A 17-year-old US teen's makeup tutorials, teaching how to get longer eyelashes, has gone viral with over a million views, on various social media platforms. In the video, Firoza Aziz condemns China over its treatment of Uighur Muslims, which she calls 'another holocaust', in the garb of teaching 'how to curl your eyelashes'.
"It's another holocaust, yet no one is talking about it"
In the first video, Aziz begins by telling viewers "the first thing you need to do is grab your eyelash curler," before urging those watching to "use your phone that you're using right now to search up what's happening in China".
She goes on to condemn China, over its treatment of Uighurs, accusing it of "throwing innocent Muslims" into "concentration camps", saying Muslims are being separated from their families, kidnapped, raped, murdered and forced to consume pork and alcohol, and convert to other religions. She goes on to compare the situation in Xinjiang to 'another Holocaust', that 'no one is talking about'.
'China is afraid of the truth'
Soon after, the Chinese social media suspended Aziz's account for a month. She took to her Twitter handle to inform the same.
TikTok rubbished the claim of her account being suspended for China's criticism. "TikTok does not moderate content due to political sensitivities," a spokesman told BBC News. "Her new account and its videos, including the eyelash video in question, were not affected and continue to receive views," the spokesman added.
While TikTok owned by China's ByteDance isn't said to be censored, the Chinese version 'Douyin', is heavily censored, especially content criticizing the communist regime.
"Spreading awareness does wonders"
In the second video, Aziz urges people to spread awareness. She points out how people's collective voices forced the UN to intervene in Sudan, "we can do the same thing for China", she says as "spreading awareness does wonders". She urges voters in America to vote for a candidate, whom they think can help these people.
"Some people's lives matter more than others"
In the third and final video, Aziz responds to the criticism, about her selective outrage against China. "[When] you are commenting "how come you're talking about this and not this?" You are putting a value on people's lives. you are making it seem like some peoples lives matter more than others, which it doesn't," she said.
"Talk about China, talk about Colombia, talk about America, but remember, spread awareness, don't take it away", she says.
Over a million Muslims in China's 'vocational centres'
It has been widely reported that China has detained over a million Uighurs, most of them Muslims, in north-western Xinjiang province. Though China says that camps are vocational centres, more-and-more reports highlight China's atrocities on its Muslim minorities.
