Page 183 - Seekers Guide Book

The Seeker’s Guide
their hearts of separatist tendencies. I am sure that the
Myanmar government would then accept them, and the
whole issue would be peacefully resolved.

The separatist movement has only caused a deterioration
of the condition of the Rohingyas to the point of ruination,
although prior to this they were living prosperously in
Myanmar. Indeed, the best interests of the Rohingya
Muslims lie not in wanting a separate land, but rather,
in living as part of the state of Myanmar. This is true
both in the religious and secular sense. In 1934, I took
admission in the Madrasah al-Islah, an Arabic seminary
in Azamgarh, for my religious education. I had only one
friend in this seminary, one Abdul Rashid Rangooni (he
was from Burma). He was a very decent person and had a
very good opinion about the Burma of his time. Judging
by the impressions I received from him about the Burmese
people, I would say that the blame for the later actions
which were taken against the Rohingya Muslims lies not
entirely with the Burmese administration, but with the
unwise Rohingya leaders who fuelled violent activities
in the region. In the course of this militancy, outside
leaders also participated, aggravating the situation.
But I personally know that the Burmese are very good
people and will certainly reaccept the Rohingya Muslims
wholeheartedly, provided the Rohingyas acknowledge
that they were misled by separatist leaders and have
now resolved to remain faithful citizens of Myanmar.
Rohingya Muslims should know that, in this world,
friendship and enmity are both relative terms. If you
offer friendship to another person, he too, will definitely

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