Imam Nadim Ali: Rohingya and Uighurs People Why Should U.S. Based Muslims Care?

Rohingya and Uighurs People Why Should U.S. Based Muslims Care?

By Imam Nadim Ali 3/11/23

I was honored to attend a workshop sponsored by Justice For All(justiceforall.org) an organization that is committed to highlighting the genocidal practices of India, China and Myanmar (Formerly known as Burma).

These governments have been oppressing their Muslim minorities, and the outside world, and in particularly the Muslim majority countries have been displaying a business as usual attititude while fellow Muslims fall victim to murder, torture, and rape.

In China Muslims are forbidden to observe the basic tenets of Islam such as praying and fasting. The Chinese have gone so far as to make videos of fake Eids in an attempt to fool the outside world that they are tolerant of Muslim practices.

Justice For All gathered a group of concerned Muslim from around the country at the magnificent Diyanet Center Of America in Lanham Maryland to lobby their respective congressional representatives.

The ultimate goal was to convince the congress to support bills that will allow at least 10,000 Rohingya and Uighur refugees to enter the US, and to increase support for refugees that are in camps throughout the world.

The group is focused on battling Islamophobia in an effort to stave off the hate that has been displayed toward the Muslim community around the world. Some of the actions that they are seeking to attain are:

Revive and pass the Combating International Islamophobia Act.
Provide senate and house floor speeches on the importance of a strong U.S. foreign policy stance toward India in their collaboration with fascists within the Indian Hindu Community.
Seek independent human rights experts to assess the condition of Muslim minorities of India, China, and Myanmar.
Encourage the Secretary Of State to list India as a Country Of Particular Concern.

Justice For All was able to educate attendees on the problems that they have identified, and offered solutions on how to influence lawmakers to address the presented concerns.

During the session three female members of the Uighur community were able to present first hand stories of incarceration and abuse at the hands of the Chinese government.

They reported that 1-3 million Uyghurs have been sent to concentration camps run by the Chinese government for ideological brainwashing, and forced labor. Also in attendance were two members of the Rohingya community who reported experiences similar to their Uighur brethren.

They reported that Rohingya in UN run camps are allotted only $12.00 a month to live on when a balanced diet in Bangladesh requires at least $90.00 a month. Attendees to the workshop were encouraged to lobby their elected officials to increase aid to the Rohingya in the camps to at least $50,000,000.

The attendees were able to Visit with the staff of the following senators and representatives:

Senator Lindsey Graham(SC)
Senator Marsha Blackburn(TN)
Senator Tim Scott(SC)
Raphael Warnock(GA)
Senator Jeff Merkeley(OR)
Senator Bill Hagerty (TN)
Senator Corey Booker (NJ)
Senator Mark Warner(VA)
Senator Benjamin Cardin(MD)
Senator Ron Johnson(WI)
Senator Marco Rubio(FL)
Senator Tim Kaine(VA)
Representative Pat Fallon
Representative Seth Moulton
Representative Andy Kim(NJ)
Representative Jared Moskowit(FL)
Representative TonyCardenas(CA)
Senator Ron Wyden(OR)
Representative Anna G. Eshoo (CA)
Representative Ann G. Eshoo (CA)

Committees

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
State Department Met with the Rohingya Delegation

It is important for the US Muslim community to use its influence, and pressure political entities to seek justice for oppressed Muslim minorities. It is also important for Muslims throughout the world to pressure Muslim majority countries to use their diplomatic and economic resources to pressure Mynymar, China, and India to treat their Muslim minorities justly.

What can you do?

Use the Five Call Apps (https://5calls.org/) to contact elected officials in order to encourage them to support the passage of International Anti-Islamophobia Bill HR5665(https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5665)

Encourage your elected officials to protest the upcoming visit of Indian prime minister Nurenda Modi who espouses fascists view, and over saw an attack on the Muslims of Gujarat in 2002(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi)

As Muslims we should be empathetic to the plight of oppressed Muslims throughout the planet:

Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.

Justice For All Meeting With Congressional Stafferw