The same Islamophobic principle

olated terror attacks in China became a pretext for the targeting of its Muslim populations, and it was in this context that the “re-education camps” were built.

Western governments don’t go anywhere near China’s lengths, of course, but their policies reflect the same Islamophobic principle that situates Muslims along a “pathway to radicalisation”. And while critical of Beijing, they lend their support to harsh policies elsewhere in the name of fighting “terrorism”…

For the west to generate political pressure on this point, its own anti-Muslim practices need to end. We need to delegitimise our own failed and counterproductive war on terror and the global securitocracy it has given rise to – and situate criticisms of China within that effort. The west’s complicity in China’s crimes is to its shame, but also provides an avenue to exert influence in a more positive direction. Of course, western hawks are unlikely to embrace this perspective, but there are many potential allies who will, including in Muslim-majority countries.

That would be those Muslim-majority countries that have so conspicuously failed to offer any criticism to date of the Uighur genocide? I believe it would. Well, there aren't any others.

And what would these new policies entail, exactly? – apart, that is, from ending our own anti-Muslim practices and delegitimising our failed and counterproductive war on terror, thereby sending a powerful and sobering message to Beijing. It's a little unclear:

The stalemate surrounding Xinjiang calls for ambitious thinking. If the west is capable of launching a global war on terror, why should it not be able to organise a similarly global campaign to undo the damage that war has done? This is what we should be calling on our politicians to lead, and they should be pressing China to join it.

A global campaign to undo the damage that war has done? Brilliant. China will eagerly join this new band of brothers, of course. And we'll all live happily ever after.

The Chinese genocide of the Uighurs linked to the UK's anti-terrorism Prevent programme. Only in the Guardian…

[David Brophy is, god help us, a senior lecturer in modern Chinese history at the University of Sydney.]