The secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) declared they are “ready to take all necessary measures and actions” in dealing with the impending crisis affecting Muslims in Burma, according to a press release from a group meeting held in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, on March 30.
“Violence has extended to target all Muslims in Burma. The recent violence in the central regions of the country confirms all too well that there is religious persecution,” stated Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu in the press release.
“The OIC intends to raise the issue in the Security Council and the Human Rights Council to find a solution that contributes to putting an end to religious persecution against Muslims in Burma.”
The OIC that is made up of ministers from 57 Islamic nations tried to set up offices in Yangon and in Sittwe, Arakan state to help those affected by last year’s sectarian violence. These plans were rejected by Burma government officials; initially the government gave the Islamic organization the green light to open offices, but cancelled it after Buddhist extremist organized protests.
Other initiatives recently proposed by the OIC have also been rejected by government officials. A visit spearheaded by Egyptian officials that would have sent a special delegation headed by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and a number of foreign ministers from OIC member countries to Burma, was postponed by the government.
“We strongly condemned the recent spreading of the violence against Muslims in Burma at the hands of extremist Buddhists. Violence in Arakan, in the west of the country, continues uninterrupted since last June, 2012, and has spread to several cities and areas, particularly in the Miektila city in the Mandalay region in the central of the country. As a result of this violence, scores of Muslims were killed and their homes and properties burnt, in addition to the burning of nearly 18 mosques and a number of schools. Hundreds of families fled their homes. Such violence should not continue,” said the OIC secretary general.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu also urged the Burmese government to “put an end to Buddhist extremism and hate campaigns, as well as ethnic cleansing that they had launched against Muslims in the country”.
The OIC will meet in Saudi Arabia on April 14 in to discuss the growing incidences of violence against Muslims in Burma.
