Key Passages Talk: When The Uyghur Language Confronts Atrocity

Abduweli Ayup is a Uyghur linguist, educator, activist, and poet, originally from the Uyghur region of northwest China but currently based in Norway. His work came to international attention in 2013 when he was arrested on charges of “inciting separatism” after opening Uyghur-language kindergartens in his hometown and the provincial capital. After international outcry resulted in his release 15 months later, he left China and settled in Norway. He has published Uyghur-language textbooks for children and been involved in the establishment of more than 70 Uyghur mother-language classes around the world. His non-profit, Uyghur Hjelp, works to document the ongoing Uyghur crisis and support educational and cultural events.

Cosponsored by the IHC’s Key Passages series