Region’s Muslims united by common faith, not ‘Asean spirit’
Since the regional Muslim governments are a disappointment, it falls upon the ummah in Malaysia and the rest of Asean to act for the Rohingya
By Mohd Luttfi Abdul Khalid, Tanjak
Early this month, I had written of Ahok, the Christian governor of Jakarta who inflamed the sentiments of Indonesian Muslims by denigrating the Holy Quran for his political ends.
Now it would seem like that isn’t the only issue to make headlines around the world as far as Islam is concerned this year, for it appears that more calamity has befallen Muslims in this South East Asian region that we live in.
Recent protests against Ahok, the Chinese Christian governor of Jakarta
A pattern may be discerned among certain Asean leaders in their attitude towards the interests and rights of Muslims in their respective countries. Myanmar, or formerly known as Burma, is a prime example of how Muslim lives are regarded as worthless and their blood so easily spilled without any fear nor hesitation of the consequences that would conceivably, at least, follow from their friends and allies in Asean.
This is because Myanmar knows that other Muslim-majority countries in Asean would not go as far as to lift a finger, must less wag it, while warning Burma to cease and desist from committing acts of torture, oppression and cruelty towards the Rohingya Muslims residing within their borders.
Non-interference: Bane that causes pain
The so-called ‘Asean principle of non-interference’ is the perfect pretext for the Myanmarese regime to engage in ethnic cleansing against its Muslims without hindrance in any form.
The junta’s militia is slaughtering Muslims (no doubt taking the lead from Isis) like cows at an abattoir while thumbing its nose at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and members of Asean who, quite conveniently, have chosen to turn a blind eye, deaf ear and be dumbstruck at all these happenings.
