21 and On e Run

21 AND ON THE RUN

ET editor Jess was lucky enough to speak to the ambitious Adila Yarmuhammad, the 21 year old Uyghur activist running in the federal election. Adila shares how she got her start as an activist, and sheds light on the persecution currently faced by Uyghur people under the Chinese Communist Party.

Hi Adila, thank you so much for sharing your story and aspirations with us! First of all, if you could introduce yourself in any way regardless of usual conventions, what would you say?

My name is Adila, I am based in Adelaide studying a double degree in International Relations and Arts, with a major in Psychology [at Adelaide Uni]. Primarily, I am a human rights activist with a large focus on Uyghurs and slowly verging into the politics game.

At just 21 years old, you are running in the federal election. A couple of years ago would you have believed this is what you’d be doing?

Defnitely not! A couple years ago I was still in high school, unsure of what I would even be studying in university. I had a rough idea that I would study, graduate and end up working in something relating to human rights but had no plans to run in a federal election.

How long would you say you have been an activist for Uyghur human rights and human rights in China, and is there a moment that kick-started it for you?

Pretty much my whole life. I attended my frst protest at 6 months old, with my parents strapping me into their car and doing a road trip to melbourne.

My biggest memories of my childhood were the road trips to melbourne, canberra and sydney for a protest and support the community there. Usually we would be on the road for a day or two, a couple hours in the city and back on the road to come back home. But the moment that really kick started my ‘activist’ identity was when i did my frst speech at a protest at the age of 13. I then continued doing speeches and ended up mc-ing and writing up agendas for them. From then on, I just grew into the person I am now.

For people who may not know, what does ‘Uyghur Muslim’ mean, and what exactly is happening to Uyghur people right now in China?

Uyghurs have been persecuted by China and the Chinese Communist Party since 1949. After a short lived independence in 1949, the state of East Turkistan was taken over by China and is now known as Xinjiang. Xinjiang actually means new territory/ land in chinese. In 2009, there was a huge crackdown on Uyghurs following the July 5th Urumqi massacres. In 2017, Uyghurs in the diaspora received news that many of their family members had been taken to unknown ‘camps’. Originally, china denied the existence of these camps but have now come up and stated they are for ‘re-education’ purposes. However, Uyghurs in the diaspora generally refer to them as concentration camps. Since then, it is estimated that 1-3 million Uyghurs and other turkic ethnicities are being detained in these camps against their will. On top of this, many Uyghurs have lost contact with their family members and friends, unable to fnd out about their wellbeing or if they are even alive. Uyghurs who have not been detained in these camps are forced into unbelievable situations. Women are forced to marry Han chinese offcials, to celebrate interracial marriages. Children are forcibly taken away to state run orphanages. Uyghurs are forced into forced labour factories. Personally, I don’t prefer the whole term ‘Uyghur Muslim’. I understand where it comes from, and why it is used but the biggest reason why China is persecuting Uyghurs is due to their ethnicity, not their religion. When talking about the Uyghur genocide, many Muslim countries stay silent. Although personally, my faith is one of the most important parts of my life it is so disappointing to see muslim leaders put money and wealth on top of muslim lives.

In your experience how have you found everyday Australia’s general attitude towards what’s happening in China?

Everyday white Australians will generally be surprised if you start talking about what’s happening with the Uyghurs. However, after the Hong Kong protests the situation is slowly coming into light.

Do you think xenophobia affects the way that white Australians think about China?

100%. I am often debating if certain politicians or supporters support Uyghurs because of the human rights abuses we face in our home country, or if they are xenophobic and/or racist. The attitude towards China today is completely affected by xenophobia, and it didn’t help with covid either. It often frustrates me that some people’s support comes from the wrong place.

And similarly, do you think Islamophobia affects how people in China and the west view the Uyghur people?

After 9/11, the rise of islamophobia was huge in the west. The same can be said in China

as well. As China is a predominantly atheist country, practicing religion makes it very diffcult. China uses the west’s fear of Islam to explain why Uyghurs are being placed in these concentration camps, referred to as reeducation camps by chinese offcials.

If there is one thing you could ask of Australians in relation to the prosecution of Uyghur Muslim people, what would it be?

To be wary of China. It does make it diffcult when racism and xenophobia come into play, but Uyghurs were once trusting of China too and now even those who supported the CCP are in these concentration camps.

In the election you are running with the Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance (DPDA), what makes this party different and why have you chosen to affliate yourself with it?

Drew Pavlou and I originally became friends when Peter Hoj was named VC of Adelaide University. Since then, our friendship only grew and he provided so much support towards myself and the Uyghur community. He approached me and asked if I would be interested in running with him for South Australia senate. I won’t deny that I did have doubts and was anxious. However, Drew and I (along with the rest of our crew in DPDA) hold almost identical views in regards to a lot of policies. Running with a DPDA makes it easier to hold and stay true to my morals and ethics. I am allowed to speak my mind and stand up for what I believe needs to be stood up for. You can’t say that about a lot of other parties, especially bigger ones like the Liberal or Labor party.

If elected, who do you imagine the party will work with, and what kind of bills do you plan to initiate?

If elected, I do hope to work with the Greens and Labor. I also imagine we will be working alongside Rex Patrick in the senate, as he has also helped the Uyghur community and holds

similar views as ours. Naturally, the type of bills we would love to initiate gravitate towards standing strong against china, working towards climate justice and towards support for First Nations people.

What do you hope will happen as a result of you running in the federal election?

I can only hope to be elected. However, my biggest concern these days is ensuring that Nick Xenophon is not elected. Xenophon spent the last few years working as the top lawyer for Huawei, a tech company linked to aiding the CCP in putting millions of Uyghurs in concentration camps.

What would you say to young women out there who feel that they are too young and therefore too unqualifed to go after their dreams?

The truth is, how many unqualifed men are in positions that they do not deserve? Women can always achieve what they are meant to achieve. And lets be honest, I know many young individuals who are way more mature and understanding of politics who are completely capable of going after positions like I am. Have the confdence of a middle aged man!

From your experience as an activist, having also studied at University, how can the everyday student get involved in this kind of activism in a meaningful way?

There are so many different ways! The biggest one is supporting the Uyghur community by attending local protests, speaking up about it, educating themselves and others around them. Another way is to donate to charities that help Uyghur refugees, such as Shukr Foundation, or organisations that research and work to end the genocide, such as World Uyghur Congress of Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Good luck Adila! I will leave you on a deep note, what do you believe your life’s purpose is?

I think out of all the questions, this is defnitely the toughest! My name means Justice in Arabic, and I’ve been told by many individuals that it is quite ftting! I do believe that you may have different life purposes, or that it can even change as you as an individual change. Currently, I would say it has something to do with supporting and working to end the genocide of uyghurs. As i grow older, i believe it could even change to educating the future generation and my future children about Uyghurs and the Uyghur culture.

“The truth is, how many unqualifed men are in positions that they do not deserve? Women can always achieve what they are meant to achieve.”

- Adila Yarmuhammad

Collage by Samantha Long Collage by Samantha Long Collage by Samantha Long Collage by Samantha Long

27