The Uyghur (also spelled Uighur; Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر;) are an ethnic group of Central Asia. They are one of China's 56 officially recognized ethnicities. Here are quotes from famous scholars' about them.

Quotes

Uyghurs are the best. ~ Kashgarli Mehmud

• Uyghurs are the best among Turks. Their language is called Hakaniye Turkchesi (King's Turkish).
  • Kashgarli Mehmud, Divanü Lügat-it-Türk (The Dictionary of Turkic Languages), 1072.

• Turfan (Turpan) is without doubt a forgotten Asian city of extraordinary interest. The size of it is remarkable: the inner, holy city, consisting only of temples and palace, measures 7,400 feet at the widest point of the still extant walls. Hundreds of terraced temples and grandiose vaulted edifices cover an extensive area of lane.
  • "Along the Ancient Silk Routes" show, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, April 3 - June 20, 1982* The Uyghur language and script contributed to the enrichment of civilizations of the other peoples in Central Asia. Compared to the Europeans of that time, the Uyghurs were far more advanced. Documents discovered in Uyghur Region prove that an Uyghur farmer could write down a contract, using legal terminology. How many European farmers could have done that at that period? This shows the extent of Uygur civilization of that time.
  • Shuyl Unver, Medicine in Uyghurs, Istanbul, 1936. pp. 4-6.

Freedom is only possible when this ‘virus’ in their thinking is eradicated and they are in good health. ~ leaked Xinjiang Papers

• In Middle Ages, the Chinese poetry, literature, theater, music and painting were greatly influenced by the Uyghurs.
  • Wolfram Eberhard, History of China, Istanbul, 1947, p. 116.

• The Uyghurs knew how to print books centuries before Guetenberg invented his press.
  • Lazlo Rasonyi, Turkic in History, Ankara, 1971, pp. 105, 107.

• Russian scholar Pantusov writes that the Uyghurs manufactured their own musical instruments; they had 62 different kinds of musical instruments and in every Uyghur home there used to be an instrument called a "dutar".
  • Brief History of Uyghur Literature, Almaty, 1983, p. 7.

• It is just that their thinking has been infected by unhealthy thoughts. Freedom is only possible when this ‘virus’ in their thinking is eradicated and they are in good health.
  • The Xinjiang Papers, Directive’s Question-and-Answer Guide, The New York Times (16 Nov 2019)

• I did not find any instance of forced labor or cultural and religious repression. The imams we met at the mosques and the students and teachers at the Xinjiang Islamic Institute told us that they enjoy freedom in practicing Islam and that the Chinese government extends support for maintenance of mosques all over Xinjiang. I learned that there are over 30,000 mosques all over Xinjiang that form part of the religious life of the people there. Similarly, I did not see any sign of cultural repression. The Uyghur culture as demonstrated by their language, music and dance is very much part of the life of the people of Xinjiang. We saw that in official establishments, airports, subway stations, police stations or hotels the Uyghur language is being widely used. Even the copies of the Koran that we saw in the mosques and the Islamic center were translated into the Uyghur language. The most visible sign of protection of Uyghur culture by the government is the government-run bilingual kindergarten schools where children learn Putonghua as well as Uyghur language and culture from a very young age. ... My country is also plagued by terrorism. I hope my country can adopt some of these measures, such as setting up a vocational education and training center and carrying out poverty alleviation work, to help de-extremization. But they don't have so much money to do this.
  • Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. Deputy Head of Mission Pakistan Embassy in China, Senior Pakistani diplomat. 24th January 2019

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