BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- During a regular periodic review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council, Israel criticized China's treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang.
You read that right.
The accusation came from Israel that has been accused of killing innocent civilians and creating a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Since the latest stage of the conflict broke out on Oct. 7 in the Gaza Strip, Israeli bombardment and gunfire have killed more than 25,000 Palestinians and displaced millions, leaving the survivors desperately trying to access critical supplies, including food and medicine.
It continues to ignore the growing outcry from the Arab world and international community to end the devastation.
Despite the bloodshed, Israel has turned to lecturing others on how to safeguard human rights, and even on treatment of Muslims.
The bizarre accusations have nothing to do with human rights, but politics. Israel acted in collusion with its Western allies, which are plagued by double standards on human rights. Facing the atrocities in Gaza, the U.S.-led West has been reluctant to condemn Israel publicly. While visiting Israel earlier in the month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said South Africa's genocide claim against Israel is without merit.
Pretty rich coming from a country guilty of committing human rights abuses across the globe.
In sharp contrast to its tolerance of Israel, the West continues to attack China's efforts to protect human rights at home. The United States and its allies falsely claim that China is committing "genocide" in Xinjiang without producing a shred of evidence.
Call it the lie of the century.
In Xinjiang, the human rights of all ethnic groups are well-protected. For years, the region has allocated a large proportion of public spending to implement a series of projects to bolster employment, culture, education and healthcare. These investments guarantee that everyone equally shares in the region's economic growth regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation.
China's efforts to protect human rights have won recognition across the world. Over 120 countries acknowledged China's human rights endeavors during this year's UN review.
Western double standards -- on bold display with unwavering support for Israeli atrocities in Gaza -- illustrate no genuine concern for human rights. Instead, the West manipulates the topic to advance its geo-political agenda.
Xinjiang is "a political issue provoked by the West, who wish to leave the people (in Xinjiang) in poverty and ignorance," said Kamal Gaballa, an Egyptian columnist and a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs. "The West wishes to make Xinjiang a focal point of tensions and terrorism to impact the development of China."
Gaballa is right, and the world must do more to call out these glaring double standards. ■
