Iftar Event in the Netherlands: Expanding Political Support doors for Uyghurs

Last week, on March 16, 2025, at an Iftar event organized by the European East Turkistan Education Association, signals were given about actions to gain stronger support from more political parties in the Dutch Parliament for the Uyghur issue, as well as to keep the Uyghur issue consistently on the parliamentary agenda. More than 200 people attended this Iftar event. Among them were Stephan van Baarle, the leader of the Denk party in the Netherlands, leaders of many Turkish organizations, and also leaders of some Uyghur organizations operating in Turkey.

The Iftar event began with an opening speech by Abulqasim Abdulzaziz, the president of the European East Turkistan Education Association, which organized this event. Afterward, political party leaders and officials from various Turkish organizations spoke one after another, expressing that Uyghurs are not alone and that they support Uyghurs. I would like to share with readers several points that caught my attention at this Iftar event.

POLITICAL PARTY SUPPORT - NEW STRENGTH AND NEW HOPE

Speaking at this Iftar event, Denk party leader Stephan van Baarle expressed that he attaches special importance to the Uyghur issue. He not only indicated that his party would work on legislative initiatives for Uyghurs in the Dutch Parliament and continuously bring up the Uyghur issue in the Dutch Parliament, but his statement about striving to take concrete political steps toward recognizing that East Turkistan is not "Xinjiang" but rather a territory occupied by the Chinese government made a deep impression on participants.

This is a promise from a political party leader to proactively work to protect Uyghurs' land and culture openly in the Dutch Parliament, which is clear evidence of keeping the Uyghur issue on the political agenda in the Netherlands. One practical step mentioned in Stephan van Baarle's speech was emphasizing that they had launched a long-term plan to politically educate Uyghur youth once a month, starting from last month: "The main purpose of this plan is to increase Uyghur youth's interest in politics and help them play an active role on the international stage regarding the Uyghur issue," he said.

SOLIDARITY FROM TURKISH ORGANIZATIONS

The leaders of various Turkish organizations who participated in the event also expressed their support and solidarity for Uyghurs, emphasizing that they would take action to stop human rights abuses and genocide in East Turkistan. They particularly emphasized that the Uyghur issue is not only an issue for Uyghurs alone, but a common issue for all Turkic peoples.

In summary, the Denk party, which takes an active position on issues such as protecting minority rights, opposing racial discrimination, and supporting a multicultural society, has been one of the political parties that has previously brought up the Uyghur issue in the Dutch Parliament several times. The speech given by Stephan van Baarle, the newly appointed president of this party, at this Iftar event attended by more than 200 people, is a sign that his party will continue to help the Uyghur issue gain more attention on the Dutch political stage. His promise to introduce legislative initiatives for Uyghurs in the Dutch Parliament will likely serve as an impetus for the Uyghur issue to gain more support on the international stage.

SO, WHAT SHOULD THE UYGHUR ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS DO?

1. Political Support and Pressure – Organizations supporting Uyghurs in the Netherlands should strengthen their relationships with parliament and political parties. The recent step taken by the Denk party could potentially serve as a model for other European countries.

2. Providing Materials and Evidence – Parliamentary members in the Netherlands and other countries should be systematically provided with materials about the Uyghur genocide. This will further motivate the approval of laws concerning Uyghurs.

3. Organizing Multiple Activities – Uyghur communities should continuously hold activities that highlight Uyghur culture and address the Uyghur genocide, striving to have laws approved for Uyghurs in the Netherlands and other European countries.

This Iftar activity could become a stage for collaboration between parties and organizations that work for Uyghurs on political platforms in the Netherlands. Additionally, the recent step taken by the Denk party could serve as a model for other European countries.

By Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur

March 22, 2025