Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS November 14, 1997

11/10/97, Eastern Turkistan Information Center

[ETIC, 11/10/97] In early November, a prominent Uyghur intellectual and religious figure Abdulhamit Damollah was expelled by the authorities from his position of an imam of the Tokkuz Tash mosque in Kashgar. He was deprived of his right to vote, and, from now on, he can not take part in any political activities. Abdulhamit was also expelled from a position of a member of a political council of Kashgar prefecture, and from a position of a deputy chairman of independent traders association.

It is believed that the reason for his punishment was a speech that Abdulhamit made before a religious service in a mosque. Addressing to a congregation, he, in particular, said: "In the past, the oppressive rulers deprived the Uyghur people of education and science, economic and technical progress, and kept the people in ignorance and superstitions. The only way out for the Uyghurs from the present grim situation is education, and everyone should do his best to promote it."

A year ago, the authorities shut down the Languages Institute in Kashgar of which Abdulhamit was a director and a teacher. More than 1000 students, mainly teenage girls, were deprived of an opportunity to learn foreign languages. [Kiyan, Rabiyem Yakub]