Outline
- Introduction
- How the International Community’s Handles Muslims’ Affairs
- Muslims Reaction to the Tragedy of the “Boat People”
- What the Tragedy of the Boat People Says About Us
- Conclusion
Introduction
Alhamdulillah… All thanks and praise are due to the Almighty Allah. I send peace and blessings upon Ḥabībī Muḥammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path till judgement day.
The recent incident, when Rohingya Muslims were left on board of crowded boats without food or water for days, has emerged to be known in the media as the “Boat People’s” Incident. What’s known is that they were left in the seas by their smugglers, who have charged them unbearable amount of money to help them flee the terrorism of Buddhists in Myanmar and poverty in Bangladesh. But their test has worsened when they were abandoned in the middle of the seas.
How the International Community’s Handles Muslims’ Affairs
The tragedy of the Rohingya “Boat People” has said a lot about many; individuals, communities and the world.
Similar to other incidents, the international community didn’t show any interest in the ordeal of the Rohingya people until some human rights activists stepped in. In my readings, this is perhaps for the fact that they are Muslims, and therefore, Muslim countries–who already have unbearable troubles of their own, should handle them; and also, they have no economic value to any country, and thus why bear such a burden?
Did I say they were left to meet their fate because they are Muslims? Let me explain. This is not the first time the international community has shown deaf ears to issues of Muslims being attacked or persecuted. What did the international community do, when the Rohingyas were slaughtered by Buddhist terrorists in their own country, Myanmar? Similarly, didn’t the international community remain silent when Muslims were massacred in the hands of Christians in the Central African Republic?
Nothing is new! Who knows that Muslim are facing the same challenges in China, East Africa (specifically Tanzania) and elsewhere?
قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ ﴿٤﴾ النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ ﴿٥﴾ إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ ﴿٦﴾ وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّـهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ ﴿٨﴾ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ﴿٩﴾ـ
“Cursed were the companions of the trench. [which contained] the fire full of fuel. When they were sitting near it. And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses. And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy (Qur'an, Sūrah al-Burūj, 4-8).
On the contrary, the international community stood on its feet, if not on its toes, and did everything to ensure the rescue of the Christian and ethnic Yazidi people in Iraq, who were feared to be brutalized by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Similarly, the Kurds in Kobani (in Syria) were given all possible military support to withstand and fight ISIS to restore their town (Kobani). Also, the international community stood on its feet to ensure the release of Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudani woman who married a Christian, and was sentenced to death according to Sharī‘ah law. She’s now in New Hampshire, US.
In addition to that, the Rohingyans (Muslims) have no economic value to any country, as they lack education and are seemingly with no work skills. It seems they hold no potential economic value relevant to any country that may shelter them. At least they can’t be used as historical assets, for tourist attraction. If they could be used for that, it would have been a different story all together.
In 2001, Mr Kofi Annan, the then UN Secretary-General made a trip to Islamabad to plead to the Taliban, to convince them to ‘change their minds’ about destroying the statues of Buddhas, located in Bamiyan, in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. The significance of those statues is that it’s historical, and had been there for 1700 years. Later, when the US invaded Afghanistan, what did the UN say or do to show concern regarding the Afghan people? The statues which were made by fellow humans are more important than human beings who was created by God!
Recently, the so-called Islamic State destroyed what is claimed to be 3000 year-old artifacts in the Iraqi city of Mussol when they conquered the city. Other sources claimed it’s 2000 years old. Others escalated it to 6000. Whatever the real age of those artworks is, the figures are set based on its importance to the narrator. We’ve already started hearing the outcry of the international community, for action to be taken before the so-called Islamic State destroys the oldest ancient historical sites, after they’re reported to have taken control of Syria’s Palmyra (Tadmur).
Clearly, the people of Afghanistan as well as the people of Mussol (Iraq) and Palmyra/Tadmur (Syria) are not as important compared to the ‘ancient civilizaitons’ that lie in their countries resemble.
The lesson we have to learn is, so long as there’s no worldly gains for them, we shouldn’t hope in the international community to show any concern in our (Muslims) affairs. That’s why the Rohingyans are experiencing this situation. Now, how did we react and what was the impact of our reaction to the tragedy of the “Boat People?”
Muslims Reaction to the Tragedy of the “Boat People”
Unarguably, Muslims; countries, states and communities are living their weakest state ever as an Ummah. Muslim countries are full of wealth and richness. They have all it takes to build the greatest nations, in terms of human intellectuality and manpower. But they’ve failed to subject themselves to the same factor that granted the first 3 generations (of the Ummah) the honour to rule the world. That factor is prioritizing Allah’s commands over our desires. Committing to this takes us out of corruption, which we see and live in every aspect of our lives. Failure to do this has left us, individually mostly obsessed with greed and love for eternity in this temporal world. And this is enough to retain us in our current state until we change.
It’s worth emphasizing, that the dignity and superiority of this Ummah has always being subject to us humbling ourselves before the commands of Allah and the teachings of the Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Once we fail to achieve this, then, other than ourselves, we have no one to blame, for any hardship that befalls us.
Furthermore, governments are formed from individuals chosen or selected (you can say elected) from the common people of their respective countries. With the hearts filled with greed, filth and all sort of evil, we can’t expect our governments to act like angels, because they are part of us. Until we change, we will continue to produce the same type of politicians; the same types of governments.
As the Muslims of Rohingya and other parts of the world are being oppressed and persecuted, which have led them to flee their lands, landing them in starving conditions, we quick to condemn our governments for insensitivity more so ‘inhumanity,’ as if any of us would have acted differently (better), if he happened to be there, at the top! This is why, the noise we make is mostly not effective, because our governments also know our strengths, more so, our weakness.
The truth is, as much as we put blame on the governments of the countries that turned these refugees away, we would have also blamed them, if they took them in, immediately. It's easy to speak (or write) of righteousness. But acting righteously is the only determinant of righteousness. Thus, our reaction and noise may have had some impact, but more is needed to be done, at the individual level, to be more impactful in sending message to our governments. And that is to be true to ourselves, and change from within. Now, what does the incident say about us, who are helplessly watching the Rohingyans to starve to their death?
What the Tragedy of the Boat People Says About Us
First, we are not genuinely ready to help those on the boats, even if the governments of the countries that rejected them initially, and agreed later, to offer them temporal shelters did not reject them in the first place. We are not ready, until we learn to live with our neightbours (regardless or race, religion or social ranking) with the sense of brotherhood, honesty, sympathy, care and true love.
We are not ready until we start to treat our foreign workers maids in our homes as human beings. Foreigners in Muslim countries (think of the Middle East) are given the lowest class treatment, more so if they are Muslims! Maids and workers in Muslim countries and communities are treated like dogs. Today, even dogs have rights and choice of life.
If this is how some, if not many, of us treat foreigners and maids in our homes, how do we expect our governments to trust us and allow in refugees to our neighbourhoods? We are in need of the services of our maids and foreign workers, yet this how we treat them. How then, would we treat refugees who we are unlikely to be in need of their services?
Second, the struggle of the Rohingyans happens at the shores of Muslims countries, yet, they were refused refuge. The Muhajirun migrated from Makkah to Madinah, and they were welcomed by the Anṣār, with open arms. Not only did they share their shelters with them, they also did share with them their wealth!
I can’t imagine if the people of Yathrib (the present day Madinah) were to keep the Muhajirin for the period it took us to labour the refugees of Myanmar temporarily in Malaysia and Indonesia. Mind you, Madinah was not inhabited by (new) Muslims (Anṣār) alone. It was a multi-racial and multi-religious society, which had Jews and polytheists in there. Yet, the Muhajirin were allowed in, although by the Muslims.
Some of us have conveniently put the blame on the traffickers who tried to smuggle them into Malaysia, Indonesia or elsewhere. But we forget that those who migrated from Makkah to Madinah and eventually established the most authentic Islamic State under the leadership and guidance of the Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam were mainly smuggled out of Makkah before they could migrate to Madinah. They could have been massacred if they were to migrate openly. The only difference is that, those smuggled themselves out, and these are smuggled in. In other words, if the Rohingyans could walk or swim to Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand, they would have not hesitated in doing so.
Third, the last lesson we learn from the tragedy of the Boat People is perseverance and determination in faith, and truth being said; this quality is only seen in Muslims. Despite the hardship the Rohingyans are going through, no report of anyone among them denouncing his Islam. Where on earth, in which religion, other than Islam, will you find someone being oppressed or persecuted for his religion, and that even makes him stronger and firmer in embracing the religion?
Conclusion
Although it’s only Muslims, who can show this extent of perseverance and determination, one can’t be certain he can pass such a test. He should instead, seek guidance and firmness in religion from Allah, on a constant basis.
This life is a test for all. It’s more so a test for the Muslim. Maybe, the worst test for this Ummah is yet to come. Being in a comfort zone today doesn’t guarantee its sustenance tomorrow. Five years ago, Syria was among the most stable and peaceful countries in the world. Today, more than 7.6 million people are internally displaced within Syria, and more than 4 million have fled as refugees to neighboring countries. Some has fled to as far as Nepal and China, the UN says.
Today, it’s the Rohingyans, the Syrians, the Egyptians, who are fleeing for refuge in other countries. Yesterday, it was the Somalis, the Palestinians. Tomorrow, it may be you and me. Are we ready for that? May Allah forbid it from happening to anyone. However, if we are destined to be trialed with it, may our faith be preserved for us.
In the end, the Rohingya Muslims belong to a land they call home. They don't belong to boats or seas, nor are they homeless. To solve their problem, it's either that Myanmar Buddhists stop their brutality against them, or other countries should open their doors to welcome them, and to shelter them. Until, either of these is achieved, their struggle continues, and we shall continue to be ashamed by our helplessness. And for sure, more boat people should be expected.
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Until our next article, I leave you in Allah’s protection.
Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂
It’s deep.I agee with all of what you said