MJC Womens Forum addresses Rohingya protest

Assalaamoe Alaykoem
I greet you with the universal greetings of peace.
 
May Allah (God) grant us the peace and tranquillity throughout our lives.
 
To all of us — the mothers, the sisters, the daughters and our counterparts.

 
The graphic footage, including the information we have received from Myanmar via social media and other means, speaks of an atrocity, a heinous crime, an ethnic cleansing, a genocide and its happening now! It’s happening at this moment! It’s happening in our time!
 
You and I, who are people of peace, people of faith, people of all races and cultures, must be at the forefront of mobilizing and conscientizing our community.
 
My mothers and sisters, when we are silent, we are complicit. When we are complacent, then we are the aggressors.
When we are apathetic, we deny our sisters the God-given honour that is due to them.
 
We cannot fail the Rohingya!
 
It will go down in history as an indictment against us and against our generation. It will go down in history as an indictment of the international community!
 
So what do we do?
Today is a start of the conscientizing, mobilizing process. People have come out in their droves.
 
So, my beloved sisters, in our domestic and public duties, we must ensure we speak to our children and families.That as a family unit, we make dua (prayers) in our homes for the people of Rohingya and all those who are oppressed.
 
At a national level, we must put pressure on our government to call for the expulsion of the Ambassador of Myanmar from shores of South Africa. In turn, the South African Ambassador must be recalled from Myanmar.
 
Furthermore, we must boycott the products imported from Myanmar. This will further add the pressure for the Myanmar government not STOP the atrocities toward the Rohingya people.
 
In conclusion, our response must be of one of thankfulness. Thankfulness that Allah has granted us the capacity and ability to be in Dua (prayer) for all who are oppressed.
 
Shukran
 
Mualima Khadija Patel-Allie
Ameerah (chairlady)
Muslim Judical Council’s Women’s Forum