Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to
Malala calls on world leaders to save Rohingya Muslims
Education activist Malala Yousafzai on Monday spoke up for the rights of Rohingya Muslims, urging influential world leaders to take action against the persecution of the minority group, said a statement released by the Malala Fund.
"I stand with the Rohingyas, and I encourage people everywhere to do so,” Malala said.
“I call on the leaders of Myanmar and the world to take immediate action to halt the inhuman persecution of Burma's Muslim minority Rohingya people," she said.
She stressed the right of Rohingyas to citizenship in their country of birth, saying they deserved equal rights and opportunities. "The Rohingyas deserve citizenship in the country where they were born and have lived for generations. They deserve equal rights and opportunities."
The 17-year-old said Rohingya Muslims "deserve to be treated like we all deserve to be treated – with dignity and respect. Today and every day."
Young Malala is currently in the United Kingdom completing her studies at the Edgbaston High School, a private school in an upmarket part of Birmingham. After being shot by the Taliban in October 2012, Malala was treated at a hospital in Birmingham. She started at her school in the city in March last year.
She became a leading education campaigner since surviving the assassination attempt, but has not returned to Pakistan since owing to security concerns.
Also read: Malala to return ‘as soon as possible’
Malala and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, set up the Malala Fund in 2013 to fight on behalf of 62 million girls around the world denied access to secondary education, and work in Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone and Kenya.
Last year, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her education campaigning, jointly with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.
Explore: Unwanted and homeless: Plight of the Rohingyas
Plight of the Rohingya people
In recent years, sectarian violence and a thicket of discriminatory laws against the Rohingya in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have sparked the region’s largest exodus of boat-people since the Vietnam War.
More than 25,000 people, including many Rohingya but also economic migrants from Bangladesh, made the dangerous sea journey south from the Bay of Bengal between January and March this year, the UN says.
An estimated 1.3 million Rohingya scratch out an existence in Rakhine, one of Myanmar’s poorest states — tens of thousands are trapped in displacement camps, with conditions outside often worse.
Read more: Myanmar’s abandoned Rohingya — Asia’s pariah people.
Comments (50) Closed
Bravo Malala! The world listens to you for raising the plight of the misfortune.
Great.
There are indeed good world leaders for Muslims to care for. Its better She sticks to what she is known and admired for, Education for girl child.
Has she ever spoke to save minorities being prosecuted in Pakistan?
Why only now ... when voices of common people were reaching far and wide through social media....
when countries like Turkey, Saudi and Malaysia w ere already taking a lead.
Malala, can you also please put a similar statement from time to time to all world leaders to protect the helpless minorities of Pakistan facing open persecutions, discrimination and cruelties. Thank you.
@Harmony-1 But nobody listens to the plight of Hazara Shias, Christians, at home.
The international communities should slap Myanmar with sanctions.
was in sleep mode for long
Let us see if the world really listens to this brave daughter of Pakistan. Well done Malala. Keep raising your voice for the weak ones.
The Western world will do nothing because (1) Myanmar has huge reserves of oil and gas which has the western oil companies drooling, and (2) the Rohingyas are Muslims
A little late but Good Move.. and a huge shame on the riches of middle east and their allies.
Doesw Malala know about the stranded Biharis in Bangladesh ghetto-camps ?
Mahala - why do wealthy Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait etc not take these poor people in Why do you always expect the West to step in??
Me think, in spite of what she is and is doing, she should behave her age.
Appeal Pak govt. to accommodate them. As simple as that!
Along with stranded Biharis in Bangladesh , Pakistan should settle at Mynamar Muslims in Pakistan. There is a Rohingya community in Karachi, best to bring all Rohingyas to Pakistan. Malala should appeal to Pakistan government.
@Amin Ali I agree completely, but I don't know who will listen. We can and should bring them here. Pakistan's problem has never been lack of resources, it has always been the lack of will to harness them. The "we already have enough to deal with" excuse is rubbish. Considering our history, the legacy of our Quaid, we should jump at the chance to help. I REALLY hope the PM decides on sth that will make a substantial difference to our poor brothers and sisters. And I request Dawn to promote the idea of bringing the Rohingyas to Pakistan. It can be done, and it will be absolutely beautiful.
@Nick You mean "persecuted" and not "prosecuted". There are a number of activists and human rights groups in Pakistan who have spoken up and are speaking up with regard to the proper treatment of minorities in this country. Have you noticed them and spoken up loudly in support of their efforts? It would be highly commendable if you did that instead of bashing Malala.
Why only Rohingya Muslims?? Why not Pakistani Christians?
@Amin Ali;
"There is a Rohingya community in Karachi."
Very true, and has been for 50 years. My grandfather's brother-in-law helped settle them.
So Malala goes from education activist to saving the Muslims? Its a good gesture or a thought but she is taking this a little too far.She needs to focus on what she started,next thing we know,she'll be running as a MNA.
Who will then save minorities in Pakistan namely Shia, hazara, ahmedi, Hindu, Christians etc
Someone needs to help them ASAP before IS gets their to help. Then it will be a real problem for all neighboring countries there.
I also call on world leaders to save rohingya muslims from persecution.
@Patel
Never to late to raise voice.
In 1962 ,Burma (now Mianmar) drove half a million Indians of all religions including Muslims out of the country though their ancestors settled in Burma several centuries ago. They had to leave everything and return to. India with just 173 Kyat each. India had accommodated all these and also provided opportunities for livelihood including trading. Burma Bazaars were set up in number of cities . One can find this bazaar in chennai even today. Muslim countries shall extend their helping hand to rohingya Muslims is the need of the hour
@Sunil,
Yes We do. I am 100% sure you don't care about them both but just want to disagree with Malala.
Let me ask you, Sunil. When was a 16 years old Indian kid so brave, like Malala, to stand up to the most brutal murderers like Taliban like Malala did? NEVER.
Why UN is not helping Rohingiyan Muslims?
Come on Muslim leaders; please for God sake wake up and help the Rohingiyan Muslims. & also I am appealing Pakistan government to take big step.
I live in London and never heard any thing of this sort in British Media , as here she is not important and represented . The work which was taken using her has been done and now she has no value in mainstream British Society - I think if she is genuine then she should go back to Pakistan and make her voice heard there , better for her and country .
It is good that Malala is using het position to bring the world's attention to Rohingyas. But care must be taken to not fall into the trap of supporting some people only because they happen to be of the same religion as you.
Thank you Malala. Hope you would raise your voice for the people suffered from ISIS attack in other part of world.
This dear girl, Malala, has the courage of a lion. May God bless her.
We should not expect her to speak up on every injustice in the world, even though those injustices warrant our attention. She's only one person and still tender in age.
Hope her voice will help the suffering Rohingyas and hopefully make Myanmar's leaders move into action to rectify the situation...
First, she should call world leaders to save minorties in Pakistan. One should remove the log in there own eye before trying to remove dust in someone's eye.
@Nick : She is just a kid of 17, waiting to grow to understand the intricacies of issues spread on the entire horizon.
now she changed her track from education to political issues.
So now she is the authority on everything just because she was shot?
And kids, that's how you play for the galleries :)
She is misguided. Save people in your own country first. There are robberies and Police brutalities everyday. Who is going to fix that?
The whole world has been talking about the plight of Rohingyas for a while now and the western leaders are pushing Myanmar as well...Malala is adding the voices
Malala will be a great leader, better than what we currently have.
@Progressing @ why shouldn't she speak up for Muslims - no point in enclosing her in a cocoon of just Education for girls alone. I'm sure she has got through to the minds of people who really want to listen re education for girls.She is far seeing, all difficult dilemas which she sees fitting to address should be listened to, God Bless her intelect, keep her safe from a bad eye and begrudgery, just leave her alone, any of you who are not happy with her good will to help by at least passing on her ideas to those who have the power to take control. It's so uplifting to read favourable comments from so many who are in support support of Malala.
I could not agree more
First time I hear Strong Voice from any GOOD influential Muslim
waste of time, the world know full well about it they just look the other way since these are only muslims and their lives do not matter. We muslims should build a NATO like force and go and protect them ourselves.
World appreciated your courage when demanded education for all girls not just girls in Pakistan. Please lend your voice to all persecuted peoples. Do not select any one persecuted peoples by religion. Just wondering which side of the persecuted peoples did you visit / support in a conflict involving only one religion in Syria!!! We can not expect anything better from person educated in Pak. Please cultivate some english/christian values.
@Truth Wealthy middle eastern muslim countries don't care about Rohingyas because they can't blame jews for that.There is no political mileage in helping Rohingyas.
Is that enough?
Malala getting into religion and politics now. A political leader in the making. She is best at promoting education for underprivileged.
It's never too late!