While one appreciates the concern that North American imams and Muslim leaders have for the Rohingya population, it serves to become another example of certain segments of the international community’s compulsion to provide sanctimonious moral lessons while doing little in the way of actually improving the situation.
These concerns were raised in the wake of the current government’s attempt to relocate a portion of the Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char, and in a letter signed and sent to the foreign minister, says that Bangladesh should stop the relocation, calling it “counter-productive.”
Bangladesh has already gone far beyond the call of duty in order to ensure that the Rohingya have been provided for, be it through food, aid, or shelter, and Bhashan Char is the latest amongst many attempts by the government to provide a temporary solution to the crisis.
Regardless of the benefits and drawbacks Bhashan Char might have, Bangladesh as a developing nation has limited resources, and is doing the best it can under the circumstances which, it may be worth remembering, includes taking care of over a million Rohingya refugees.
It may also be worth remembering that, while the international community’s support in the last few months is appreciated, this is a recent phenomenon and those who have extended their hand to take in some of the refugees to ease the burden on Bangladesh have been few and far in between.
If such concerns were indeed legitimate, would their respective nations be willing to take the Rohingya so that they may live even better lives?
At the end of the day, we must remember that at the root of the crisis lies Myanmar, who has, from the very beginning, not only denied allegations of the war crimes committed against the Rohingya, but have done everything in their power since then to delay the process of repatriation.
Let us not forget that what the Myanmar army carried out against the Rohingya was cold, calculated ethnic cleansing -- and to focus on Bhashan Char instead of doing everything in our power to ensure that there is justice for such crimes against humanity is unwarranted.
