In the midst of a harsh reality, the Christian Rohingyas residing in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, are preparing to celebrate Christmas. However, the ongoing worry of persecution and a lack of support for establishing cemeteries overshadow their celebrations.
They celebrate Christmas—the night of blessings—with happy music and colourful flashing lights on the Christmas tree as Santa Claus gives away gifts to the children.
Since Friday, some youths have been setting up an archway with bamboo near the entrance of Bethel Church and Rohingya Christian Fellowship in Transit Centre of Kutupalong and decorating the gate with paper crafts and lights. At the makeshift church, they will arrange a get-together of all families, cut cakes, and have their meal together.
The Christians living in the refugee camps number between 2,000 and 2,500 people from around 500 families, against a population of over 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims. They live side by side with the Muslims, but nowhere in the camps where they are concentrated—mainly camps 13, 27, and the Transit Centre—have the Christians gotten any land for burial or for setting up a church.
The community leaders allege that members of radical Islamist groups and criminal gangs intimidate them whenever they expose their faith, such as during weekly prayers, Christmas and Holy Week celebrations, or when they need to bury a Christian.
Currently, registered refugees are entitled to food rations worth $8 per month. They are not allowed to go outside the camps for earnings. Economic hardship compounds the challenges faced by Christian Rohingyas. Restricted from going outside the camps for earnings, families rely on meager food rations, leading to a compromise on nutrition. At the same time, parents often sacrifice their meals to ensure their children are fed.
Hope for a better future
Amidst adversity, Christian Rohingyas strive for a better future. Some young Christians are working to translate the Bible into the Rohingya language.
“We have published nearly 10 books from the New Testament. We are also working to draft the Old Testament. My brother initiated the translation work. But it is very difficult to complete this mammoth task without support,” said Peter Saiful, a 26-year-old who has been serving as the pastor of the Bethel Church and Rohingya Christian Fellowship since 2010.
Despite the lack of educational support from NGOs, community leaders take it upon themselves to educate the children.
“There is no education from NGOs for Christians, but we personally teach our children. Some of us have achieved university degrees, and some are studying in colleges, hiding their identities. Most of them can read Bangla, English, and the Rohingya language.”
Peter said he was an English student at Premier University in Chittagong. But he had to quit his studies in 2018 after his identity was revealed; a senior at his department abducted him for ransom. He then fled to the camp and reunited with his family. His wife also faced a study break at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong due to a lack of support.
Peter, his brother Ehsan, and other youth volunteers bought the children some Bangla, English, and Rohingya books on the Bible’s stories. “We did not get any support from Bangladeshi or foreign churches in collecting the religious books,” said the pastor, while seeking the support of the authorities in promoting education and performing the rituals without fear.