• intelshill@lemmy.caOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    arrow-down
    8
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    Have you ever been to Xinjiang? Claiming that Uyghur culture and history is being eradicated sounds like some sort of joke.

    Did you watch Chunwan? Chunwan is the most watched televised program in the world and the pride and joy of CCTV. Every year, every single year there is a display of traditional Uyghur dance, dress, and music. This year, a part of it was filmed in Kashgar, Xinjiang.

    Dilraba Dilmurat, of Uyghur descent, is recognized by many as the most popular celebrity in China and commonly performs in traditional dress with traditional music:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4LqhAkiVr8Y

    https://www.tiktok.com/@hello_xinjiang/video/7334365885169241376

    Do you consider it genocide when Western fashion swept through the world, unseating traditional forms of dress? Do you consider it genocide when communities in North America default to English, losing their mother tongues? Do you consider it genocide when French people learn English to participate in the British economy? When Quebec forces Canadians to learn French?

    No, you don’t. You regard culture as a static element rather than a dynamic, constantly evolving entity. You regard language in the same way. You consider indigenous people as though they are some hapless treehugger or casino operator rather than what they really are: people.

    You’re the type of people who will write on and on about the rights of First Nations people but, when the Squamish decide to build a 10000-unit apartment complex on their land, you’ll be the first to protest it. Cultures evolve. People evolve.