Rohingya Event At The 51st ISNA Convention Held In Detroit, Michigan, USA

RB News

September 4, 2014

Detroit, Michigan, USA -- Over 25,000 people attended the 51st Convention of the Islamic Society of North America. Held at the Cobo Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan, President Jimmy Carter was the keynote speaker. Among the numerous events at the Convention, there were two Rohingya events: The exhibition on the Plight of Rohingya was presented by Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU) in association with GAPROWC (Global Alliance for Protection of Rohingya Women and Children) and ARU’s Global Rohingya Center (GRC) during the 3-day event. A special session on Rohingya political and human rights in Burma (Myanmar) was also convened on August 30th.

The exhibition booth of the Arakan Rohingya Union, was stationed adjacent to booth of the Muslim Aid America (MAA). The Arakan Rohingya Union exhibition was conduction by Sarah Naeem Uddin, the Director of GAPROWC, and Aasma Ahmed, the Country Coordinator of MAA, conducted the Muslim Aid America exhibition. Additionally, information on Rohingya political and human rights issues were displayed at the exhibition booths of Burma Task Force, Islamic Relief, and Helping Hands.

Some of the highlights at the Arakan Rohingya Union exhibition booth were: 

• The background history of the indigenous Rohingya people dating back to several centuries in the Rohang region of Arakan state in Burma
• Ethnic cleansing of Rohingya
• The growing militancy and terror campaigns against Rohingya and Pathi/Myanmar Muslims by the radical groups in Arakan and elsewhere in Burma, and the continuous major human right violations against Rohingya people on Arakan.

Visitors to the exhibition booths were deeply touched by the sufferings of Rohingya people in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps that are currently under horrendous conditions and open-prison Rohingya villages in various townships in Arakan. Numerous attendees, including young generations American Muslim men and women, signed up for volunteering in Rohingya political and human rights work for the Arakan Rohingya Union in the US.