Pope: Today presence of God is also called Rohingya

“Today the presence of God is also called Rohingya … Let us continue to do the right thing and to help them. Let us continue to work to ensure that their rights are recognised. Let us not close our hearts, let us not look the other way,” Pope Francis said during an inter-religious gathering at Kakrail Church in Dhaka on Friday. He referred to refugees who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh as Rohingyas for the first time on his Asia tour. The Pope prayed for safe repatriation of the Rohingya refugees in peace and dignity after a sixteen-member group of the displaced Myanmar nationals met him on a stage. Pope Francis listened to their plight and said he will pray to God to lessen their sufferings. “Maybe we can’t do much for you, but your tragedy has a place in our hearts.” The 16 Rohingyas included 12 men, two women and two young girls. On the stage they approached the Pope one by one, the Pope held their hands and listened to them. He blessed a little girl and grasped the shoulder of a young man.

In the name of all those who persecute you, who have persecuted you, and those who have hurt you, above all for the indifference of the world, I ask you for forgiveness

He looked sombre as each member of the group told him their stories through interpreters. Francis looked pained as he listened. An emotional Pope said in an immediate response: “In the name of all those who persecute you, who have persecuted you, and those who have hurt you, above all for the indifference of the world, I ask you for forgiveness. Forgiveness.” He called for continued aid and advocacy for the Rohingyas so that their rights are recognised. He demanded that the international community take decisive measures to resolve the causes of the mass exodus. In his address, Francis said: “Religious concern for the welfare of our neighbour, streaming from an open heart, flows outward like a vast river, to quench the dry and parched wastelands of hatred, corruption, poverty and violence that so damage human lives, tear families apart, and disfigure the gift of creation.” The Pope said: “Many of you talked to me about the great heart of Bangladesh, which offered you refuge. Now I appeal to your heart to give us the forgiveness we are asking from you.” When they spoke to the pontiff, the Rohingya families pointed out several issues. Pope Francis listens to the plights of the Rohingyas during a meeting with a group of refugees at an inter-religious gathering at Kakrail Church in Dhaka on Friday REUTERS

---

“We said that we need citizenship of Myanmar with dignity and rights. We want to go back. The second thing was, if we can go back to our motherland, the government there will have to ensure the safety of our lives,” Mohammad Nurullah, one of the group members, told the Dhaka Tribune after the meet. The families also told the Pope that they want justice for the atrocities Myanmar army had committed on them. They want justice for the rapes and the murders. “We are Rohingya. The Myanmar government is trying to say we are not Rohingya, we are Bangali and sneaked into Myanmar. We have documentary proof back home that we are not Bangladeshi,” he said. They also informed the Pope that their parents and grandparents had nationality documents. “The Pope said that he will try to help us. God will save us,” Nurullah said. The 37-year-old Rohingya came to Bangladesh two days after Eid-ul-Azha from Buthidaung, a town in Rakhine State of Myanmar. Pope Francis entered the programme on a rickshaw in the evening. Before he arrived a cultural programme was held where dance and music of Bangali, Garo, Santal, Tripura and Khasia peoples were showcased. At the inter-religious gathering, leaders of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities and representatives of civil society also spoke on harmony and peace. The religious leaders  all talked about the Rohingya community’s plight and urged for peaceful solution of their repatriation.