White roses offer Eid solidarity to Muslims in Myanmar

[Aung Zaya]

Buddhists give white roses to Muslims as they attend prayers during Eid al-Fitr in Thanlyin Township on the outskirts of Yangon on June 5. (AFP)

Thursday, June 06, 2019
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By AFP

YANGON — Buddhists handed out white roses to Muslims heading to pray Wednesday to mark the end of Ramadan – the culmination of a rare show of solidarity in a country where Islam is often vilified.

Volunteers lined up outside Dargah mosque in eastern Yangon, giving flowers to scores of devotees heading inside to mark the Eid festival, weeks after a mob of hardliners had tried to shut down Ramadan prayers.

Muslim motorbike courier U Tin Myint, 42, said the gesture had raised spirits in the Muslim community.

"Some Buddhists really helped protect us," he said.

The white rose campaign started three weeks ago, after a mob of some 200 ultra-nationalists descended on three sites hosting Ramadan prayers in Yangon, forcing them to stop.

Police responded in the following days by offering protection to the shocked worshippers and an arrest warrant was issued for one protest leader.

Respected moderate monk Seindita also came to plead for their patience, handing out white roses in solidarity and triggering the campaign.

The team of some 100 volunteers gave out around 15,000 flowers to Muslims at 23 locations across the country during Ramadan.

Ko Thet Swe Win, 33, explained the roses were a "warning to extremists that many in Myanmar don't share their unjust views".

About three to four percent of Buddhist-majority Myanmar's population is Muslim although the religion traces its roots in the country back centuries.

U Wunna Shwe, joint-secretary of the Islamic Religious Affairs Council Myanmar, said the white rose campaign had really helped after years of degradation of their rights.

"We used to live like brothers and sisters with each other [alongside Buddhists]," he said, adding the problems were created for "political purposes".

 

[The wheel of time]

Some in myanmar seem to be infected with the liberal-secular disease as in India, somebody tell them that moslems are never secular, see the example of countries like saudi arab, pakistan, syria etc, life is hell for the religious minorities there.

 

[Numerous]

Some in myanmar seem to be infected with the liberal-secular disease as in India, somebody tell them that moslems are never secular, see the example of countries like saudi arab, pakistan, syria etc, life is hell for the religious minorities there.

Do you want them to give bullets instead of roses to Muslims instead?

If life is so horrible for you in countries like saudi arabia and other gulf countries, why do so many hindus and other minorities go to work there en masse? Sure it's not perfect but it's better than India.

In syria actually it's the majority (sunni muslim population) who are oppressed by the minority (alawite) regime.

In pakistan yeh we have some problems but at least we don't make people who are responsible for minority killings into our prime minister.

 

[Respect4Respect01]

Some in myanmar seem to be infected with the liberal-secular disease as in India, somebody tell them that moslems are never secular, see the example of countries like saudi arab, pakistan, syria etc, life is hell for the religious minorities there.

you are another heartless creature, what will you achieve by killing innocents?

and btw Pakistan is actually hijacked by so-called Secular/Liberals, they are less than 5% and have full control over our media.

 

[Aung Zaya]

In return ,

spreading Loves is always good for people regardless their religion.....

 

[Maarkhoor]

Some in myanmar seem to be infected with the liberal-secular disease as in India, somebody tell them that moslems are never secular, see the example of countries like saudi arab, pakistan, syria etc, life is hell for the religious minorities there.

Look at this bigot

@Dubious @waz @The Eagle

 

[Respect4Respect01]

i am not not talking about killing but defending oneself from these 'innocents' who have killed score of buddhists in Myanmar and are now flocking to my country.

that is illogical argument, Myanmar govt and military is involved in this genocide, killing their own people for "defense"?

 

[MINN]

that is illogical argument, Myanmar govt and military is involved in this genocide, killing their own people for "defense"?

they are not our people

 

[jamahir]

In syria actually it's the majority (sunni muslim population) who are oppressed by the minority (alawite) regime.

Wrong.

But this is off-topic on this thread.

 

[Respect4Respect01]

they are not our people

why not? aren't they living there before you got Independence?

 

[MINN]

why not? aren't they living there before you got Independence?

nop they came after proof is they can't speak Burmese and they can't even speak the local Rakhine Language

 

[Respect4Respect01]

nop they came after proof is they can't speak Burmese and they can't even speak the local Rakhine Language

that not a good argument, Pakistan also has many cultures and languages and majority of the population does not understand or speak our national language, that is not a good reason to disown our own people.

 

[Zibago]

So they could turn them red in few days

 

[MINN]

that not a good argument, Pakistan also has many cultures and languages and majority of the population does not understand or speak our national language, that is not a good reason to disown our own people.

Well they speak Bengali

 

[Respect4Respect01]

Well they speak Bengali

so lol?