A Palestinian woman inspects the destroyed houses in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

Adrian Zenz, a so-called scholar who has been clamoring about his imaginary "repression" of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang, has remained silent on the bloody attack on Palestinian Muslims. After being asked to say something about it, he tweeted with a tone of whataboutism, saying, "I research western China's ethnic minorities." 

In other words, Zenz was saying, Palestine was none of his business, but Xinjiang is. After all, he is paid by the anti-China far-right Washington-based organization, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

"Human rights" is nothing but a tool for Zenz, who fabricated "forced labor" and "demographic genocide" lies in Xinjiang. He never really cared about human rights. Zenz and his like hold the one and only standard on judging human rights issues - whether they can help them attack the Communist Party of China, and thus advance US interests. To achieve the goal, Zenz can do anything, including counterfeiting data, making up lies, and raising fraudulent claims. 

A simple reality can cut through his arguments - Xinjiang is among the regions in China which has the fastest population growth and youngest demographic structure, according to reports and analysts based on the latest national population census. It is happening when Zenz keeps stressing "forced sterilization" and "genocide" is taking place in the region. 

Zenz has acquired some fame lately, yet not because of his academic level, but because he has the cheek to put out guesses as wild as he can without any proof and propagandize them in a serious manner. This is why Zenz is becoming a "well-known" and representative figure, Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told Global Times on Monday.

The so-called human rights in his research are fake, which has been proven by his lies in the past, and once again mirrored by his current silence on the Palestinian issue. 

Zenz's trick is an epitome of US tactics. The US claims itself the lighthouse of human rights. But after Israel bombed the building in the Gaza Strip on Saturday which housed several media outlets including Associated Press, the latter did not even dare condemn Israeli strikes while only expressing "shock and horror." The White House did not condemn the attack either, not to mention it articulated two days ago of the US' "support for Israel's right to defend itself."

Ever since human rights became a diplomatic tool of US foreign policy, it has never protected the genuine human rights of Americans or worldwide citizens, but has turned into merely a label. When Washington needs it to attack, various excuses can be choreographed under the name of human rights. But when a US ally violates human rights, Uncle Sam would only turn a blind eye to it, Shen said. 

The US has no human rights at all. Evidence is abundant. Take a look at the number of COVID-19 deaths in the country, racism, or the issue of gun violence. But when the US needs the tool to serve its national interests, it can make up noble human rights excuses at once. 

Chinese people are living an increasingly better life. China has discovered creative and efficient methods to fight coronavirus and terrorism. Yet that goes against US interests. In Washington's playbook, Beijing is a rival, even an enemy, so it must have human rights issues, regardless of the facts. But Israel is different - how could a US ally have human rights issue? That's why the US seems okay with Israel bombing the media building or hurting Palestinian civilians, according to Shen. US media outlets even tried to help explain how civilized this US ally was - personnel in the building were told an hour in advance to leave the building before it was bombarded. 

This is how US human rights work.