Rohingya Muslims to spend another Ramazan in distress and despair

Last year in Ramazan, there was no protruding media buzz over the sufferings and pains of Rohingya Muslims. Thankfully, media and the international world has started paying attention to this long neglected genocide and debating on the acute difficulties faced by the Muslims in Burma.

Now as Ramazan is just around the corner, Rohingya people are still waiting for some miraculous change in their fate as the killings of the innocent people continue. Persecution against the Burmese ‏‏Muslim minorities carries on even after voices from far off regions have been raised against this unreasonable discrimination and violent behaviour of the fanatic Buddhists towards the Muslim community living in Burma.

Burmese Muslims are facing issues such as exemptions, driven from their houses and stripped of the right of vote. Rohingyas, who according to them are the offspring of the Arab traders, are settled in Burma since centuries. However, as per the government Rohingyas are not a legitimate ethnic sect.

According to the ruling authority and the dominating religious groups living in the place, Rohingyas are the Bengali migrants and have no right to live in Burma, therefore since 1970s government is formulating policies to further suppress the Muslim minority group.

A large number of Rohingyas are fleeing from the region since decades, yet there are various aspects indicating that thousands of these people are stranded in the oceans on their wobbly boats off the costs of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand having a very limited supply of food and water. In due course, Turkish government has shown a gracious gesture and has sent ships to help the deprived people, yet the people living in camps and detention centres the life continues to be challenging.

Ramazan is a month of fasting, and pleading to Allah for forgiveness and mercy. Even in this blessed month the largely ‘stateless” Muslims, who are stuck in deteriorating situation in Burma and not getting shelter by the other countries will remain homeless and hungry. Many people who have houses are not sleeping there due to the fear of being arrested.

A local youth said that once being arrested, they are forced to sign a paper confessing that they are Bengalis and not Rohingyas. He said that often police officers physically and mentally torcher the arrested ones if they refuse to change their identity. During curfews the security forces paralyze all the activities for the sake of the safety (which is definitely not for the Rohingyas) making it more difficult for the people to manage their living.

Thousands of people are living in camp with limited resources including food, water, clothes, medicines and other basic necessities. Numerous people including kids and women have died because of curable diseases due to lack of proper medical support and medicines. In places like Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships IDPs are not getting any help from the government. Also, in the southern side of the state of Arakan that includes Mrauk-U, Mraybon, Pauktaw and Kyauktaw people are short of money, food and work.

Ramazan carries message of peace and joy for the people especially for children who spend the holy month with devotion and then anxiously wait for the festivities and celebrations of Eid. However for Rohingya children, there will be no celebration as they will be mourning their lost parents, siblings and friends.

All Muslims around the world hope their Ramazan passes in peace and sanctification, but for Rohingyas the month will be passed in hardship and starvation. The starvation which will last even after the month of starving. Many of the people will not have Sehri (Pre-Dawn Meal) and Iftar (break-the-fast meal). Several will not be able to access clean water for ablution in order to offer prayers. Likewise, people will not go for Eid prayers as many of the mosques are still locked on government instructions.

Allah has showered upon us countless blessings for which we should be highly obliged and thankful. We must stop complaining for every little hitches that we face as we are living in a much better situation than many of the people in the world who are deprived of even the basic necessities of life. Moreover, while spending this month of Ramazan in our cosy and comfortable homes with our families we must remember the Muslims of Rohingya in our prayers.