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120 North American Imams & Leaders: Bangladesh Government Must Halt Rohingya Refugee Relocation
Contact: Adem Caroll
Adem@justiceforall.org
+1 (646) 251-0402
For immediate release
(Washington D.C., 12/23/2020) The Muslim North American leadership has found a united voice on human rights. A diverse group of 120 imams, chaplains, scholars and other leaders in the USA and Canada has signed onto a letter to the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Their demands: that his Government halt relocation of Rohingya Muslims to Bhasan Char, an island built atop an unstable sandbar far from the mainland, and that access be given to UN investigators to determine if the relocation is non-coercive and safe.
Imam Dr. Omar Suleiman, Founder and President, Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research joined other illustrious leaders from around Canada and the USA. Participating imams noted that more than a dozen families were placed on the relocation list without their consultation.
“Rohingya are frightened and in hiding,” stated Imam Taha Ghayyur of Justice For All Canada. “Therefore, it is not surprising that Canadian imams and leadership are requesting a more compassionate response. We have witnessed previous attempts to relocate Rohingya families to Burma as well as Bangladesh, and this creates a climate of fear.”
“The current pandemic is not an excuse to disrupt Rohingya refugee lives further. Though Bangladesh has been very generous in welcoming so many Rohingya fleeing for their lives, recent policies of relocations, without UN’s assessment of the island, appear counterproductive and distract from the ultimate goal: restoration of Rohingya rights and homes in Myanmar,” added Shwe Maung, Rohingya leader and former MP in the Parliament of Myanmar.
“We support the rights of the Rohingya people, and call on your responsible parties to respect the dignity and rights of those who have fled horrible injustice in their homeland and are now in your nation’s care as refugees,” stated Shaykh Abdul Bari, of Detroit, Michigan.
“The Rohingya Muslims deserve the support of the world. Bangladesh is a nation that understands suffering. We expect it to act with compassion towards those who are so deserving of it,” said Shaykh Yawar Baig of Massachusetts.
“This week Sesame Street announced two Rohingya puppet characters, demonstrating how the world is embracing these Muslim genocide survivors. Does Bangladesh really wish to take this moment to add trauma on top of trauma?” asked Imam Malik Mujahid, Founder of Justice for All, which since 2012 has sustained Burma Task Force, a well-known human rights advocacy program. “While the government has been placing long-term restrictions on cell phone and internet services, the pandemic has further impacted education. What future will Rohingya children have in these prison-like camps? The puppets may be treated better than the actual refugee children.”
The North American imams have demanded a stop to relocation, an independent assessment, due process standards to be clarified to avoid coercion, and a role for Bangladesh based civil society to assess Rohingya needs and preferences.
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Justice For All is an international human rights organization with Consultative Status at the United Nations.
For more information: contact Adem Carroll, Team Lead for Burma Task Force adem@justiceforall.org
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