An event celebrating Muslim Heritage month in the U.K. on March 11, sponsored by TikTok, is being criticized by Uyghur rights activists.

The event’s organizer, Muslim Women’s Network UK, sent out an invitation that stated “The event will bring together interfaith organizations, content creators and parliamentarians to celebrate the cultural contribution of Muslims in the UK.”

Exiled Uyghurs concerned about the sponsorship accuse TikTok of restricting content on human rights abuses in China against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs.

Uyghur activists express concern

“I do not believe [Muslim Women’s Network UK] supports violence and genocide, but its cooperation with TikTok sends a deeply troubling message,” Nefise Oguz, an Istanbul University student, told VOA in an email.

Oguz has used social media – including TikTok – to advocate for relatives detained in China. She accuses TikTok’s parent company, China-based ByteDance, of systematically censoring content about Uyghurs.

In China, TikTok operates as Douyin, where content is heavily controlled, she said. Oguz and other activists claim that posts about Islam, Uyghur identity, or criticism of the Chinese Communist Party are routinely blocked on both TikTok and Douyin.

Due to these restrictions, Oguz said she also cannot use Douyin’s direct communication function to contact relatives in China.

For years, she had been advocating for her uncle, Alim Abdulkerim, who she says was imprisoned for eight years. His family does not know why he is in detention, but Oguz believes it’s because he contacted her while she was in Turkey. Her TikTok videos about his detention attracted hundreds of thousands of views, raising awareness – but also drew censorship.

The United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a report in September 2024, that said Abdulkerim’s imprisonment was arbitrary and demanded his release. It further described China’s internment facilities as “prison-like.”

Oguz filmed a vlog about the report at the U.N. office in Istanbul, but TikTok removed it on the same day. She appealed TikTok’s decision, but the platform rejected it. TikTok’s notification said, “This video violates our community guidelines.”

Then in October, Oguz posted a video where she debated Turkish politician Dogu Perinçek – who denied Uyghur rights abuses in China. The video went viral on Instagram, Facebook, and X but was again, removed from TikTok on the same day without explanation or reinstatement.

Oguz described this as part of a broader pattern of censorship, saying her reach on the platform significantly declined afterward, limiting her advocacy efforts.

TikTok denies censorship allegations

Nicholas Smith, from TikTok’s Communications team told VOA, “It’s inaccurate to suggest that TikTok censors content related to the alleged Uyghur genocide and broader human rights violations in China,” he said.

“If you search for Uyghur content on TikTok, you will find many videos where people freely post and share their views,” he added and referred to the platform’s Community Guidelines and Transparency Center for further details.

Human rights accusations

The U.S. and U.N. have both condemned China’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

In January 2021, the U.S. officially designated China’s actions – mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, forced sterilizations, and cultural and religious repression – as genocide and crimes against humanity. The designation cited a systematic campaign to suppress the predominantly Muslim, Turkic-speaking population.

A 2022 U.N. report reached similar conclusions, stating that the scale of arbitrary detentions, torture, sexual violence, and restrictions on religious and cultural practices in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity.

China has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming its policies in Xinjiang aim to counter terrorism, extremism, and separatism.

However, a report released last August by the U.S.-based Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) titled, The CCP’s Digital Charm Offensive, suggested TikTok suppresses content, China deems sensitive, such as Uyghurs, Tibet, and Taiwan.

The NCRI report highlighted TikTok’s algorithmic behavior, noting that “content associated with politically sensitive terms like ‘Uyghur’ … showed significantly lower engagement metrics,” when compared to similar content posted on U.S.-based social media platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram.

Uyghur scholar calls for ethical sponsorship

Rizwangul NurMuhammad, a Uyghur doctoral candidate at the University of Sheffield, urged the Muslim Women’s Network UK to reconsider its sponsorship deal with TikTok, warning that the partnership risks further marginalizing Uyghurs.

VOA obtained a letter NurMuhammad sent to Shaista Gohir, the network’s chief executive director, that said TikTok is censoring Uyghur content while operating under a legal framework that aligns with the Chinese government’s interests.

“By focusing solely on amplifying selected voices while excluding those of Uyghurs, the Network risks further marginalizing an already vulnerable community,” she wrote.

She urged the network to sever ties, offering to help find alternative funding.

“Millions of Uyghurs have been arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, like my brother Maiwulani, and stripped of their religious identity,” NurMuhammad wrote. “Many of us in the diaspora, including myself, live in exile with no answers, no closure, only enforced silence by the same Chinese state that controls TikTok.”

Muslim Women’s Network UK responds

In a statement, Gohir acknowledged the “pain and hardship” of Uyghurs and the “systematic erasure of their Islamic identity,” calling it a “grave human rights issue” deserving global focus.

But she defended the TikTok partnership.

“Muslim Heritage Month is designed to celebrate the rich and diverse contributions of Muslims in the UK and to create a space for engagement, empowerment, and visibility.”

Gohir said many marginalized Muslims use TikTok as a platform to share their stories, raise awareness about discrimination, and foster connections, suggesting the event could encourage "greater conversations on freedom of expression," regarding marginalized Muslim communities around the globe. (VOA)