- Alas the Muslim world today is a weak one
For months now the terrible plight of the Rohingyas has been in the news almost daily. Every newspaper in every country (with the exception of Burma) has carried harrowing stories of atrocities against these poor defenceless people. While Pakistani television channels have been largely preoccupied with local political dramas, every western television channel (BBC and CNN included) has repeatedly drawn attention to the crimes against humanity being committed in Burma.
This has resulted in an indignant outcry of horror in the western world. America, Canada, England, France, Germany and other European countries have strongly protested to the Burmese government. Even Japan and Korea have expressed their disgust at what is happening. Far eastern countries like Cambodia and Vietnam have sent journalists to Burma to report back and draw the world’s attention to the barbaric persecution of the Rohingya. Many European countries, including UK, sent envoys to Burma to plead for mercy for the Rohingya.
All these countries have one thing in common – they are all non Muslim countries. What have the Muslim countries done? With the exception of Bangladesh, which was forced to give shelter to Rohingya refugees, Muslim countries have done nothing.
When Muslim homes in Burma were burnt to the ground, Muslim countries remained silent. When Muslim men in Burma were hacked to death, Muslim countries did nothing. When Muslim children were butchered in Burma, Muslim countries shrugged it off. When young Muslim girls were gang raped in Burma, Muslim countries looked the other way.
How is it that a relatively weak and isolated country like Burma was able to commit such horrible atrocities against Muslims in open view of the world? Did Burma not fear the reaction of over one billion Muslims? Did Burma not know that some of the wealthiest countries in the world are Muslim?
Is it not unfair that Bangladesh which has only 147,000 square kilometers and a per capita GDP of merely $4,200 should bear the entire burden of Rohingya?
Of course Burma knew. But Burma also knew that Muslims around the world are too busy killing fellow Muslims to care about a few hundred thousand Rohingya Muslims. While this ethnic cleansing against Muslims was going on in Burma, the richest Muslim country was waging war against the poorest Muslim country. A few wealthy Muslim countries had embraced the western propaganda term, “coalition” to wage war against Shia Muslims. As if the word “coalition” somehow makes war legal. Shia Muslims are occupied in battling Sunni backed ISIS. Kurdish Muslims are fighting for their own survival. Our own country is almost leaderless and suffering from political paralysis. There is obsessive infighting in our country although, thankfully, our infighting is non-violent.
Alas the Muslim world today is a weak one. Weak enough for a small poor country like Burma to humiliate us.
Muslims are busy waging war on each other but are they really so weak that they can do nothing for the Rohingya? More than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims have been massacred. Nothing can be done about them now. But 700,000 have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh and face the terrible prospect of returning to Burma where they will meet the same fate from which they fled. Is it naive to suggest that Muslims lead the international rescue of the Rohingya Muslims? Will that really be too difficult?
The entire Rohingya refugee population of 700,000 can be easily accommodated in 100 square kilometres of space. Saudi Arabia has 2,150,000 square kilometres (admittedly most of it desert, but so was Israel at one time) with 32 million people having a per capita GDP of $55,000. Giving shelter to the Rohingya refugees will increase Saudi Arabia’s population by 2pc and reduce their per capita GDP by 1pc.
The above is an example of how our fellow Muslims in Burma can be provided safe havens. It is not necessary, nor is it being suggested, that Saudi Arabia take in all the Rohingya refugees. The UAE has 83,000 square kilometres with a population of only nine million and a per capita GDP of $68,000. Qatar has an area of only 11,000 square kilometres (Rohingya need only 100 square kilometres) with a population of only 2.5 million and a per capita GDP of $125,000. Similarly Iran has an area of 1,648,000 square kilometres, Egypt has one million square kilometres and Libya has 1.8 million square kilometres. Even Kazakhstan has an area of 2.7 million square kilometres and a per capita GDP of $26,000. Do the maths and it will be seen how easy it would be to resettle the Rohingya refugees to some of the wealthy Muslim countries who have large areas and are in any case under populated.
Is it not unfair that Bangladesh which has only 147,000 square kilometers and a per capita GDP of merely $4,200 should bear the entire burden of Rohingya? And is it not cruel to ask the Rohingya to return to their burnt out homes in Burma and live in fear of being raped and hacked?
Muslims certainly do have the capacity to help the Rohingya, all that they need is to have mercy on fellow Muslims.