The Joshua Project 11 January 2022
What is the future for China’s Uyghurs, a people with a rich and centuries-old Turkic culture severely oppressed by China’s government? Millions of Uyghurs live in China’s north-western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, now a police state that imprisons well over 1,000,000 Uyghurs in brutal “re-education” camps. Although almost all Uyghurs are Sunni Muslim, they mix their Islam with folk religion.
Their community-oriented culture and religion face serious threats. Such a situation makes them less open to outside ideas. Few Uyghurs are open to Christ and Han Chinese Christians have little interest in reaching them.
The Uyghurs may listen to believers who demonstrate the compassion and love of the only Saviour. Their language contains the complete Bible, the JESUS Film and many audio and visual materials based on the Bible.
Pray that members of this people group will soon have as rich an understanding of the need for God’s presence as Moses did.
A small but growing number of Uyghur believers live in nearby Central Asia. Pray that they would be strengthened in their faith and filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to disciple Uyghur believers to reach Uyghur communities throughout China. Pray God would stir Chinese Christians to intercede for and reach out to China’s suffering Uyghurs. Ask that suffering Uyghurs would experience God’s comfort from within re-education camps and broken homes.