Activist Urges Philadelphia Mayor to Cancel Chinese Flag Ceremony

A prominent human rights activist, Rushan Abbas, has called on Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L Parker to cancel an upcoming flag-raising ceremony for China scheduled for September 30. Abbas, the founder of the Campaign for Uyghurs, penned an open letter emphasizing China's human rights violations under the communist flag.

In her letter, Abbas recounted the plight of her sister, Dr Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor serving a 20-year prison sentence in China. She argued that her sister's imprisonment was a result of her peaceful advocacy in the United States, labeling the Chinese flag as an emblem of a totalitarian regime rather than cultural unity.

Abbas highlighted severe policies by the Chinese Communist Party, including mass surveillance and forced labor, specifically targeting minorities like Uyghurs. She asserted that raising the flag in Philadelphia, a city known for its historical stance on freedom and justice, would inadvertently endorse these oppressive practices. Abbas urged the mayor to cancel the event to resist authoritarian propaganda and support freedom.