PIL condemns genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

Islamabad: The Pakistan Inter-faith League (PIL) has strongly condemned the ‘genocide’ and inhuman treatment of Rohingya Muslims by the extremist elements in Myanmar, which has shocked people all over the world. PIL is a national organisation working to promote inter-faith harmony and religious and sectarian tolerance for the last many years.

Sajid Ishaq, chairman PIL, while talking to ‘The News’ here Wednesday said that the information, images and videos coming from the Rakhine state of Myanmar are nothing but gory and simply horrifying.

“This is absolutely unimaginable in this day and age and that too in a country the leader of which has been awarded the ‘Nobel Prize for Peace’. This is a human crisis of grave proportions the world is confronted with today and yet the government of Myanmar seems oblivious of the fierceness and sensitivity of the issue, which is unfortunate,” Sajid Ishaq said.

He said that this is not a matter that the followers of one religion were brutally killing the followers of another religion. “Whatever is going on out there in the Rakhine province of Myanmar is a grave crime against humanity, the parallel of which we have not seen in recent history,” the PIL chairman said. “It is hard for me to believe what I am reading, hearing or watching on media and social media about the poor and helpless Rohingya Muslims and I am sure the people all over the world feel the same way.

“This is a serious human crisis and needs immediate intervention not only from the UN or the US or the other world super powers but from the people all over the world. They are not only Rohingya Muslims being persecuted but the humanity is at stake,” Sajid Ishaq said.

He urged the government of Myanmar to immediately deploy all its resources to put an end to this extremism unleashed against these hapless Rohingya Muslims. “I urge the UN to stir up out of its slumber and react the way it has reacted in case of East Timor to save the lives of these poor people. I also appeal to the governments and the people of the world to move and move fast to put an end to all these inhuman acts of violence against Rohingya Muslims,” Sajid Ishaq said. He said that the Pakistan government also shoulder a great responsibility to not only speak out against this barbarism but also take up practical measures, first to prevent any further violence against Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar and then come to their aid to mitigate their sufferings. While raising this issue in the UN, Pakistan government should also call for an instant session of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) to look into this matter of and put diplomatic pressure on the Myanmar government to halt this barbarism on their soil,” the PIL chairman said.

Sajid Ishaq said that all Pakistanis, irrespective of their religion, faith, beliefs, and sects stand together in support of the Rohingya Muslims and would continue to wage struggle at all forums to stir the conscience of the champions of humanity in the world to come to the aid of Rohingya Muslims in this hour of urgent need.