"We are stronger when we stand together" - Enes Kanter shares a strong message after the Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen thanks him for his advocacy
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter has been as vocal and passionate off the court as he has been about it when it comes to such things as social injustice, inequality, minority rights and freedom. Kanter made headlines recently after voicing his support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and Taiwan's heightened effort to promote its democratic status and create a distinct profile from China. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, in a video, said that she appreciated Enes Kanter's advocacy and pledge to always defend Taiwan's hard earned freedom and democracy.
Enes Kanter has been in the eye of the storm after publicly condemning China's repressive rules over its treatment of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in the country. He has also attacked big corporations such as Nike and other prominent Muslim athletes and leaders for their silence on the country's brutal state-sponsored campaign of repression against Uyghur Muslims.
He also went on to advocate for other states such as Taiwan, who the Chinese consider as part of their sovereign territory, despite the communist regime being unable to control the island for a very long time. Beijing recently threatened Taipei with a record number of Chinese warplanes flying near Taiwanese territory in a show of might. China's Foreign Ministry dismissed Kanter's previous comments, calling him a clout chaser, but are still seemingly ticked off after pulling out Boston Celtics games from their NBA broadcasts inside the country.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen thanked Enes Kanter in a video reply, to which Kanter replied saying that he was honored, thanking her for her kind words. He added that he was looking forward to visiting the country and learning about the Taiwanese culture and meeting the brave people of Taiwan. Here's what he said:
"What an honor! Thank you to the president of Taiwan @iingwen for your kind words. I can’t wait to come visit your beautiful country, learn about Taiwanese culture, taste some of your delicious food, and meet the brave people of Taiwan. We are stronger when we stand together."
What an honor!
Thank you to the president of Taiwan @iingwen for your kind words.
I can’t wait to come visit your beautiful country, learn about Taiwanese culture, taste some of your delicious food, and meet the brave people of Taiwan.
We are stronger when we stand together.🇹🇼 https://t.co/qFCJMHmkYT
Enes Kanter is one of the few celebrities passionate enough to use his platform wisely to support causes which others usually don't go near due to fear of backlash or political repercussions. Kanter has no such fear and will continue to take on oppressive regimes, fight for the cause of minorities and bring to light social injustice issues.
Enes Kanter's arduous fight to hold China accountable
Enes Kanter is the only prominent celebrity at the moment who has been relentless in his pursuit of justice. He has a desire to hold China accountable for their oppressive rule and brutal treatment of ethnic minorities such as the Uyghur Muslims in the country. According to the BBC, human rights groups believe that China has detained over a million Uyghurs against their will in the past few years and sent them to "re-education camps", while also sentencing hundreds of thousands to prison terms.
Kanter called out corporate giants Nike for their silence on the issue despite being vocal about other minority rights movements such as Black Lives Matter. Here's what he said in a video posted on his social media accounts:
“Nike stands with Black Lives Matter, Nike stands with Stop Asian Hate, Nike stands with the Latino community, and Nike stands with the LGBTQ community. But when it comes to China, Nike remains silent. You do not address police brutality in China. You do not speak about discrimination against the LGBTQ. You do not say a word about the oppression of minorities in China…Who makes your shoes in China? Do you even know? There are so many forced labor factories in China. For instance, Uyghur forced labor. Modern day slavery is happening right now in China.”
Dear @Nike
Stop the modern day SLAVERY, now!!!
#HypocriteNike
#EndUyghurForcedLabor https://t.co/tvX2k3wE4X
Nike later commented that it does not obtain supplies from Xinjiang, the place reported to be the hub of a state-sponsored campaign against Uyghur Muslims. Enes Kanter has not only stopped at standing up for the rights of ethnic minority groups but has also been at the forefront of advocating for pro-democracy movements in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Tibet, territories Bejing considers their own, reacting harshly to any criticism of its policies relating to them.
Kanter does not look like he will stop before he sees China being held accountable for their repressive policies, which seems like a long-shot considering Beijing's history of shutting out dissent both within their country and externally.