"Her loyalty and the steadfastness of her sisters (lessons of adversity)

During the events of the conference supporting the Uyghurs and all Muslims in East Turkistan, which is occupied by China, I listened to the story of this woman (Gul Bahar Jalil), who represents one of thousands of stories of what Muslims endure under the oppressive communist regime.

This woman holds the nationality of another country and entered the regions of the Uyghur Muslims in East Turkistan, where she was arrested. She was not veiled nor religious, and perhaps she knew very little about Islam.

In prison, she was placed with sixty women who were detained due to their religious commitment, including young women and older ones. She was amazed by their steadfastness and resilience. Each one would sit with her fellow sister in faith and quietly recite verses from the Quran, reviewing their memorization. Despite the harsh conditions, the atmosphere was spiritual and full of faith. The sisterhood strengthened their bond.

Our sister began learning about Islam little by little during the 18 months she spent there, and she was eventually released. One of her fellow inmates said to her, 'My little son is in your care,' and another said, 'Convey our news to our Muslim brothers in the world.'

She spoke while tears streamed down her face: 'Since I left prison, I have carried this trust. I do not let any opportunity pass without seizing it to convey the message of my sisters, who are still languishing in those terrible prisons.'

O Allah, have mercy on this nation.

Mohammed Ayash Al-Kubaisi