Page 182 - Seekers Guide Book

Peace: The Summum Bonum
than before. This is the story of the Rohingya Muslims
in brief.

When I was in Lucknow — perhaps in 1966 — one day,
a Muslim scholar came to me and said he was going to
Burma and asked if I would accompany him. When I
asked why, he replied that a movement for the formation
of a Muslim state was going on in Myanmar and that
we, too, should lend our full support to it. I strongly
disagreed with his suggestion. I explained to him that
people who thought like him might be trying to form
a state in the name of Islam, but that such an act would
only lead to strife. I told him that I disapproved of their
method of proceeding, as a movement that took shape
in such a manner was not truly Islamic and could only
lead to conflict and dispute. I made it clear that I could
not endorse such a cause. He became angry and left.
Since 1966, my opinion on the Rohingyas is only one and
that is: The case of the Rohingya Muslims is not one of
‘oppression’, but rather, it is the outcome of ill-judged
political activities instigated by unwise leaders. If the
whole picture were to be seen, one would arrive at the
conclusion that the Rohingya Muslims are not victims
of oppression but are rather paying the price for their
own unrealistic actions carried out under the influence
of misguided leaders. Such a separatist movement would
be unacceptable to any country, even if it were given the
euphemistic name of ‘self-determinism’. The solution
to the problem of the Rohingya Muslims is only one —
that is, they must disavow their insurgency and militant
activities. They should make it known that they are a
larger part of the Myanmar nation. They should rid

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