Celebrating July Fourth Because of July Fifth（七五）
Here is a more personal note. I grew up in the Midwest of the United States. Maybe I have a little (or great amount) of Christian nationalism in me, not sure. However, I celebrate July Fourth here by briefly writing on July 5th, 2009.
The morning after July 5th, I woke to the PRC cutting internet and international calling because of protests in Xinjiang. It lasted for 9 months. My Uyghur and Chinese friends lived with these restrictions not for the health and safety of people in the province, but mainly so those in political power could have no accountability for actions they deemed necessary to maintain that power.
I am thankful for freedom to write the above, and I hope and pray that Uyghurs and Chinese (whether Atheist, Christian or Muslim) under the CCP will have the same freedom in the future.
Here are some links to read regarding Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the PRC’s repression of language, culture, and life. Some of the links share how Christians can respond.
Outside links:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-main-threat-is-a-moral-one-11569184205
https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-the-uyghur-genocide/
http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/is-this-chinas-final-solution-for-the-uyghurs
General Info:
https://thediplomat.com/2019/07/bearing-witness-10-years-on-the-july-2009-riots-in-xinjiang/
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/world/asia/06china.html
https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/what-do-chinese-people-think-is-happening-in-xinjiang/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02634937.2019.1586348
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/08/genocide-population-xinjiang-uyghurs/
On this blog:
The Once and Future China: Reflecting on Xinjiang and Chinese Regimes