Showing posts with label Rohingya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rohingya. Show all posts

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Opening Our Eyes to the World - Plight of the Rohingya



The sight of a tearful Emine Urdugan, wife of the prime minister of Turkey, meeting and embracing Rohingya refugees moved many men into tears. It took this visit by both the wives of Turkey's prime minister and foreign minister to jolt other diplomats scurrying into action and the latest development being the OIC convening an emergency summit on the issue in the holy city of Makkah.

Turkey showed its concern, made clear its abhorrence of the appalling treatment of Rohingyas and undertook the initiative to bring the plight to the world. The scene was dramatic and stirring. The Rohingyas suffer from being a nation forgotten, stripped of identity and belonging, further subjected to persecution and bouts of ethnic cleansing. The latest attack on them left hundreds dead and thousands in exile ending up in a state of limbo. They had no one to turn to and their neighbour Bangladesh harshly rejects them even as refugees.

Some have accused Western and Asean countries of being silent on the issue due to economic reasons. China has been staunchly supporting the reclusive and repressive Myanmar regime consisting of a military junta. Meanwhile, Myanmar's darling democrats have been pathetic on this issue. Myanmar is seen as a potential emerging market predicted to be to be liberalising and opening up to eager capitalists. Greed drives many nations to overlook human rights and seemingly condone gross violations in favour of profits and opportunities.

If we were to leave issues of humanity to callous political leaders and hopeless diplomats, there can be no change and people like the Rohingya shall forever keep being trampled on.

What can we do?


1. Petition the foreign ministry Wisma Putra to condemn ethnic cleansing and human rights violations of the Rohingya and seek guarantees for protection of the Rohingya community.

2. Demand the government to commit immediate aid for the refugees

3. Support worldwide efforts to deliver much needed food, medicine and shelter for the Rohingya

4. Donate to the emergency fund launched by Global Peace Mission Malaysia. Look up http://gpm.com.my/archives/1309

At the local level, it is time to reflect on our attitudes and feelings towards fellow human beings. It is time to face up to the realities of immigration, to refugees, asylum and the grave disconnect between the rich and the poor. We should not look down upon the already downtrodden, victims of circumstances and suffering from economic conditions many a time brought about by ruthless tyrants and corrupt benefactors. We should reflect on how we have been treating others who are not so fortunate.

There are Rohingya refugees in our country who need our help. The UNHCR through Future Global Network FGN with WADAH's help has managed to set up two Rohingya educational centres (REC). Rohingyas are already being deprived of a home, nationhood and a bleak prospect of return, surely we must not allow them to remain illiterate and uneducated in our own midst of wealthy splendour.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

ROHINGYA: THE MOST PERSECUTED AND FORGOTTEN MUSLIM MINORITY



UNIW COUNCIL MEMBER MAKES OBSERVATORY VISIT TO MYANMAR

Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State, located in the west of Myanmar, are under oppression and are victims of recent atrocities since early June while the international community is oblivious of the real dimensions of the tyranny and unjust practices applied upon Rohingya people by the Buddhist Rakhines with the support of the police force in the country.

Mr. Ahmed Azam Abdul Rahman, UNIW Council Member for Malaysia & Chairman of Global Peace Mission, Malaysia (GPM), paid a visit to Myanmar between 11 and 13 July in order to make am observation on the situation of Muslim Rohingyas in Arakan. We share below the brief report prepared by the visiting delegation:-

ROHINGYA: THE MOST PERSECUTED AND FORGOTTEN MUSLIM MINORITY

1. A fact finding mission by Global Peace Mission, Malaysia (GPM) and Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) was sent to Yangon, Myanmar from 11-13 July and  relevant Muslim organizations in Myanmar to seek ways and means to assist the Rohingya Muslims suffering continuous persecution from the majority Burmese Buddhists in Myanmar.

2. We met political party leaders and others representing the Rohingya, NGOs, journalists, businessmen, ulama and youth leaders.

3. We were informed that the General (Retired) Thein Sein's party, Union Socialist Development Party (USDP) which is the ruling party, is trying to mediate Myanmar's transition to democracy amidst a hardcore military junta that is against it. The competing forces between Thein Sein, Aung San Su Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Military junta in the newly democratic space created under the pressure of the Western nations remain fluid with uncertainties.



4. However, ironically, on the issue of Rohingya, all of them seem to be with one voice i.e. Rohingyas are Bengalis migrating from Bangladesh and thus they are illegal immigrants and are regarded as non citizens. Even Aung San Suu Kyi, the icon of democracy and human rights of Myanmar gave a very lukewarm response on this issue. She said that the Rohingya issue has to be settled within the purview of the legal framework of Myanmar.

5. On the 13th of July, President Thein Sein made a very shocking and revealing statement to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The commissioner was on an official visit to Myanmar to mediate on the Rohingya issue. President Thein Sein told UNHCR that there are only two solutions for the Rohingya i.e. either sent them to the Refugee camps or sent them to a Third country. This uncompromising and arrogant stand coming from the President of Myanmar exposes the true face of the Myanmar government i.e. Islamophobic and Xenophobic. This statement has rendered the Rohingya as a permanently stateless community just because of race and religion.

 6. The United Nations, European Union, Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) have expressed grave concerns on the statement by the President of Myanmar, and a flurry of diplomatic engagements is reported being carried out to find solutions to the Rohingya issue.

REPRESSION, DISCRIMINATION, MASSACRE, FORCED DISPLACEMENT, ETHNIC CLEANSING

7. The Rohingya has suffered grave human rights violation perpetrated by successive Burmese regimes since Independence in 1947. Arbitrary killings, rape, torture, land confiscation, forced labour, forced relocation, theft, extortion and a pattern of discrimination perpetrated by Government authorities in cohort with the local Rakhine Buddhist happen continuously since then. In 1982, dictator General Ne Win enacted The New Citizenship Law which stripped the Rohingya as citizens of Burma (Myanmar – the new name of the state instituted by the Military Junta). Since then, the Rohingya were treated as illegal immigrants where fundamental human rights such as freedom of movement, right to education, right to employment and right to healthcare are being denied. The situation was so unbearable that it has forced 1.5 million out of 3 million Rohingya to migrate to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK and Europe. The ethnic cleansing policy has resulted in cutting the Rohingya population into half. The recent massacre started in June 3, 2012 is believed to be a deliberate and preplanned policy by the Myanmar government to complete the ethnic cleansing policy of the rest of the 1.5 million Rohingya to third countries.



8. After almost one month of the planned massacre, the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD), a political party representing the Rohingya reported number of casualties resulted from the planned crisis as follows:

43 villages being attacked
5,915 houses burnt
555 being killed (number varies from 500 to 10,000) There is no way to verify these information due to strict government control on any news coming out of Arakan.
300 injured
34 mosques destroyed
4 universities destroyed
24 schools destroyed
300 arrested
35,400 become refugees. UNHCR put the figure as 90,000 refugees.
500,000 lost their source of income due to curfews. They could not work on their farms.
20,000 had to live by the river banks and jungles to escape persecution.

9. We expect more atrocities and casualties in the next few weeks especially after the statement by President Thein Sein, has encouraged and motivated the Rakhine Buddhist militia to complete the ethnic cleansing policy with extreme zealousness. We also expect hunger and starvation to be rampant and beyond control.


WHAT CAN BE DONE - MODUS OPERANDI



10. We have decided to launch the "IFTAR RAMADAN for ROHINGYA" campaign during this month of Ramadan as an emergency relief to ward off the eminent hunger and starvation calamity. We are working with the Chairman of All Myanmar Islamic Relief Organization, Mr. Abdul Hafiz @ Aung Naing to provide the 5 basic needs of the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) i.e. rice, flour, cooking oil, beans and milk for 15,000 families (1 family x 6 members) approximately 90,000 IDPs for one month at USD70 per family. We must raise at least USD1,050,000 during this Ramadan.

 11. All Myanmar Islamic Relief Organization (AMIRO) consist of 5 major Muslim organizations i.e. 1. Jamiyyatul Ulama of Myanmar 2. Islamic Religious Affair Council of Myanmar 3. All Myanmar Maulvi Organization 4. All Myanmar Youth Religious Organization 5. Myanmar Muslim National Affairs Organization. All these bodies are given Consultative status with the Religious authorities of the Government. They are recognised and authorised by the Myanmar government to deliver humanitarian aid to the Rohingya IDPs in Arakan. In fact they were flown to Arakan by the government to witness the intensity of the crisis. Immediately after the visit, AMIRO organised a relief campaign amongst Muslim communities in Yangon and managed to deliver food packages worth USD200,000 and another USD600,000 by vessels to Arakan for distribution.

12. AMIRO is willing to assist UNIW through Global Peace Mission to distribute any humanitarian aid into Arakan.

13. Global Peace Mission(GPM) and the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia has already launched 'IFTAR RAMADAN FOR ROHINGYA' with the support of UNIW to raise at least USD 1,050,000 for food assistance by the end of Ramadan to enable the IDPs to celebrate Eidul Fitr as well.

 14. All donations can be channeled through GPM accounts, and then it will be directed to AMIRO for them to organise the distribution. There are requests by donor organizations to visit Arakan during the distribution process. Please bear in mind that Arakan is still under curfew, and only a limited number of United Nation agencies are being allowed access to the conflict zone. AMIRO will seek advice from the Government on allowing foreign NGOs entering the conflict zone for purely delivering humanitarian assistance.



  
Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman

UNIW Council Member

Chairman, Global Peace Mission, Malaysia.


(courtesy of  Union of NGOs of the Islamic World UNIW  http://www.theunity.org )
*edited for language

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Myanmar's chance to help Rohingya



(Opinion - Bangkok Post 14/06/2012)
 

Is the sectarian violence between the Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine state threatening the nascent democracy in Myanmar? That is the question the world is asking.

Not Abu, however.

A Rohingya migrant who fled harsh persecution in Myanmar to live in Thailand 25 years ago, Abu is asking the world a different question.

"I watched with pain Muslims' houses being set on fire with soldiers standing by doing nothing to stop it. Why? Is this part of the plan to purge us?" he asked.

When the terrified Rohingya fled the violence to Bangladesh, they were turned away. "Myanmar does not want us. Bangladesh does not want us. Our suffering has been exposed to the world. Now what is the world going to do about it?" he asked.

Dubbed the forgotten people, the Rohingya in Myanmar are among the world's most persecuted ethnic minorities.

Despised by the Buddhist majority who view them as illegal outsiders, the dark-skinned Rohingya Muslims struggle in abject poverty.

They are denied citizenship, education, freedom of movement, employment, and the right to own property in a land which they also consider to belong to their ancestors.

"We cannot even get married without state permission," Abu said. Forced labour and rape by security forces are common, he added.

Despite the arguments on who had triggered the communal violence, the plight of the Rohingya is real. The racism is real.

And the fact that it is the Muslim Rohingya who must flee for safety also speak volumes about the situation there.

The longstanding persecution has forced Rohingya men to migrate in droves as "boat people", risking their lives on the sea to seek work opportunities outside Myanmar.

For many, it is the beginning of new tragedies.

Thailand serves as a half-way stop to Malaysia, the Rohingya Muslims' preferred destination. For those who cannot pay for the rest of the journey, they will be sent to work on rubber plantations by the human trafficking rackets led by Rohingya mafia with police connections.

The unlucky ones are sold as slaves to fishing trawler owners. Many die on board and their bodies are thrown into the sea.

That is why Abu still considers himself fortunate. He belonged to an old wave of Rohingya refugees who quietly trickled into Thailand two or three decades ago. Thanks to their small number, they managed to live and work underground by paying protection money to the police and the Rohingya mafia. Many work as roti vendors on the streets.

Many have Thai wives and children. Like Abu, they remain stateless and have to live under constant fear of deportation and being torn apart from their families.

Despite the risks from human trafficking rackets, the communal violence in Rakhine will lead to an increase in the number of Rohingya boat people seeking safety on Thai shores. What should Thailand do? What should Myanmar do? What should the world do?

Unless the world applies pressure on Myanmar to review its inhumane treatment of the Rohingya, and unless the government cracks down on human traffickers and corrupt officials, the tragedies of the Rohingya boat people will never end. The sad possibility is that world is likely to look the other way, given the vast economic potential which Myanmar holds.

Abu's worst fear is that the Thai government will choose the easy way out by deporting easy targets such as himself to show that it is doing something about Rohingya immigrants.

"But where can I go? No countries want us. We're treated as if we are not human beings, being forced to live underground and in fear wherever we are.

"I have a family here, but every day I live in fear of arrest and deportation.

"All I want is to be recognised as a person too, and a chance to taste a life of freedom.

"I'm getting old, and I'm afraid that I will die without knowing what it's like to live without fear," he said.


(Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor, Bangkok Post)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Bahagian 2 Ucapan Dasar WADAH Pulau Pinang


Ucapan Dasar Muktamar Wadah Pencerdasan Umat 10 Julai 2011 di Bangunan ABIM Negeri Pulau Pinang, Sg Gelugor oleh Dr Hj Wan Salim Mohd Noor, Pengerusi WADAH Cawangan Pulau Pinang


Lebarkan mesej dan cerdaskan umat

Kita perlu memperbanyakkan program da'wah dan menfokus kepada urutan keutamaan menurut kehendak semasa dan kesesuaian gerakan. Memang diakui kelemahan kita di sini dengan kekurangan aktiviti kemasyarakatan dan program penerangan.

Kita perlu dokong secara aktif dan mantapkan institusi dan program sedia ada iaitu Madrasah-Madrasah Ad Diniah, Al Uthmaniyah - SEMI dan SERI, sekolah-sekolah kita serta institusi pendidikan bagi pelarian Rohingya REC yang ditaja oleh FGN dengan bantuan UNHCR. REC merupakan usaha pendidikan secara tersusun bagi membantu meringankan nasib pelarian se agama supaya tidak terabai tanggungjawab kita sebagai saudara se Islam. IOA juga jambatan kita menyebar da'wah kepada non-Muslim yang merupakan penduduk majoriti negeri ini.

Kita harus terus terlibat, bekerjasama dan bergiat dalam badan-badan, perkumpulan-perkumpulan dan lembaga-lembaga yang berusaha untuk pembangunan dan kemajuan Islam di negeri ini.

WADAH secara khusus hendaklah menubuhkan institut kajian dan berusaha secara tersusun bagi mendekati para intelek, ilmuwan serta profesional negeri ini untuk melebarkan program pencerdasan umat.

Infaq fi sabilillah

Aktiviti dan program serta pemantapan institusi memerlukan kelestarian berbentuk dana wang ringgit dan kita perlu menyahut seruan jihad bi amwalikum ini serta membuktikannya melalui pengorbanan dan sumbangan bermakna daripada apa yang ada kepada kita. Seperti pesanan dua orang sahabat senior yang telahpun kembali ke rahmatullah, "Kita tidak harus menyumbang hanya sisa sahaja kepada gerakan ini."


Memahami maqasid syariah

Bahaya "rule by decree" - perintah secara titah

Hukum, undang-undang, peraturan - merbahaya jika semata-mata dikuatkuasa secara "rule by decree" - hukum tanpa kebijaksanaan, hikmah dan kemanusiaan - tanpa penguasaan fiqh - awlawiyyat, munazarat, mua'sir - tanpa melihat apa yang utama, seimbang dan semasa. Kita boleh lihat kepada contoh kebangkitan menentang pemerintah di Iran sekarang (regim yang didakwa mengamalkan absolutisme).

Jika diberi berkuasa, penguasa mesti mendalami dan selami gerak hati nurani rakyat (conscience of the ummah) - mesti ada habits of the heart - tabiat hati (dikatakan ada pada presiden-presiden Amerika yang lalu dan yang terus disanjungi - ini bersama kekuatan demokrasi mereka dikatakan juga lebih ampuh daripada kekuatan teknologi dan ketenteraan).

Keadilan dan Keihsanan

Said Ramadan al Buti menyingkap seerah Rasulullah s.a.w. tentang pengajaran hijrah:- Jika prinsip bantu-membantu, kerjasama dan pertolongan dilaksana menurut keadilan dan kesaksamaan maka itulah jelmaan masyarakat yang adil dan aman sejahtera. Jika sebaliknya, prinsip ini dilaksana secara zalim dan secara palsu, maka ia sebuah masyarakat yang tidak adil dan menyeleweng.

Apa faktor yang menjaminkan keadilan ditegakkan? Keadilan ditegakkan sejagat melalui ukhuwwah dan mahabbah. Hanya dengan inilah datangnya keadilan yang ditegakkan oleh kuasa dan penggubalan undang-undang. Betapa tulus sekalipun pemerintah bercita-cita untuk melaksana dan mentadbir keadilan kepada rakyatnya, hasrat ini tidak akan tercapai kecuali ia diasaskan kepada ukhuwwah dan mahabbah. Mentadbir keadilan tanpa kasih sayang dan persaudaraan akan menyemai benih-benih kebencian dan keresahan di kalangan masyarakat.

Hubungan kemanusiaan

Jika disingkap sejarah tentang Hilf al-Fudul (alliance of the virtuous) – Pakatan mulia ini sebenarnya mencerminkan etika Islam walaupun berlaku pada zaman jahiliyyah sebelum perlantikan Rasulullah s.a.w. Pakatan Hilf al-Fudul melambangkan kepentingan hak asasi manusia dan perlindungannya dalam Islam. Rasulullah s.a.w. menyokong dan mengesahkannya walaupun selepas menjadi Rasul dan pakatan ini berasaskan persetujuan di kalangan orang-orang bukan Islam. Tariq Ramadan menggariskan 3 prinsip yang terdapat di sini:-

• Islam menerima nilai universal yang datang daripada hatibudi manusia walaupun di luar tradisi Islam.

• Islam mengakui kebaikan yang ada pada non-Muslim. Dalam hal ini, non-Muslim mempertahankan keadilan dan membela mereka yang dizalimi.

• Islam, bukan saja membina pakatan dalam suatu masyarakat tertutup dan terpencil, malah membina satu set prinsip-prinsip universal. Risalah Islam bukan suatu sistem nilai tertutup, bertentangan atau bercanggah dengan sistem nilai lain yang baik.

Di sinilah kita akan lihat perbedaan pluraliti vs pluralisme - menangani dan memanfaatkan kemajmukan, perbedaan, kemasyarakatan bukan menjejaskan aqidah atau maruah agama. Kita perhatikan di Medan Tahrir, Mesir bagaimana sebahagian wakil-wakil golongan sekular dan non-Muslim mempertahankan partisipasi golongan Islam serta menyelar Islamophobia apabila diajukan soalan-soalan yang provokatif, atas dasar hak walaupun ideologi berlainan.

Kita amat wajar sekali mengelak kekusutan fikiran polemik khilaf dan kontroversi Salafi dan sebagainya di kalangan umat kerana jelas dan nyatakan sekali iannya sangat merugikan dan amat sedikit manfaatnya. Kita sememangnya Salafi dalam artikata sebenarnya dari dahulu hingga masakini.

Kita perlu bergerak aktif dalam Social media dan social network - blog, facebook, twitter dan perlu ada usaha bagi bersuara di TV satelit dan sebagainya.

Beberapa Pengajaran

Pendekatan Tayyip Erdogan dan AKP di Turki menunjukkan bergerak secara inklusif, bertindak melalui pembinaan konsensus, memperkukuhkan demokrasi dan menangani ekonomi dengan bijaksana meletakkannya pada posisi arus perdana walaupun betapa hebatnya penentangan sekular yang telah terpahat pada batang tubuh Turki itu.

Contoh siasah syar'iyyah diberikan apabila briged mujahidin di Bosnia pada awal 90'an pernah menawan biara-biara yang mempunyai wanita-wanita rahib-rahib (nuns and monasteries). Al marhum Syaikh Anwar Shaaban, ketua briged, berfatwa bahawa tahanan tidak boleh dijadikan hamba dan menolak pelaksanaan fiqh yang membenarkannya atas alasan siasah syar'iyyah memandangkan kepada fitnah besar yang akan melanda jika mujahidin Islam mengamalkan apa yang dipandang serong sebagai sama sahaja dengan kekejaman kufr Serb yang dimusuhi. Dengan cara terhormatnya nuns - biarawati-biarawati ini dilayani dengan baik dan diserahkan secara aman kepada Persatuan Palang Merah Antarabangsa ICRC. Tiada langsung dalam hati sanubari para mujahidin tentang perasaan untuk balas dendam atau mempunyai sifat terorisme.

Aliya Ali Izetbegovic dipenjarakan di Bosnia pada zaman pemerintahan komunis secara tidak adil selama 11 tahun kerana menulis buku Islam between East and the West yang mengkritik sosialisme dan komunisme. Apabila dia bebas dan menjadi presiden, dia tidak membalas dendam dengan memenjarakan atau memecat sesiapa pun yang terlibat dalam konspirasi pendakwaan dan pembicaraannya.

Kita perlu berwaspada tentang siapa sebenarnya yang menyemarakkan api keganasan dan menyebarkan pengeboman dan serangan ke atas orang awam di serata dunia ini dan siapa telah menyelinap masuk meracuni pemikiran bagi menggalakkan pembunuhan, pengeboman dan penyembelihan - itu adalah perangkap bagi umat Islam dan menjadi umpan Islamophobia. Ada para motivator kita yang sanggup menayangkan video-video penyembelihan yang amat ngeri (tanpa mengetahui apa sebenar manfaatnya).


Tribulasi Perjuangan

Pada awal 70'an, dikisahkan bahawa ABIM telah menterjemahkan buku karya al marhum Fathi Yakan, pemimpin gerakan Islam Lebanon, bertajuk Tribulasi Perjuangan: Di antara Mehnah dan Fitnah. Sungguh banyak buku-buku karya tokoh-tokoh Ikhwan al Muslimin and gerakan Islam diterjemahkan oleh ABIM untuk IIFSO dan WAMY. Buku-buku sebegini menjadi bacaan wajib, cukup popular dan inspirasi kepada anak-anak muda waktu itu yang mencari-cari segenap bahan bagi menelaah ilmu agama, memperbaiki diri, melakukan islah dan menjadi pemanis halua bagi yang mengidamkan pedoman da'wah. Era itu memperlihatkan satu kesedaran, satu kebangkitan Islam yang dipelopori pemuda-pemudi dengan idealisme perjuangan yang membara. Maka sebarang rencana, tulisan, syarahan dan bicara tokoh diikuti, dihadam, ditekuni dan diamati.

Setiap eksperimen Islamisasi didampingi dan ditekuni. Matlamatnya bagi mengisi dada dengan pengetahuan dan ketajaman fikiran agar berada di landasan mulia dan menuruti jalan-jalan da'wah. Pembacaan menjadikan pelengkap tarbiyyah, pembinaan watak dan peribadi. Usrah-usrah pula tempat penyemakan, pencernaan dan perbahasan idea-idea dan apa yang terbit daripada pengajarannya. Kefahaman dan dinamika kumpulan usrah menterjemahkan idea di lapangan dan mencetuskan pelbagai projek. Suasana pembelajaran dan pembinaan sungguh segar dan memberikan pencerahan, ketenangan, perasaan kekayaan, rasa penuh dan perasaan cukup yakin dengan hasil kebersamaan perkongsian dengan rakan-rakan sahabat seperjuangan. Keyakinan bahawa masa depan Islam cerah dan kitalah pembawa pengibar panji-panjinya menjanjikan satu sahwah, satu futuhah, satu kebangkitan, satu kemenangan. Dengan pantas dakwah melebar hingga membawa perubahan terpenting masyarakat dan pembinaan negara-bangsa.

Melalui tulisan Fathi Yakan, kita merasai dan memahami apa makna kita mengakui diri Muslim, menggabungkan diri kepada gerakan Islam, mempunyai perasaan intim kepada perjuangannya. Kita inginkan menegakkan cita-cita Islamiyyah. Kita diingatkan tentang bahaya sepanjang jalan, bagaimana boleh gugur dan tercicir di perjalanan da'wah ini. Kita tahu bakal adanya mehnah dan fitnah yang melanda sejak zaman perjuangan Rasulullah s.a.w., para sahabat dan para mujahidin hingga masa kini. Kesan pembacaan, perbincangan dan latihan kita meyakinkan kita tentang cerahnya masa depan Islam, kemenangan yang dijanjikan serta keinginan kita untuk menegakkan cita-cita Islamiyyah, menjadi pembawa obor pembaharuan Islam bagi menyinari seluruh pelusuk dan negeri. Sungguh luas pengisian yang diperolehi. Tetapi kita belum menempuhi medan perjuangan sebenar dan apa yang ada hanya pengetahuan dan tahap pemikiran tanpa pengalaman, belum ada ujian getir atau cubaan yang rumit. Kita belum berhadapan dengan pertarungan hak dan batil, belum berdepan dengan kezaliman, penindasan, kekejaman, penyiksaan dan tipudaya. Kita belum menempuhi tribulasi perjuangan.

Sahabat kita, seorang pemimpin senior, pengasas gerakan Islam ABIM, sekarang menjadi seorang tokoh politik ternama, ditanya kenapa beliau masih sanggup mengharungi serangan dan penderitaan bertubi-tubi berbentuk mehnah dan fitnah yang dahsyat ke atasnya. Beliau menjawab dengan merujuk kepada Islah mastata'tum - surah Hud:88 - “Tidaklah kami mahu melainkan untuk melakukan islah sekuat daya kami.”

Tentang dugaan besar yang dihadapinya, beliau telah merujuk kepada ulama Sheikh Wahbah al Zuhaily, Prof Yusuf al Qaradawi dan Tuan Guru Haji Salleh Sik. Ketiga-tiga orang alim ini memberikan pesanan yang sama iaitu Innalladzina qalu rabbunallah (sesungguhnya orang-orang yang mengatakan, “Tuhan kami ialah Allah”) sebagai pengakuan atas ketuhan-Nya dan keesan-Nya - thummas taqamu (kemudian mereka meneguhkan pendirian mereka) (Surah al Fushshilat: 30)


Khatimah

Semoga apa yang disebutkan di atas mendapat perhatian kita bersama. Marilah kita berazam untuk meningkatkan lagi komitmen kita terhadap harakah yang sama-sama kita cintai ini. Kita juga mendoakan ke hadrat Allah s.w.t. agar memberkati segala usaha kita untuk menobatkan agamaNya di muka bumi ini dan menjadikannya sebagai amal soleh di sisiNya.


Friday, January 7, 2011

Rohingya Education Centre REC

REC


Rohingya Education Centre REC adalah usaha murni pertubuhan bukan kerajaan Future Global Network FGN bersama WADAH Pulau Pinang yang diamanahkan oleh UNHCR Malaysia bagi menjalankan pendidikan formal kepada anak-anak pelarian Rohingya. Pusat ini beroperasi sejak Julai 2010 di Taman Arowana, Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang.


Satu majlis perasmian telah diadakan sempena pembukaan pusat ini. Program di mulakan dgn ucapan pengacara majlis yang merupakan waris pelajar Madrasah Uthmaniah ABIM Sg Gelugor. Ini diikuti dengan persembahan pelajar Rohingya, nyanyian pelajar perempuan dengan lagu dalam Bahasa Melayu bertajuk "assalamu'alaikum" Kumpulan pelajar lelaki pula melagukan nasyid "my mother". Kemudian, ucapan aluan wakil pelajar perempuan dalam Bahasa Melayu. Wakil pelajar lelaki pula berucap dalam Bahasa Inggeris yang lancar dengan nada Hindi .


Tuan Haji Ahmad Azam Abd Rahman mewakili FGN dan Tuan Haji Abd Halim Ismail, setiausaha agong WADAH Pusat turut memberikan ucapan. Pada ucapan perasmian Ms Anna Maria Pelosi, Wakil UNHCR, beliau memberikan ucapan yang rata-rata yang hadir menganggap baik dan memberangsangkan. beliau menasihati dan menyarankan para pelajar Rohingya supaya menghargai negara ini, jasa dan baktinya, rakyat dan masyarakatnya serta suasana aman dan damai untuk mereka gigih menjalani pendidikan.


Para pelajar telah menghadiahkan lukisan " dari hati mereka" - from their heart, satu lukisan tangan yang dibingkaikan. Para tetamu melawat kelas serta mendengar taklimat pengetua REC.


Jamuan disediakan untuk semua tetamu termasuk waris pelajar Rohingya yang berusaha menyediakan sajian menu negara asal mereka. Alhamdulillah, sekitar 300 orang Rohingya dan tetamu lain hadir.


Latarbelakang


Rohingya merupakan kumpulan etnik minoriti Islam yang tinggal di Arakan, barat Myanmar. Mereka sering dinafikan hak asasi, sehingga sebahagian besar mereka tidak diberikan kerakyatan oleh pemerintah Myanmar. Mereka tertakluk kepada pelbagai jenis peras ugut seperti terpaksa membayar cukai secara arbitrari, rampasan tanah, meroboh rumah kediaman, pengusiran dan sebagainya. Mereka digunakan sebagai buruh paksa bagi membina jalan dan bekerja di kem-kem tentera. Masyarakat Rohingya juga tidak dibenarkan mengamalkan ajaran Islam dan mengadakan apa jua majlis yang bercorak keagamaan. Pemberian Zakat dan penyembelihan binatang qurban juga tidak dibenarkan kerana dikatakan menggugat ekonomi orang ramai di seluruh negara Myanmar.

Pada tahun 1978 masyarakat Islam Rohingya menghadapi pembunuhan dan pengusiran oleh masyarakat beragama Buddha yang disokong oleh tentera pemerintah. Akibatnya, beribu-ribu melarikan diri keluar negara - terpaksa merempat di Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Pakistan dan Malaysia. (FGN)


Education for Refugees


Education centers for refugee children are run by an NGO partner on behalf of UNHCR, while others are community-based education centers organised by the refugee communities themselves where UNHCR provides support, including volunteer teachers, where possible.

As of end November 2010, there are some 19,800 Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia.

Refugees live in quiet ways within Malaysian society, till people sometimes do not realise they exist, nor understand the circumstances that compelled them to flee their homeland with virtually nothing to their name but the clothes on their backs.

For most refugees, their deepest wish is to go home again. But until long term solutions can be found for them, they need the compassion and the understanding of Malaysians to help them survive here.

Education for refugee children is recognised as a universal human right but very few refugees have access to formal education. The absence of education among refugee children will become a handicap for them as they grow up. It inhibits their opportunity to better their lives, creating a possible second generation of an illiterate and unskilled community. (UNHCR)