Mission
The Uyghur American Association (UAA) is a non-partisan organization with the chief goals of promoting and preserving Uyghur culture, and supporting the right of Uyghur people to use peaceful, democratic means to determine their own political futures. Based in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, the UAA serves as the primary hub for the Uyghur diaspora community in the United States.
Leadership.
The UAA was the first Uyghur organization to be established in the United States. Since its founding in 1998, the UAA has held democratic elections triennially. Leadership is held accountable by all members of the UAA and the Uyghur community in the United States.
Humanity.
Uyghurs face unprecedented challenges in the 21st century. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is perpetrating genocide against the Uyghur people, the largest in scale since the Holocaust. Millions of Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps and imprisoned without due process. Millions more languish in the largest open-air prison in the world, East Turkistan (Xinjiang).
The CCP’s campaign has prompted the UAA to direct its efforts to closing the concentration camps and ending the Uyghur genocide. By leveraging our collective voice, and upholding democratic values and human rights to the highest value, we aim to to create the political will necessary to improve the lives of Uyghurs in their homeland.
Community.
Based in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, UAA leaders and members live throughout the United States. UAA leadership is dedicated to serving the Uyghur community within the U.S. and beyond to the best of its ability. Our priority is to make sure we serve our members and make Uyghur voices heard.
Our Team
Elfidar Iltebir | President
Elfidar was born in Urumchi, East Turkistan and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey until immigrating to the U.S. in 2000. She has a BA in Marketing from George Mason University and over twenty years of marketing and project management experience. She has taught the Uyghur language to U.S. government employees. As the daughter of a prominent Uyghur writer and journalist, is an active member of the Uyghur community and an outspoken human rights activist. In the last 3 years, she served as the secretary general of UAA. With her excellent performance for the community and creative approaches to raise awareness projects, she was elected as the president of UAA in May 2022. She is currently a Structure Analyst in an Energy firm and fluent in English, Uyghur and Turkish.
Misran Dolan | Director of Business Relations
Misran was raised in Northern Virginia and received his B.A. in Computer Science and economics from the University of Virginia in 2020. He spent his last two years at UVA spreading awareness of the Uyghur plight through conducting research projects, being interviewed in podcasts, holding informational Q&A panels, and participating in advocacy events. This is his second year serving as the director of Business relations for UAA. He currently works at Center for Advanced Defense Studies and spends his free time organizing youth initiatives in the community.
Munawwar Abdulla | Director of Public Advocacy
Munawwar Abdulla was born and raised in Australia and worked actively on Uyghur advocacy and community building projects. She moved to the US after completing her MSc and is now a research assistant at Harvard University. She is a co-founder of the Tarim Network, a published poet and writer, a translator of Uyghur literature, and she continuously advocates for Uyghurs on various fronts.
Kuddus Imam | Campaign Manager
Kuddus Imam was born in Urumchi, East Turkistan. After graduating the University, he went to Japan in 2005 to pursue a higher degree and obtained his master degree in Geographic system. Subsequently, he worked as a sales engineer in a Japanese Firm. He moved to the United States in January 2016. Since his arrival in the US, he has been an active member of Uyghur community and participated in many raise-awareness projects and protests to expose the CCP Genocide against Uyghurs.
Abdulgheni Musa | Treasurer
Abdulgheni Musa was born in Ghulja, East Turkestan. There, he was a community leader and organized Meshreps but was forced out of the country in 1996 due to political pressure. After traveling between Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia studying Islam and working on Uyghur human rights issues, Abdulgheni was invited to the United States by then-Congressman Tom Lantos to give a testimony on the Uyghur plight. Once in the United States, he continued to be an active part of the Uyghur community, volunteering in various protests, advising community Meshreps financially and attending human rights events across the world.