Francis says, “I think the victims are often talked about: Rohingya, poor Uighurs, Yazidis – what they did through ISIS was really cruel – or Christians in Egypt and Pakistan were killed by bombs while they were praying in church. , ”Says Francis. A new book, “Let’s Dream: The Road to the Best Future,” was released on Monday.
The U.S. State Department says about 20 million Uighurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and other minority groups have been taken to large detention centers in Xinjiang, where former detainees described being subjected to physical abuse and sterilization.
Beijing insists the camps are vocational training centers designed to combat the threat of religious extremism and denies allegations of widespread human rights violations in Xinjiang.
The Pope does not elaborate further on issues concerning the Uyghurs in the book outside of being briefly mentioned, while he speaks in more detail about other persecuted groups such as the Rohingya.
Francis co-authored a widely reflected book on the post-coronavirus worldview, co-authored with the popular biography A Stan Ivereg during the summer of 2020.
Beijing has long insisted on finalizing all bishop appointments in the country, but the 2018 agreement marked the end of decades of tensions between the two sides, which in 1951 severed formal diplomatic relations.
Details of the deal have never been made public and have been criticized by some, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said it was “completely unfounded” to include Uighurs in the list of people persecuted by Pope Francis.
“China has 56 ethnic groups, and the Uyghur ethnic group is an equal member of the Chinese nation’s larger family. The Chinese government has always treated (all) minority groups equally and protected their legitimate rights and interests.” Said.
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