Living in the Racial Fault line: Rohingyas Look like Bengalis but are the People of Burma

Abid Bahar Ph.D.

Who are the Rohingyas? An Arakani xenophob named Aye Chan says they are "Bengalis" from Bangladesh, and many of his hoodlum followers even call Rohingyas the "Talibans"; some even call them as "terrorists" perhaps because most Rohingyas are Muslims and some racist people it is easy to find all Muslims as being terrorists. However, research shows that Rohingyas look like Bengalis but aren't Bengalis. If Rohingyas are not Bengalis, who are they?  Rohingyas are a mixture of people beginning from indigenous Chandra people of pre 10th century Arakan, and also Rohingyas in them had Arab and Persian traders from the 7th century settled in Arakan, and the Bengali Sultan's soldiers send to Arakan with General Sindi Khan to help restore Noromikhala in the mid-15th century, and finally they also had in their people Bengali slaves captured from lower Bengal during the 16th and early 17th century from raids by Mogh (Rakhine) pirates in the Bay. These flows of people from the north and west of Arakan are recorded in history.

BURMA LIVES IN THE PAST

Dr. Abid Bahar, PhD

( Part of the essay is adapted from Abid Bahar's book "Burma's Missing Dots," 2010) 

Burma is a medium-sized country; rich in mineral resources and agriculture, and the majority of its people are followers of the Buddhist faith. With such material and spiritual assets, it should be a peaceful and prosperous nation, but the reality is different. Burma has become a despotic country with a world-wide reputation for human rights violations and producing refugees. It is now clear that from the time of Burman King Anawrahta’s accession to power, through the advent of military rule in the 1960s until the present day, Burmese rulers have treated ethnic and racial minorities as subject peoples or even aliens. This is the most important idiosyncrasy in Burma’s history; even at the present time, it is causing massive refugee movements to neighboring countries. Seen in this light, Burma’s problem is not primarily a democratic predicament but an ethnic one. In this work, I hope to provide the missing dots to the derisory understanding of Burma presented in the popular media. 

Predominance of Collective Rights in Totalitarian Countries and the Act of Genocide

Dr. Abid Bahar Ph.D.

Most of the events of genocides worldwide are committed in totalitarian countries from the fear in the majority population that they would lose their collective ownership over land. The case in point is present Burma, in former Yogoslavia, Nazi Germany, and Rwanda, These countries have similar history in common. These countries give predominance of collective rights over individual rights.

Whereas in democratic countries individual rights are guranteed through state machineries like police, army, and the court, However, in totalitarian countries the same institutions protect the majority by denying the minority's population's individual rights, to own property, right to education, right to movement etc. In Bangladesh Rakhines who migrated during the British period enjoy these individual rights.

Poem: Anti- Rohingya Racism and Holliganism in Arakan

Dr. Abid Bahar 

Oh holligan man, youuuu the enemy of the nation

You commit holliganism in the state of Arakan

Holliganism in the Bay, ancient Mogh pirates ran 

Now you promote racism in the Burmese province of Arakan

Oh, holligan man, the enemy of the nation!

Oh holliganman, youuuu, the enemy of democracy and the nation

Pungi leader began in the 30's racism in Arakan

Anti Muslim,anti Rohingya riots by his racist holligan

Rohingyas not included in the census of the nation 

Holligans persuded the military to deny Rohingyas as Burmese citizen

Oh, holligan man, the enemy of the nation!

Debate: First Round: Is Aye Chan an academician or an anti-Rohingya?

Dr. Abid Bahar Ph.D.

Dear Arakan Readers:

At first when I began reading Aye Chan, I thought he was a scholar but as I went into details I found out that he has problems dealing "with multiple sides of issues" as is normally the case with xenophobes. You would notice here Aye Chan comments to Dr. Siddiqui and says:

"Main theme is 'Whether these Muslims who call themselves Rohingya are the immigrants from Chittagong District or not.'

I have proved 'They are.' Don't avoid the main topic, Siddiqui, the liar." Aye Chan also identifies himself as "A Challenger for life on this topic." It seems that Aye Chan is more of a Rakhine crusader on this topic than an academician. Unfortunately, the Rakhine extremists use him as a true "academician."

Arakan, the Epicentre of Refugee Production in the Region

Dr.Abid Bahar

Lately, Rakhines of Arakan "Protest against the BBC and demand apology" for showing Rohingyas in the Burma map. But why apology? For showing the Rohingya homeland in Arakan? I understand that BBC knew all about the Rakhine-Rohingya problems and also that the ultranationalist Rakhine's sucess in convincing the Burmese military to declare the Rohingyas as the noncitizens of Burma. Not surprisingly, showing the Rohingya existance in Arakan only flamed the racist fire. But the BBC was polite enough to not say openly that Arakan is the epicentre of refugee production in South Asia and South East Asia and it is the Rakhine-Moghs to blame..

ISLAM IN BUDDHIST ENVIRONMENT: MUSLIM LEADERSHIP AND THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN BURMA

Dr. Abid Bahar Ph.D.

The region of South East Asia is almost entirely Buddhist. To account for Islam in Burma is to account for Islam in a Buddhist environment. In our contemporary period, surviving as a Muslim in the Burmese Buddhist environment has become very challenging. The biggest challenge before the Muslim leadership seems to be to learn to fight the common local and international stereotypes propagated against Muslims.