Salman Looks on as Christian Leaders Voice Support for Rohingya Muslims

King Salman of Saudi Arabia

In the wake of renewed hostilities on Rohingya Muslims by the Burmese regime of Aung San Suu Kyi, notable Christian personalities including Pope Francis have expressed their frustration at the situation being presently faced the world’s most persecuted minorities. It is not the first time the pope is showing his dissatisfaction with what the Rohingya are going through at the hands of Suu Kyi’s government, but this time the pontiff has done something physically. At the plea of Pope Francis, a rescue ship for the Rohingya has been stationed off the coast of Libya pending when a green-light is given for aid workers to move into
Arakan. It is however not clear what the rescuers will be doing; providing relief materials or evacuating the oppressed people. During the last crackdown on Rohingyas by Suu Kyi’s regime which took place between October 2016 and March 2017, the 80 year old while speaking to a 7,000 strong congregation at the Paul VI Hall said about the Rohingya, "They are not Christians, they are peaceful people, and they are our brothers and sisters." In other parts of his speech he said the words, “the Rohigya are good people who are being persecuted simply because they want to live their culture and their Muslim faith”. He was also quoted to have said, "they are being chased from Myanmar and are fleeing from one place to another because no one wants them".

Another prominent Christian clergyman and Nobel Laureate, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, on September 8th broke his silence on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims. The 86 year old retired Anglican bishop who became popular due to his stand against apartheid in the 1980’s wrote an open to the head of Burma’s government, Aung San Suu Kyi, in which he expressed his sorrow at Suu Kyi’s defiant indifference at the ongoing crackdown which some experts and world leaders have labeled ‘ethnic cleansing’. The letter read thus:

My dear Aung San Suu Kyi

I am now elderly, decrepit and formally retired, but breaking my vow to remain silent on public affairs out of profound sadness about the plight of the Muslim minority in your country, the Rohingya.In my heart you are a dearly beloved younger sister. For years I had a photograph of you on my desk to remind me of the injustice and sacrifice you endured out of your love and commitment for Myanmar's people. You symbolised righteousness. In 2010 we rejoiced at your freedom from house arrest, and in 2012 we celebrated your election as leader of the opposition.Your emergence into public life allayed our concerns about violence being perpetrated against members of the Rohingya. But what some have called 'ethnic cleansing' and others 'a slow genocide' has persisted – and recently accelerated. The images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread.We know that you know that human beings may look and worship differently – and some may have greater firepower than others – but none are superior and none inferior; that when you scratch the surface we are all the same, members of one family, the human family; that there are no natural differences between Buddhists and Muslims; and that whether we are Jews or Hindus, Christians or atheists, we are born to love, without prejudice. Discrimination doesn't come naturally; it is taught.My dear sister: If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep. A country that is not at peace with itself, that fails to acknowledge and protect the dignity and worth of all its people, is not a free country.It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain.As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous and resilient again. We pray for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people. We pray for you to intervene in the escalating crisis and guide your people back towards the path of righteousness.God bless you.

Meanwhile, Muslims and non-Muslims alike are shocked at the relative silence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Rohingya issue owing to the fact that the Saudis dub themselves ‘the leader of the Muslim world’. Saudi loyalists have however rejected the tag ‘irresponsible’ from critics saying King Salman’s government is more frustrated by the current situation than any other government in the world. The Saudi loyalists have only referred to social media comments by minor Saudi government officials condemning Burma but never direct comments by major individuals in the government like Salman himself. Saudi loyalists also refer to shaky news items claiming that King Salman has granted iqama (permanent residence) to 1 million Rohingya Muslims, some other Saudi-loyal media outfits reported 400,000. Arab news reported that 4 million Rohingya Muslims were granted the iqamas but only attracted a backlash from readers who pointed out the fact that the Rohingya world population is below 2.5 million, how then did the Saudis get 4 million Rohingya Muslims to grant iqamas? Still on the granting of iqamas by the Saudis, those granted the iqamas are descendants of Rohingyas who migrated to Saudi Arabia about 70 years ago in other words, none of those said to have been granted iqama is among the recently displaced. Critics have used the iqama tale to lash at Saudi Arabia the taunt- “it takes 4 years to acquire an American green card but has taken the Rohingya Muslims 70 years to acquire Saudi iqama”.  Prior to 2009, Saudi Arabia’s late King Abdullah recognized the plight of the Rohingya and offered permanent residency for in excess of 250,000 Rohingya Muslims (who had already been in the country for years), but Saudi authorities segregated many Rohingya upon arrival to the kingdom. Most Rohingya expatriates in the Kingdom have worked low-skilled/low-pay jobs and have faced challenges similar to those of other poor Southeast Asian migrants in Saudi Arabia. Following the death of King Abdullah, King Salman is reported to have detained 3,000 Rohingya families in Jeddah prisons and planned to deport them back to Myanmar for reasons that have remained unclear. It is worthy to note that King Salman has NEVER condemned the persecution of Rohingya Muslims by his own tongue.