Ilipar Ashimjan, religious personnel from Karamay District, Karamay

Recently, Pompeo smeared and slandered China like a mad dog by alleging Xinjiang committed “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” against Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.

As a religious personnel born and bred in Xinjiang, I am furious at the despicable conducts of the US politician, who was proud of his “lying, cheating and stealing” and showed the world his doomsday madness by “carrying his lying diplomacy to the end”. The happy lives, unity and harmony of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have been unfolded to the world. Now please allow me to share with you my real lives and feelings.

I witnessed tremendous changes that have taken place in economy, society, culture, education and transportation in Xinjiang. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are united in a concerted effort to build a beautiful and prosperous homeland, taking advantage of the national momentum of opening-up and rapid economic development.

However, for a long time, religious extremists distorted religious doctrines and spread extremist thoughts among the public in Xinjiang. Many people were heavily harmed by these thoughts and normal social lives and order were seriously disrupted. A few years ago, influenced by religious extremism, some friends and relatives of mine would not let their children attend school; some advocated “those who died a martyr for ‘jihad’ go to heaven”; some cut off their connections with their relations, feeling no filial or parental obligations to their aged parents or children; some of them were filled with hostility to people around them; some even would not eat what their mothers cooked for them under the heavy influence of pan-Islamism. With religious extremist thoughts eating into their mind, they gradually lost their sane judgment of the boundary between their normal lives and the law, and as a result, happy families were destroyed one after another. If we just stood by and let religious extremism have its way, would there be a happy tomorrow for Xinjiang? Would people in Xinjiang enjoy a happy and peaceful life?

Faced with grave extremism, Xinjiang responded quickly and launched a campaign against terrorism and extremism, effectively curbing frequent terrorist activities and ensuring basic human rights for survival and development for people in Xinjiang. Highly appraised by the international community, these measures made a significant contribution to the cause of anti-terrorism in the world. So far, with effective containment of religious extremism, not a single violent terrorist crime has occurred in over four years in Xinjiang and public security improved markedly. Today, people of different ethnic groups united as one live a happy and harmonious life. Social climate also takes on a new look. More people begin to learn about modern science and technology and pursue a civilized modern lifestyle. Dramatic changes in Xinjiang have gained popular recognition and support from all the people in Xinjiang.

Stability and prosperity of Xinjiang shall only be strengthened and consolidated, despite the mad smear and slander of Pompeo. By no means shall we allow Pompeo to interfere in the internal affairs of China, to destroy our hard-won security and stability or to destroy the unity and harmony of people in Xinjiang.