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| Mandalay Mosque (Photo by Wagaung) |
Rohingya Muslims, a persecuted minority within the “Buddhist nation” of Myanmar, are fleeing the country in vast numbers.
Although the essence of Buddhism is compassion for all sentient beings, mobs which call themselves Buddhist have been attacking the Rohingya.
Aljazeera reports that this persecution “has left hundreds dead and 140,000 trapped in camps.”
The Rohingya, who emigrated to Myanmar from “neighboring Bangladesh generations ago,” mostly “live in the northern tip of the Rakhine state.”
Authorities there have recently embarked upon “an aggressive campaign” to categorize the Rohingya as “illegal migrants.” Those refusing to take part in this “verification” process have been “confined… beaten or arrested.”
Due to ongoing violence against the Rohingya, the United Nations has labeled this group “one of the most persecuted religious minorities in the world.”
And that’s saying a lot.
Resources
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2014/10/some-100000-rohingya-now-fled-myanmar-2014102581531289651.html
Copyright October 27, 2014 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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