[2025 Ramadan] Day 1 Uyghurs: Uniting All Nations through the Cross

The Uyghurs, whose name means "unity" or "alliance," are one of the least evangelized Turkic peoples in the world. Currently, there are approximately 16 million Uyghurs living in China's northwest Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian countries, as well as Turkey.

Historically, the Uyghurs developed Buddhist civilization in the Mongolian plateau and Central Asia. However, around 960 AD, they were Islamized due to the eastward spread of Islam. Since then, Islam has become the most important ethnic identity for the Uyghurs, with over 99.99% of the population being Muslim.

The Uyghurs have faced severe oppression from the Chinese government, particularly since the 2009 Urumqi riots, which resulted in over 3,000 casualties. The Chinese government has tightened its control over the Uyghurs, forcing them to undergo "re-education" and "anti-extremism" programs. According to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, over 1 million Uyghurs are currently detained in secret political re-education camps, where they face harsh treatment and torture.

As a result, the Uyghurs are living in fear of the Chinese government, even during Ramadan. While they may appear to be observing Islamic traditions, they are actually longing for Islam more than ever. Uyghurs living in Kazakhstan and Turkey are outraged by the situation in China and are seeking to unite with their fellow Uyghurs through Islam.

Despite facing severe persecution, many Uyghur Christians remain faithful, and their faith is being passed down to the next generation. Although it is difficult for them to gather, they continue to fight the good fight of faith, holding on to Jesus until the end.

Currently, it is impossible for missionaries to enter Xinjiang, but the Chinese church remains, standing with the Uyghurs and fighting this battle of faith. The gospel is also being shared with Uyghurs in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and Turkey.

In Kazakhstan, there are 500,000 Uyghurs, and a Uyghur church has been established. The legacy of the great revival that swept through Central Asia in the 1990s remains, and many Uyghurs have heard of Jesus.

Recently, a Uyghur student missionary was sent to Kazakhstan, and Uyghurs are now sharing the gospel with their own people. This is the fulfillment of the vision of 10,000 missionaries for the Uyghurs.

The revival of the Uyghurs, one of the least evangelized Turkic peoples, will be a revival that completes God's work, like the wine Jesus made at the wedding in Cana.

[Today's Prayer]

1. Lord, start a new work among the Uyghurs, who are living without hope under the surveillance and oppression of the world. Break the chains of darkness that bind them and make them a people who will bring revival to the Silk Road.

2. Lord, let the work of the Holy Spirit be mightily done in the Uyghur diaspora, especially in Kazakhstan, and let the Uyghurs be a people who will unite all nations through the cross.

3. Lord, raise up the global church to pray for the Uyghurs during Ramadan. May the Uyghurs encounter Jesus Christ, not Islam, through the prayers of the global church. May the prayers of the global church for the Uyghurs never cease, and may the Uyghurs be used to unite all nations through the cross, just like the meaning of their name.