In Case You Missed It

In 2014, Uyghur Economics Professor, Ilham Tohit, was detained, arrested, and sentenced to life in prison for his work to create a peaceful dialogue between Uyghur and Han Chinese. Three years later, Professor Rahile Dawut, an internationally known expert on Uyghur Folklore and Traditions, was disappeared by the Chinese government. Tohti’s daughter, Jewher Ilham, inadvertently ended up in the US after the 2014 detention, forced to start a new life; while Rahile Daut’s daughter, Akida Pulati, was a graduate student at the University of Washington. Forced to seek asylum, both daughters found themselves engaged in international advocacy on behalf of their parents, and soon on behalf of their people.

Jewher and Akeda appeared in a dialogue about their unique and shared experiences as daughters of prominent and missing dissidents as part of the Roger Williams University Library Virtual Talking in the Library Series & Scholars at Risk Student Advocacy Seminar.

A recording of the event is located on RWUEDU’s YouTube channel.