In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention, the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Initiative and Stop Uyghur Genocide hosted the event, “Honouring the Uyghur People Seeking Accountability Amidst the Uyghur Genocide on the 75th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention” in London on December 11.
The event, organized by Rahima Mahmut, executive director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, and Professor Stephanie Barclay, faculty director of Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Initiative, was held in the Trafalgar Hall at the University of Notre Dame’s London Global Gateway. The evening included opening remarks from Mr. Hamid Sabi, Counsel to the Uyghur Tribunal, and a conversation between Barclay and Tahir Hamut Izgil, a distinguished Uyghur poet and author of the memoir “Waiting to be Arrested at Night.” The conversation focused on Izgil’s life and memoir, which is one of the only firsthand accounts available of the ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people by the Chinese government. At the event, Izgil detailed how he dedicated his life to writing, making films, and participating in a remarkable and supportive community of Uyghur poets and intellectuals while enduring systematic repression. He also recounted the circumstances that led to his family’s flight from China in 2017 and his experience as a refugee from the genocide.
After the discussion, there was a cultural performance by the Miras Silk Road Collective, led by Mahmut. Founded in 2018, the group consists of professional Uzbek and Uyghur performers who perform classical maqam, folk songs, and instrumental pieces on traditional instruments, ranging widely across Turkish, Azeri, Iranian, Afghan, Uzbek, and especially Uyghur musical traditions. The Miras Silk Road Collective performed in collaboration with Tara Catherine Pandeya, a cultural advocate and one of the most renowned dancers and choreographers specializing in Central Asian dance.
The event also offered traditional Uyghur food and a book signing of Izgil’s memoir “Waiting to be Arrested at Night.” Copies of Izgil’s memoir were distributed at the event.
Speakers
Mr. Hamid Sabi
Mr. Hamid Sabi is a London-based human rights lawyer with an international practice in human rights, arbitration, and litigation. Mr. Sabi acted as Counsel and Rapporteur to the Iran Tribunal, Counsel to the China Tribunal, and most recently served as Counsel to the Uyghur Tribunal which took place in London.
Rahima Mahmut
Rahima Mahmut is a Uyghur singer, human rights activist, and translator. Rahima’s work includes producing music for award-winning Al Jazeera documentary titled Living in the Unknown, and working as a consultant and translator for the BAFTA-winning ITV documentary Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag. A prominent voice for Uyghurs in the UK, Rahima is currently UK Director of the World Uyghur Congress, Executive Director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, and an Advisor to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.
Tahir Hamut Izgil
Tahir Hamut Izgil is one of the foremost poets writing in the Uyghur language who grew up in Kashgar. Tahir’s poetry has appeared in The New York Review of Books, Asymptote, Words Without Borders, and Berkeley Poetry Review, and has also been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, and French. In 2017, as the Chinese government began the mass internment of the Uyghur people, Tahir fled with his family to the United States. His new book, Waiting to Be Arrested at Night: A Uyghur Poet's Memoir of China's Genocide, was published in September.
Professor Stephanie Barclay
Professor Stephanie Barclay directs Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Initiative, which promotes freedom of religion or belief for all people through advocacy, student formation, and scholarship. Professor Stephanie Barclay’s research focuses on the role our different democratic institutions play in protecting minority rights, particularly at the intersection of free speech and religious exercise.
Miras Silk Road Collective
The Miras Silk Road Collective, founded in 2018, works to encourage collaboration among musicians from different cultures along the Silk Road, and celebrate their shared cultural heritage. The core group of professional Uzbek and Uyghur performers has collaborated with musicians and dancers from India, China, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The Miras Silk Road Collective performs classical maqam, folk songs, and instrumental pieces on traditional instruments, ranging widely across Turkish, Azeri, Iranian, Afghan, Uzbek, and especially Uyghur musical traditions.
Programme of events
6:00 p.m. Arrival of guests, Reception and Snacks
6:30 p.m. Opening remarks from Mr Hamid Sabi
6:40 p.m. ‘In Conversation’ with Tahir Hamut Izgil, led by Professor Stephanie Barclay
7:20 p.m. Performance by the Miras Silk Road Collective, led by Rahima Mahmut
8:00 p.m. Drinks, Snacks, and Networking
8:30 p.m. Event ends