No Cooperation with Oppressors.
What is wrong with Muslim Schools of Thought?
Microphone sabotaged.
On June 3, Br. Kaukab Siddique gave the Juma' khutba at
masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen in Baltimore, Maryland. Video of
the khutba has been posted on face book on three pages.
Someone had sabotaged the microphone and the speaker
asks again and again: "Can you hear me now?"
Here is a summary of the main points of the khutba..
We honor and accept all the prophets and messengers, from
Noah, thru Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad, peace
and blessings be on all of them.
Islam rejects all false gods and does not permit
cooperation with oppressors, exploiters and tyrants,
whatever their religion.
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, even when he was the
preacher of Islam alone in Makka never cooperated with any
of the powerful forces against him.
The tribes in control of Makka worshipped idols,
practiced slavery and humiliated women.
Those who accepted the message of Islam were subjected to
torture by the oppressors. The most famous examples are
those of Bilal, r.a., and Sumayya, r.a., the first martyr.
of Islam.
The tribes decided to kill Muhammad, pbuh, but he was
able to leave Makka and joined people in Madina who accepted
him.
Even there they would not leave him alone and sent armies
against him.
He, pbuh, accepted peace with them to be able to do the
hajj, but peace did not mean that he cooperated with them in
their evil system.
We in America want to live in peace. We are kind to
neighbors and maintain civility and honor, we give charity
and feed the hungry but that does not mean that we should
join the evil power structure.
This country has gone beyond all levels of decency,
openly supporting homosexuality and abortion on demand.
America has waged war against Muslims around the world.
America supports Israel and opposes all efforts to liberate
Palestine.
Part 2.
Most Muslims follow established schools of thought. Thus
they neglect the Quran and hadith and instead follow fiqh,
famous scholars and popular opinion.
Most Muslims don't know that the scholars after whom the
Schools of Thought are named did not establish those Schools
of Thought.
Imam Abu Hanifa refused to accept positions of authority
offered by the Muslim government. He was mistreated and
almost killed but he escaped and went to Makka.
Imam Malik did not even want to look at the "Caliph."
The powerful ruler came to his house and the imam left him
standing out in the hot Arabian sun.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was urged by the Caliph of that
time to add one point in the belief system of Islam. He said
its not in the Qur'an and Hadith and beliefs cannot be added
by rulers. He was imprisoned in bad conditions, but he did
not budge an inch.
Imam Bukhari was offered the highest position in the
justice system. He abandoned his country and went to another
country.
People nowadays who cannot stand against rulers and
oppressors cannot be called scholars. Their "Islam" is
incomplete because they cannot preach against the legitimacy
of authorities and dictators.
The students of these great scholars compromised with
the "caliphs." Hence we have the Hanafi school, the Maliki
school, the Hanbali school, and the followers of Imam
Bukhari who are NOT following what the real scholars
taught.
In Baltimore children and single mothers need help. Our
scholarship is no good if we do not help them. Prisoners
need our support.
We thank the people of Kuwait who have ordered the
American embassy to take down the lgbtq homo flag.
"#Ambassador Abdul Basit #Kaleidoscope
Kabul Government Shows Its Diplomatic Skills" [June 4]
Thanks to Dr. T. we have received this important video.
It's about Indias's latest big time initiative with
Kabul.
It appears that the new Taliban government is trying to
create strategic relationship with India.
Abdul Basit thinks the Taliban have given up on Pakistan and
are getting cuddly with India.
There is no support from Taliban for Kashmir. Modi's
extremist Hindu regime has not been seen as negative by
Taliban.
Very thought provoking and saddening.
New Government Following the same old policies. IMF still
Ruling Pakistan
By Qaiser Sharif
Lahore: June 03: Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq said the
government has dropped another fuel bomb on the nation on
the dictation of the IMF, creating unbearable situation for
the millions of the people who are already starving due to
inflation.
He was addressing the JI Majlise Shura (consultative
council) at Mansoorah on Friday.
The masses, he said, were no longer ready to accept the
slavery of the IMF and their agents.
The JI, he said, was completely rejecting the raise in fuel
prices and power tariff and will not sit silent over the
crimes of the rulers against the poor people of
Pakistan.
The three-day session of the Shura began on Friday to
discuss the prevailing situation in the country. Sirajul
Haq, has already announced the countrywide protest movement
against the inflation and interest-based economy from June
11. He said the JI would not only discuss the prevailing
crises during the Shura sessions but also present it before
the nation to bring it out from the mess created by the
three ruling parties during their rule over country for
decades.
He said the unity government of the PDM and the PPP crossed
all the limits of cruelty,continuing the policies of the
former PTI government. The irony was that the three parties
were in power in one province or the other and at the same
time they were holding each other responsible fot the plight
of the people. He said. If the PPP had been in power in
Sindh for over 14 years, the PTI was in-charge of the
affairs of the KP since 2013. Similarly, he added, the PML-N
had been ruling over the biggest province for years. The
ruling parties, he said, must inform the nation what they
had done for the welfare of the masses instead of blame game
and lies.
He said the JI was the only option left with the masses and
it could bring the real change if voted to power.
War News
Ukraine
Slow Russian Advance Continues.
In the key city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine says it has
recaptured part of the territory that was lost to Russian
forces
Previously, the governor of Luhansk Serhiy Haidai had said
70% of the eastern city had fallen to Russia
Moscow is increasing air strikes in the eastern Donbas
region - the focus of its fight - UK military intelligence
says
Across the whole of Ukraine, Russian forces are in control
of roughly a fifth of the territory
But Ukraine's president Zelensky has said the country did
"what seemed impossible" by resisting "the second army of
the world"
In an overnight address, he said Russia's invasion was
nothing more than "war crimes, shame and hatred
[Confused BBC Reporting]
Syria
Scattered Fighting and General Chaos.
June 4. Assad regime forces [tanks and heavy weapons] have
arrived north of al-Raqqa province.
Heavy Turkish shelling wounded 6 Assad troops nearby.
Islamic group known as Fath al-Mubeen exchanged heavy
machine gun fire with Assad troops [Iranians] in Idlib
countryside. Same situation in western Aleppo province.
Large Turkish reinforcements arrived in Idlib province.
People are leaving northern Hasakeh province after heavy
Tjurkish artillery fire on SDF forces.
US forces and local militia carry out joint exercise at
al-Tanaf [Syria Iraq border].
In Deir ez Zor desert ISIS ambush killed 3 pro-Iran militia
and a civilian with them. 20 pro-Iran were injured.
Southeast of Deraa city, an IED injured 6 of Assad's
troops.
In northwest Aleppo protestors against Turkey killed 2
Syrians supporting Turkey.
North west Aleppo, anti-Turkish protests are spreading
including arson against machinery installed by Turkey
Deir Ez Zor [East} two SDF soldiers were killed in clash
with Syrian smugglers, one of whom was also killed.
News Within the U.S.
Comedy used as a cover for Zionist Ideology
Modern Family, comedy channel 7, Philadelphia, two homos
have been made central characters. This seems to be part of
the normalization process aimed at children that homos are
fine. Opposing views are never given. Good Christians and
Muslims are silent, handing LGBTQ an easy victory.
Remember we too have first amendment rights.
Outreach
At MIT University:
Such a Creative Effort for Aafia Siddiqui!
At the Commencement ceremony of world famous MIT university,
Americans of good conscience demonstrated against the
imprisonment of its world famous graduate.
Boston supporters of political prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
found creative ways to draw attention to her case! Hats off
to them, and all those who stand for justice!
Looks like someone named Maureen was the organizer. May
Allah bless her.
[For photos of this unusual effort see Nadrat Siddique's
facebook page, Despite a full time job, she never misses a
chance to strive for Aafia Siddiqui. [Not a relative.]
Yasin Malik: The most recognizable leader of Kashmir:
WKAF
Statement made by World Kashmir Awareness forum
Washington, DC. June 4, 2022
On Wednesday, May 25, 2022 (Shawwal 24, 1443), one of the
most influential, recognizable, and revered political
leaders of Kashmir Mohammad Yasin Malik, Chairman Jammu
Kashmir Liberation Front, was sentenced to life imprisonment
by an Indian court
His Crime?
He wanted Independence for his beloved homeland from India.
He wanted India to honor the pledge she gave to the world
community and to the United Nations that the people of Jammu
& Kashmir shall have the right to self-determination to
determine their future and destiny.
Fondly called Yasin Sahib by his 'people', he was born in
Kashmir in 1966 and attended the local school and college.
He had political and leadership tendencies from an early
age.
During his teenage years, the National Conference had become
the predominant party after the Indian Prime Minister,
Indira Gandhi, and Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah signed an
'Accord' earlier in 1975 that went entirely against the
aspirations of the people.
Violence by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against
innocent, unarmed civilians who were unable to express their
opposition to the official policies agitated Malik. He
rebelled against this oppression and assembled a group of
like-minded youth that subscribed to his ideology and named
it Tala Party. In 1983, he tried to disrupt an international
cricket match between West Indies and India that was played
in the stadium in Srinagar (Capital of Kashmir). All
Kashmiri spectators were rooting for West Indies to the
delight of the visiting team and to the dismay of the Indian
team and Indian authorities. (Incidentally, India has never
again held an international sports event in Kashmir
since).
Malik's group organized protests in Kashmir on the first
anniversary of the hanging of Kashmiri freedom struggle
leader, Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged on 11 February 1984 in
Tihar Jail in Delhi. He also took a public stand in 1985
against the candidates fielded by the National Conference
for elections. He was roughed up and hospitalized. Soon
thereafter, he was arrested and sent to 'Red 16'
interrogation center for three months.
This was his first experience with prison with physical
torture at the hands of Indian authorities.
The experience led him to transform the Tala party into the
Islamic Student League (ISL). It attracted who's who in the
Kashmir youth movement, including Ashfaq Majeed Wani, Javaid
Mir, Shakeel Bakshi, Ajaz Dar, Mehmood Sagar, Firdous Shah,
Mushtaq Ul Islam, and scores of other well-recognized names
in Kashmir. And, very quickly, ISL represented the street
power across Kashmir.
Election and politics became preoccupation of Mr. Malik. "It
was unimaginable to take out an anti-National Conference
(NC) rally in Srinagar then," relates Yasin Malik in his
interview with Saima Bhat of Kashmir Life in 2016. ISL and
Muslim United Front (MUF) worked closely while the latter
fielded candidates across the Valley of Kashmir against the
NC candidates for the 1987 State Assembly elections.
ISL did not field any candidate for the election since it
did not agree to election under the Indian constitution. It
did, however, actively campaigned for the MUF in all
constituencies in Srinagar. Apparently, Amira Kadal was the
most fiercely contested constituency between the National
Conference and MUF candidates. The polling was reportedly
brisk. For two days counting continued for the Amira Kadal
constituency at the Government Medical college hostel in
Bemina, Srinagar.
Malik, in his interview referenced above, said "When we went
there, we saw agents were tampering [with] votes. SSP Gill
[in charge of the station] was there, I asked him what was
going around to which he replied 'you are most wanted and I
don't want you to be arrested here'." Shortly thereafter,
police raided their office and arrested most of the MUF
leadership. Malik, along with Ashfaq and Javaid, jumped out
of the window to avoid arrest.
It is universally accepted that the Indian machinery grossly
rigged the 1987 elections to install the puppet Farooq
Abdullah Government in Kashmir. There was a hue and cry
across the Valley but who would listen? That became the
catalyst for a number of Kashmiris, including Malik and his
close associates to start an uprising against the Indian
occupation.
Armed revolt against the illegal Indian occupation then
erupted in 1988. Malik picked up the gun against Indian
rule. He was wounded and captured in a battle in August
1990. In media interviews, he has maintained that he was
driven to "armed struggle" because the Indian state did not
allow any space for non-violent protests. And, in his
interview with BBC in 2001, Malik said: "When people look at
Yasin Malik, they have to look at three Yasin Malik's
— one from '84 to 88 [student activist], second from
88 till 1994 [militant], and third from '94 till onward
[Gandhian]". In the same interview, he mentioned, "The
matter is simple, there are cases against me pending in
court, but now 11 years have passed and Government of India
has not even started the trial,"
He renounced violence in 1994
He has been imprisoned regularly ever since. The more recent
Indian onslaught came when Mohammad Yasin Malik, late Syed
Ali Shah Geelani, and Mirwaiz Omar Farooq announced the
formation of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) in 2016.
JRL's "hartals" were effective and followed across all
stripes of public opinion. But it also brought on the wrath
of the Indian army and paramilitary forces.
In 2019 Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) headed by
Malik was banned and he was arrested. The Indian National
Investigation Agency (NIA) accused Malik and several others
of receiving funding from Pakistan to finance acts of
terrorism, including stone-pelting. What happened inside the
court - no one knows for sure. There was no open trial.
Almost 50 anonymous witnesses, some with code names of
'Jack', 'John' and 'Alpha', were apparently presented in the
opaque court.
At the trial, Malik protested the charges against him and
insisted that he was a freedom fighter. As reported by
Associated Press, Malik stated that "Terrorism-related
charges leveled against me are concocted, fabricated and
politically motivated." AP further reported that Malik told
the judge, "If seeking Azadi (freedom) is a crime, then I am
ready to accept this crime and its consequences."
Mushaal Hussein Mullick, Yasin Maliks's wife, wrote on her
Twitter account "Verdict in minutes by Indian kangaroo
court," "The iconic leader will never surrender."
The sentencing of Yasin Malik by the Indian kangaroo court
is not surprising for the people of Kashmir. These are the
same courts that committed judicial murder of Kashmiri
freedom fighters like Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru in the
Indian capital's Tihar Jail. In the case of Guru, the Chief
justice of the highest court in India admitted that evidence
was circumstantial, but the sentence was upheld to satisfy
the collective conscience in the society. Mumbai, India
based FirstPost reported on February 26, 2016 that "Afzal
Guru, executed in 2013 for his role in the terror attack on
Parliament, is at the centre of a political storm after
protests in universities across the country. Those opposed
to the death sentence handed out to him have termed it as a
'judicial killing' and said that it was carried out merely
to satisfy a questionable 'collective conscience."
Although Yasin Malik has been given the inhumane and cruel
sentence for life, worse may be on the cards, given India's
previous record in Kashmir. The point to be noted is that
Yasin Sahib in late was involved in peaceful negotiations
with Indian leaders at their invitation and reassurance for
a peaceful dialogue at the highest level, including the then
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh? No Indian administration
has ever been worthy of trust in its dialogues with
Kashmiris or its neighboring countries. The plan and
intentions of the current fascist regime are even more
sinister. The International community must take cognizance
of that historical behavior of India. By eliminating
peace-loving leaders like Yasin Malik, the Indian regime is
closing any avenues of peace in the region and pushing the
youth of Kashmir towards actions that can be detrimental to
the peaceful resolution of Kashmir conflict. We appeal to
the United Nations and other world organizations to shed
their protracted silence and earnestly impress upon the
Indian government to let international standards of justice
prevail and free Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Monkey Pox came from Male to Male in Nigeria and is now in
Israel, UK and Singapore.
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of Medicine.
Guidance by Sis. Yasmin.
*PROPHET*~(Peace Be Upon Him)
*MEN WHO BELIEVED IN ALLAH & ACKNOWLEDGED THE TRUTHFULNESS
OF MESSENGERS*~(Bukhari & Muslim).
'Assalaamualaykum Wa Rahmatuallahi Wa Barakatahu'
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him)
said...
Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said ---
'The dwellers of 'Jannah' will look at those in the upper
abodes above them as you look at a shining star which
remains in the eastern or western horizon...
such will be the difference in superiority which some of
them have over others.'
PROPHET ~ (Peace Be Upon Him) was asked ---
' Will those be the dwellings of the Prophets which no one
else will be able to reach ?'
he (Peace Be Upon Him) replied---
'Yes, but by Him in whose hand my soul is---
men who believed in Allah and acknowledged the truthfulness
of the Messengers will reach them.'
[Source: Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Book # 20 ~ Hadith #
1887]
A Lil Note:
In 'Jannah', people will have different grades according to
the
strength of their Belief and love of Allah
some people will be on a position near that of the
Prophets.
May Allah [Azza wa Jal] grant us such lofty places...
{Allah Humma Ameen.}
~MY 'SALAAMS TO ALL~
~ Y a s m i n~
Say, 'Indeed, my Prayer, my Rites of Sacrifice,
my Living and my Dying are for ALLAH, Lord of the
Worlds'.
{'Quran'~Surat Al-'An'am -# 6-162.}
Palestinians seem to be Helpless
30 May 2022
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh has described
attacks by far-right Israelis in occupied East Jerusalem as
"aggression which crossed all red lines".
Tens of thousands of flag-waving, ultranationalist Israelis
raided the Muslim quarter of the Old City on Sunday during
the so-called "flag march". The provocative march that took
place in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is meant to
celebrate the occupation and subsequent annexation of East
Jerusalem in 1967 - a move that has not been recognised by
the international community.
Some chanted racist slogans including "Death to Arabs" and
attacked Palestinian residents while backed by armed Israeli
forces.
Some Jewish groups also stormed the Al-Aqsa compound raising
fears among Palestinians that it was an attempt to change
the status quo at Islam's third holiest site. Jewish prayers
are prohibited at the 35-acre (14-hectare) compound known to
Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary. Jews
call it the Temple Mount.
"Israel yesterday has crossed all red lines and
international treaties with its repeated aggression against
Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. It attempts to impose a reality that
doesn't align with the historical status quo of Al-Aqsa
mosque," Shtayyeh said on Monday.
Dozens of Palestinians were arrested across occupied East
Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank a day earlier, where
protests to decry the march erupted, while more than 165
suffered injuries ranging from heavy tear gas inhalation to
beatings and wounds from live rounds, as well as
rubber-coated steel bullets.
Following the march, large groups of Israelis stormed
through Palestinian neighbourhoods, assaulting residents as
well as their property.
Nida Ibrahim, reporting from the West Bank city of Ramallah,
said the Shattyeh has been issuing statements "since
yesterday".
"He had strong statements today saying that Israel needed
more than 3,000 Israeli army and police officers to secure
the city," Ibrahim said.
"He said there's a difference between occupying the city
militarily and being the occupying power - and actually
having sovereignty [over it]."
On Monday, Israel's Defence Minister Benny Gantz said two
right-wing "extremist" groups accused of violence towards
Palestinians should be placed on "terror" list.
"I believe it is time to examine defining groups like La
Familia and Lehava as terror groups, and I know the issue is
being presented to security forces," Gantz said during a
meeting of his Blue and White party.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described Lehava and La
Familia as a "disgrace" who weren't "worthy of holding the
Israeli flag".
Settler attacks
Some 70,000 Israelis were reported to have joined the annual
march, which is seen as a bid by Israel to impose control
over the occupied part of the city.
According to Ibrahim, Palestinians "on the street" said that
these statements are not enough and expect more from their
leadership.
"The Palestinian Authority has been saying it's committed to
a peaceful resolution ... on the streets, Palestinians have
been saying Israel cementing its occupation," she said.
Israel has been advancing its illegal settlement project on
occupied Palestinian lands. Settlements are fortified,
Jewish-only housing complexes built on Palestinian land in
violation of international law. At least 600,000 settlers
live in settlements across the occupied West Bank and East
Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Hebron, Israeli settlers
resumed their march on Monday.
"We know settlers in Hebron in the south of the occupied
West Bank have marched through the old part of the city," Al
Jazeera's Ibrahim said.
Settlers "continued marching with their flags, with their
racist slogans" towards the Ibrahimi mosque, she said,
adding that settlers "invaded the squares of the mosque"
while under the protection of the Israeli army.
According to her, Palestinian journalists who were
attempting to document what was happening were prevented
from doing so.
Wafa news agency reported that settlers also marched with
Israeli flags at a military checkpoint near Nablus and Jenin
in the northern West Bank while a secondary school in the
Palestinian village of Urif also came under attack, it
said.
The Palestinian news agency quoted the principal as saying
that the settlers arrived with the army's protection. They
threw rocks at the school which resulted in some damage,
while soldiers fired tear gas canisters causing "many
suffocation cases", it added.
Settler attacks on Palestinians and their property have been
rife across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The situation
in Hebron's old city is particularly volatile, as some 700
Israeli settlers live among a Palestinian population of
nearly 40,000.
A report released by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
that presents leaked documents from the files of
the Xinjiang police offers "absolutely shocking" evidence of
the chronic abuse and brutality inflicted on the Uyghur
population in China's far west region, according to Andrew
Bremberg, the foundation's president and a former U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations.
Bremberg called the leaked documents, known as the "Xinjiang
Police Files," a "huge data cache that is unprecedented of
its kind" and said that the files contain the personal
information of hundreds of thousands of detained persons.
Analysts estimate that the Chinese regime is holding more
than 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslim minorities in
a network of concentration camps across the region.
The files present "extensive incriminating details from
inside China's internment camp system," the foundation
stated in a May 23 statement, which went on to describe the
contents of the files in more detail. The files purport to
reveal thousands of images of Uyghur prisoners, from
children to elderly men and women, and pictures of police
officers and guards placing handcuffs and shackles on
prisoners in the course of drills.
Besides the images of prisoners and guards, the files
purport to contain the text of high-level directives and
orders from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials
regarding the classification and treatment of the
incarcerated Uyghurs. One such directive, according to the
foundation, is the exhortation of Chen Quanguo, former
Xinjiang CCP party secretary, that officials and police
should treat those of different ethnicities as violent
criminals.
The files also present a speech from an unnamed "central
government official" stating that Chinese leader Xi Jinping
issued orders to expand the funding and number of guards
available for the highly crowded jails of Xinjiang and to
enlarge the internment system within the region.
Speaking to EpochTV's "China Insider" program, Bremberg said
that much of what the files have brought to light is
consistent with what observers of the human rights situation
in Xinjiang knew to be going on, but that it's still
shocking to see the images of very young detainees and those
of advanced age. One of the detainees is a girl photographed
at 14 and jailed at 15, he noted.
"Those photos were just shocking and horrifying to see. I'd
also say [the same about] some of the other photos that show
not just those that have been imprisoned, but show the
actual security forces inside those internment facilities
and how they operate," Bremberg said.
Between Bangladesh & Burms
Latest Report on the Horrific Suffering of Rohingya
Muslims
by Dr Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid
[Chicago]
Let Rohingya Learn
Rohingyas are indigenous people of Burma living in their
ancestral lands. But most of them now reside in the largest
refugee camp in Bangladesh surrounded by barbed wires all
around them.
While the whole world is thankful to Bangladesh for giving
refuge to Rohingyas facing genocide, we will be more
thankful if Bangladesh allows them to learn.
It was Burma that took away their citizenship in 1982 making
it difficult for Rohingyas to enter a school. Rohingya being
resilient with sabr, found an alternate. They enhanced their
mosque school system of madrasah.
In 2012 Burma banned all mosques and all madrasah.
Before the "final solution" of the Rohingya problem advanced
in 2017, they were already turned into an illiterate
minority in a state with a high literacy rate of 84.7%.
Now in Bangladesh, another generation of Rohingyas are being
raised as illiterate people. Unfortunately, local
authorities have ignored Rohingya rights to education. Like
animals in a zoo, young refugees are kept alive with regular
feeding, but their human potential has been ignored.
Rohingyas in Bangladesh are not allowed to study beyond
third grade. In the camps, some informal learning centers
run by Rohingya themselves, are being shut down as well. The
coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the poverty and
isolation of these displaced people. But even before
pandemic restrictions were imposed in March 2020,
international humanitarian organizations have had difficulty
obtaining access and permits. The Bangladesh government
compounds the social, psychological and economic harm that
traumatized refugees have suffered. By forgetting
education's benefits to all, the authorities risk the social
order, with unemployed young people falling into
hopelessness and frustration with the futility of limited
lives. Local NGOs assert that, in addition to keeping the
Rohingya people in poverty, the current lack of educational
opportunities may lead to alienation, criminal activities,
child marriage and trafficking.
Though the Government of Bangladesh has ratified the
Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC), it has ignored
its legal obligations to provide education, maintaining a
public position that the Rohingya will soon be repatriated.
Since the Burmese military coup of February 1, 2021, this
particular fiction has become extremely difficult to
maintain. The genocidal Burmese military leadership
continues to oppose Rohingya repatriation.
In "Are We Not Human?" an excellent 2019 report based on 163
interviews with refugee children and other stakeholders,
Human Rights Watch researchers describe the many
restrictions that have been imposed on Rohingya education in
Bangladesh. The report notes that these restrictive policies
long pre-date 2017, as the government of Bangladesh has
limited educational opportunities previously available to
Rohingya children from earlier mass expulsions.
I led an interfaith delegation meeting with the foreign
secretary of Bangladesh in 2018. Even then he was skeptical
of Rohingyas ever going back to Burma. That looks like a
more realistic scenario now as the genocidal military has
taken over the Burmese government.
Rohingyas want to go back to their ancestral land. We will
continue to fight for their right to return. But whether
they go back to Burma or stay in Bangladesh, an educated
Rohingya will be a better citizen and a better neighbor. Who
can deny that.
