Police Detain 7 Muslim Students in Burma for Praying

Students were offering Zuhur Prayer (mid day prayer) from Maungdaw High School Mosque.

(DHAKA, Bangladesh) - Just a few minutes ago a most reliable person confirmed over Phone that today that some seven (7) Muslims entered in Muangdaw High School Mosque and were offering JUHUR Prayer ( mid day prayer ).

At once police rushed into the mosque and arrested the 7 Muslims by entering in the religious building. The police not only detained the devotees, but also disgraced the Mosque.

Later, they were released by bribing 17 Gallons of Diesel each. In fact, Muslims from Arakan are being deprived from offering their five times prayers since the riot.

How long more to wait to offer prayer in Mosques?

But the other race Rakhines are enjoying all religious and social freedom and section 144 is not affecting them. It is an apartheid rule.

No Rakhines have been arrested and sent to jail after sectarian strife despite the Rakhines having torched more than 4000 Muslims Houses and having killed more than 1000 Rohingyas in Arakan during the riot.

In comparison, the casualties of the Rakines are only few, and a result of what happened while the Muslims tried to defend themselves.

Muslims in Arakan worry they will be deprived of celebrating Eidul Azha (animals sacrificing religious occasion) which is knocking the door.

The Muslims` Eidul Azha is to be held on 27th October, 2012. But yet there is no sign of allowing Muslims living Arakan to celebrate the religious function.

The Muslims were not allowed to celebrate last Eidul Fitr (fasting month ending celebration). The world Muslims except Muslims from Arakan are going to celebrate Eidul Azha. In fact the whole world is enjoying this Holiday on this Eidul Azha.

But the Muslims from Arakan have zero hope of celebrating this religious ceremony. On other hand, U Thein Sein is playing dual policy with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The Rakhines also protested when a Holland NGO tried to open an office in Sittwe and other towns in Arakan where the displaced people are being deprived of treatment and other facilities from such NGO's.

Muslim Rohingyas from a neglected town, Rathedaung were facing a severe food shortage. No NGO's have reached there so far. So, the Myanmar govt and International humanitarian aid agencies are requested to take measure to solve the crisis in Rathedaung township near Buthidaung.

Nurul Islam is a Human Rights Activist in Bangladesh.