Save the Muslims in Burma

According to what was reported by the French press Agency (Agence France-Presse), the border guards in Bangladesh had returned back eight boats carrying more than 300 Rohingya Muslims, mostly women and children were trying to escape from the violence in Burma.

Shafiq El- Rahman one of the border guards told the “AFP:” There were more than 300 Rohingya Muslims on 8 ships coming from the Burmese city of Akyab. Most of them were crying women and children, noting that he had to return them back to the Burmese land, which means to return them to death.

The hostility against the Muslims of Burma was said to be a main foundation of the composition of the Buddhist community; where Muslims are seen as illegal immigrants, despite the historical presence of Muslims in this country.

Since the military coup that took place in 1962 the military government dismissed the Muslims from all governmental jobs and the army. The government also deported thousands of Muslims in Burma during the sixties and the seventies decades of the last century to Bangladesh.

The Buddhism regime in Burma had followed harsh measures to suppress the Islamic identity, through the demolition of mosques, historical schools and Islamic monuments. The Buddhism government also banned any operations that are carried out to repair or rebuild the mosques or schools that were destroyed by the time.

Economic pressure is a part of the unjust practices pursued by the Buddhism government against the Muslims of Burma, where the government has to raise the prices of food commodities necessary in the neighborhoods with Muslim majority, which led to situations like famine, prompting thousands of Rohingya to escape to Thailand and Bangladesh to live in border camps.

Muslim children are also deprived from learning in colleges and universities, according to the government plans to spread literacy and poverty among the Muslim community. Muslims who travel outside the country for higher education are removed from the records of the village, and then arrested when they return, and thrown in prison. This is in addition to not accepting Muslims in any governmental job no matter how qualified they are. There are exceptional governmental jobs only were Muslims are accepted, like the deans of villages and some of the functions needed by the military, Muslims are appointed without salaries, but at their own.

Adding to all of this persecution, Burmese Muslims are prevented them from traveling abroad even to the Hajj (Pilgrimage). They are only allowed to travel to Bangladesh for a short period of time, and traveling by Muslims to the capital of the country “Yangon” or any other city is considered a punishable offense, even the movement from one village to another is not allowed without obtaining permission.

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