deportation from Doha International Airport to China
  • Uighur people thank the 22 countries who stood up for Uighurs
  • International protests in solidarity with Uighurs on July 21st, 2019

You may have missed

China Boosts Tourism to Uyghur Region to Whitewash Genocide
  • State Propaganda and Disinformation Tracker

China Boosts Tourism to Uyghur Region to Whitewash Genocide

Uyghur Times Staff November 8, 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/nov/03/uk-university-halted-human-rights-research-after-pressure-from-china
  • Uyghur Forced labor & human trafficking

UK University Yielded to Chinese Pressure on Uyghur Forced Labor Study

Uyghur Times Staff November 8, 2025
Uyghur Women in Aksu Face State-Enforced Cultural Assimilation
  • Video

Uyghur Women in Aksu Face State-Enforced Cultural Assimilation

Uyghur Times Staff November 7, 2025
Tourists to Uyghur Region Reach 300 Million as Region Becomes a Pillar of China’s Propaganda Drive
  • State Propaganda and Disinformation Tracker

Tourists to Uyghur Region Reach 300 Million as Region Becomes a Pillar of China’s Propaganda Drive

Uyghur Times Staff November 7, 2025

About Uyghur Times

Uyghur Times, a Washington, DC-based media organization, is dedicated to telling the truth about China and its policies toward the Uyghur people.  Our comprehensive coverage extends to politics in the People’s Republic of China and Central Asia, delivered in multiple languages including Uyghur, Mandarin Chinese, English, Turkish, Arabic, German, Japanese, French, and Russian. 

Support Us

  • Write for Uyghur Times
  • Work with Uyghur Times
  • Support Uyghur Times
  • Contact Uyghur Times

Uyghur Times Projects

  • Uyghur Radio
  • Uyghur Times Video
  • TV Uyghur
  • Uyghur Album
  • About Uyghur Times
  • ئۇيغۇرچە
  • 中文
  • Deutsche
  • Türkçe
  • Русский
  • 日本語
  • العربية
  • Français
  • Español
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Writers
2025 Uyghur Times | MoreNews by AF themes.