Media Overlook Rohingya Muslims’ Plight

Western- and even Muslim world- media are so much preoccupied with terrorism and bombings these days that they seem to have forgotten the troubles of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims.

Last year, after reports emerged about the massacre of Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Western human rights organizations issued statements condemning the massacre and expressing sympathy with the East Asian country’s Muslims.

But soon after, a heavy silence about Myanmar Muslims’ situation fell over the world media. Media seem to have grown tired of covering the events in Myanmar.

The last time there were reports on the issue in recent months was when a delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, led by former secretary general of the organization Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, visited the Arakan State of Myanmar and cried upon seeing the condition of the Muslims living in camps there.

Right after the trip, extremist Buddhists staged rallies calling for Muslims to be expelled from Myanmar.

In fact, neither the Western so-called human rights advocates nor the United Nations nor even Muslims countries have taken any effective steps to prevent the killings and violence against Muslims in Myanmar.

They are so much preoccupied with Middle East issues- especially Syria- that many other political and social issues seem to have been forgotten.

Meanwhile the Myanmar government has exploited this lack of concern on the part of human rights organizations and Muslim countries to provoke extremist Buddhists to kill more Muslims.

Muslims all over the world should realize that Rohingya Muslims have no means to convey their message to the world and have their voices heard. Now that international organizations have either ended their support for Myanmar’s Muslim minority or restricted it to some humanitarian aid, it is upon Islamic media to raise awareness about the plight of this oppressed minority.

By Davoud Azimi

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