No Uyghurs from East Turkistan went on Hajj pilgrimage, data shows

No Uyghurs from East Turkistan (Xinjiang) were among the Muslims who went on this year’s Hajj, according to data from the Islamic Association of China and a Uyghur living abroad who went on the pilgrimage to Mecca.
All told, more than 1.8 million people participated in this year's Hajj, which fell between June 14-19, according to Saudi Arabian officials, including 1.6 million foreign pilgrims.
Muslims need Chinese government permission to make the pilgrimage, which as one of the Five Pillars of Islam is required of all Muslims once in their lives, if health allows.
As of early June, 1,053 pilgrims – 769 from Gansu province and 284 from Yunnan province – were registered to go on the Hajj, according to the website of the Islamic Association of China. No Uyghurs or other Muslims from East Turkistan (Xinjiang) were included in the tally.
Last year, 386 pilgrims from Ningxia province and other places in China participated, but none from East Turkistan (Xinjiang).
The last time any pilgrim from East Turkistan (Xinjiang) was reported by the association was in 2016.
Abdusalam Teklimakan Haji, a Uyghur in Turkey who went on the Hajj this year and is a member of the board of the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations, said he saw no Uyghurs from East Turkistan (Xinjiang) among the Chinese delegation, although he did see some ethnic Hui Muslims carrying Chinese flags.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, which oversees the pilgrimage, allows about 1,000 pilgrims per million people from each country around the world, he said. With an estimated population of 11 million Uyghurs in East Turkistan (Xinjiang) – at least 11,000 Uyghurs should be allowed to perform the Hajj.
Radio Free Asia tried contacting the Islamic Association of China and other departments in East Turkistan (Xinjiang) administrating the relevant affairs for comment, but received no response.