Religious Persecution in Myanmar (Burma) Must End

ICLI's WEEKLY "LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN"

The following letter was signed by 326 members of the congregation at the
Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, New York on February 9, 2001.
Alhamdulillah!. Please take a few minutes to this petition statement. You can make a difference. Allah, SWT has promised many rewards for those who speak out for justice and fairness.

Jazaakum Allah Khairan - May Allah reward you!

Secretary of State Colin Powell February 9,
2001
The U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Religious Persecution in Myanmar (Burma) Must End

Dear Secretary of State Colin Powell:

We, the undersigned, are disturbed by the intolerance to and systematic
preaching of hatred against religions other than Buddhism, which is an
established fact and policy of the ruling military junta in Burma. Most
affected groups are the Muslims followed by Christians and followers of other
faiths, although the Constitutions of Myanmar (Burma) - of 1947 and l974 -
clearly indicate freedom of worship. Discrimination based on religious
belief and ethnicity is widespread since 1948, the year of Burma's
independence. However, the discrimination has been pursued as a state
policy since the military junta took-over in 1962 followed by the
installation of Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) regime in l974. The
popular slogan of the BSPP had been "to be a Burmese is to be a Buddhist".
The situation became worse under SLORC/SPDC rule. In 1997 at least 40
mosques were attacked and ransacked in the cities of Mandalay and Rangoon
before the very eyes of SLORC forces. In the second week of August 1999
about 1000 ethnic Nagas fled their homes in Saggaing Division of Upper Burma
to the Indian state of Nagaland. According to the Nagaland authorities the
Nagas in Burma have been subjected to religious persecution. The Nagas are
Christians and attempts have been made by SPDC authorities and Buddhist monks
to forcibly convert them to Buddhism. Many churches have been occupied and
turned into dormitories for soldiers. In Karen state also there had been
instances of desecration of churches by SLORC/SPDC forces and later by DKBA,
a splinter Karen Buddhist group opposed to Christian dominated KNU and
propped up by the junta. Persecution based on religious belief has been
taking place in various forms as listed below:

1. Non-Buddhists (Muslims, Christians) are discriminated in recruitment and
promotion in government services; no Muslims are recruited in defense
services any more.
2. Non-Buddhists are given rare chance of achieving state scholarship to
pursue higher studies. Muslims are asked to shave their beards, if any, and
to eat pork as a pre-condition to be considered for state scholarship.
3. Religious literature cannot be printed or distributed by non-Buddhists.
4. Many Muslim school teachers have been dismissed from their jobs for not
bowing their heads before the national flag. Please note that bowing before
anyone other than God is prohibited in Islam.
5. Tablige Jamat (religious propagation work) is not allowed to perform
freely. Restrictions are imposed on the movements of such groups.
6. Restrictions on performance of Al-Hajj (pilgrimage) to Makkah is
continuing. Only a handful of pro-government persons are allowed to perform
Al-Hajj. This year no one from Arakan has been allowed to go for Al-Hajj.
7. There are many restrictions on the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha (Feast of
Sacrifice, commemorating Prophet Abraham's attempt to sacrifice his son
Ishmael. Having passed the test of faith, a ram was sacrificed through
divine guidance) citing objections from Buddhists.
8. There are hundreds of instances of desecration and demolition of mosques,
religious schools either as special targets or together with uprooting the
whole villages. Military personnel often enter mosques with shoes on and
indulge in drinking liquor.
9. Many grave yards have been turned into football fields, residential
quarters, public rest rooms, etc.
10. Thousands of acres of land belonging to the Muslim endowment (Waqf) have
been confiscated and either distributed to the Buddhists or used by the
government.
11. Construction of new mosques and Muslim schools, and performing repairs
on existing structures is totally banned in Arakan.
12. Muslims are forced to pay donation and are forced into labor to
construct Buddhist pagodas.
13. The beards of imams and Muslim teachers are often shaved, plucked out or
burned and the individuals are subjected to humiliating treatment and
beatings.
14. Muslim women are not allowed to wear Islamic dress while going out-doors.
15. Muslim couples are restricted from marrying according to Islamic
teachings.
16. Forced marriage of Muslim girls by Buddhist military personnel do,
sometime, happen under threat.
17. Printing and circulation of anti-Muslim leaflets and booklets have been
carried out with inflammatory language inciting to destroy mosques, burn
religious schools and boycott Muslim shops.
18. Many Buddhist pagodas are being built on the confiscated religious
endowment land.


Dear Secretary of State Powell, we, the undersigned, believe that the
conditions listed above are signs of intolerance towards others, and are,
therefore, a threat to peace not only in Myanmar/Burma but everywhere in our
ever shrinking world. They must not be tolerated.

We look forward to hearing from you, as to what steps you will take to insure
religious freedom in Myanmar/Burma as its Constitution calls for.

Sincerely,