. Demand an end to ethnic cleansing and for the perpetrators to be charged with war crimes. Burma Task Force USA has thanked and congratulated the Turkish Foreign minister and Turkish Prime minister’s wife and daughter for traveling to visit the refugee camps of Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar (Burma) and bringing their plight to the world’s attention. The Task Force also welcomed the announcement that the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will make the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas as the top item on the agenda of the Islamic summit conference this week. Making the above statements, Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, the chairperson of Burma Task Force USA, pointed out that the OIC ambassador to the UN, Ufuk Gokcen had promised our founding member, Seemi Ahmed, in June during a meeting at the Long Island Islamic Center, to give stopping the ethnic cleansing of Muslims of Burma the top priority.
“We demand that those responsible of mass rapes and mass murder of thousands of Rohingyas be charged with crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Court of Justice.Prominent Muslim American groups and leaders have launched an advocacy campaign by launching Bosnia Task Force USA to stop the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Myanmar (Burma),” declared Imam Mujahid.
Ever since the news started trickling out of Burma this June concerning the new wave of ethnic cleansing, these Muslim leaders and activists have been horrified. They were disturbed by the fact that the Buddhist monks were behind this new pogrom against the Rohingya Muslims of Burma who are considered to be the most persecuted people in the world. They were greatly disappointed when the leader of the Burmese democratic movement Aung San Suu Kyi failed to condemn the ethnic cleansing and massacres. The Burma Task Force has a successful model in the Bosnia Task Force, where the American Muslims worked with the interfaith leadership and women’s rights organizations against the genocide of Muslims in Bosnia. Another successful model may be found in the Coalition Against Genocide, where American Muslims of Indian origin worked with other communities to revoke the diplomatic visa of a powerful Indian politician, Narendra Modi, who was behind the pogrom of Muslims in Gujurat, India.. “We will be working with leaders of other faith groups, interfaith groups, women’s rights organizations, and peace movements to put pressure on the US government and the American business community to warn the Burmese government to stop the ethnic cleansing,” said Imam Mujahid, “Many of our founding members have been activly working to stop this new ethnic cleansing ever since it started in June of this year. Dr. Shaik Ubaid who has been advocating the cause of Rohingyas since 1992 was instrumental in getting the Indian Muslims to rally India’s interfaith community to put similar pressure on the government of India. Other leaders have been active in putting pressure on Bangladesh’s government to open its borders.” “Aung San Suu Kyi had promised to support the citizenship rights of the Rohingya Muslims in 2005; she gave the above statement in response to my query on a BBC program. We will hold Ms Suu Kyi accountable,” said Dr. Shaik Ubaid, who is a board member of the Burma Task Force. “Rohingya Muslims were shorn off their citizenship and have suffered sustained and horrific persecution for decades. The campaign by Suu Kyi to obtain the help of the West for the democracy movement in Burma gives us an opportunity to use the American and the world community’s influence to stop the waves of ethnic cleansing,” said Dr. Ubaid Already, many regional Muslim umbrella groups such as those of the greater New York area, greater Chicago area, greater Detroit area, and Houston have endorsed the Burma Task Force USA. Other national Muslim organizations and regional umbrella groups are expected to follow suit. The Burma Task Force-NY is currently planning a rally in front of the Burmese mission. Women’s rights organizations are being approached to join. American Muslim youth groups will be asked by the BTF USA to use the social media and the college campuses to educate their fellow Americans about the plight of Rohingyas.This multi-pronged and multi-faceted approach is expected to yield results sooner rather than later.
Burma Task Force USA is a national alliance of community organizations and human rights activists who have come together to stop the ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas Muslims of Burma (Myanmar).
