Why It Matters

When a group is offended or attacked, people within that group call out to the world for help. As I am not only Muslim but also Turkish with Uyghur ancestry, it is my duty to inform the people around me of my community’s suffering. So here I am, calling out to the world of North Allegheny. 

I realize that we as students in America can’t really do much to help the Uyghurs in China, but the important thing is that you know about it. For too long, students at NA have lived in a bubble of privilege and peace and have been unaware of horrors taking place in distant parts of the world.

I urge you all, not just as someone whose community is being harmed but as a fellow teenager, to open your eyes. Your ignorance may feel blissful, but there may come a day when people you care about will be hurt and the world may not see or care. If there’s anything worse than suffering, it’s suffering while the world covers its eyes and ears.