HUMAN RIGHTS SHABBAT 5781/2020

Take action for the Uyghur people

A message from Nick Silk

December 10/11th this year was Human Rights Shabbat, so called because it is the Shabbat closest to the 10th December, the date when the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" was signed in 1948. The declaration was drawn up as a direct result of the shoah. The hope is that never again would there be an attempt to destroy a whole people. Yet Rabbi Mark Solomon, on Human Rights Shabbat 72 years after the declaration was signed, described the oppression being suffered by the Uyghur people. More than one million of these Chinese Muslims are believed to be detained in so-called 're-education' camps in Xinjiang province. You can read more about the camps at this BBC web page. The part that most struck me at last Saturday's service was is a quote from the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:

As a Jew, knowing our history, the sight of people being shaven-headed, lined up, boarded on to trains, and sent to concentration camps is particularly harrowing. That people in the 21st century are being murdered, terrorised, victimised, intimidated and robbed of their liberties because of the way they worship God is a moral outrage, a political scandal and a desecration of faith itself.

What can we do? We can write to our MPs (or our MSPs).

You can do that directly from the website writetothem.com. It is important to write in your own words. It need not be long. You could include some of these points:

Your feelings about the persecution of the Uyghurs
The pressure they should put on the UK government to take some of the actions listed on page 18 of the the resource pack
Why you, as a Jew, feel this is important

Try to do it soon - before New Year if you can. Could you please let me know (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you do write to your MP or MSP and also if you receive any reply from them.

And, if you have links to an organisation (e.g. a business or school) please encourage them to join the Call to Action to place pressure on clothing brands and retailers to end the use of fabrics produced using Uyghur forced labour. Sukkat Shalom has already joined.

I do hope that you will take the time to write.

Thanks and chag Chanukah sameach.

Nick 16/12/2020