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Students of Aisha Bawany take to the streets to raise awareness about Myanmar
Teachers chaperoning students made sure the activity did not disrupt traffic.
“The Burmese are Muslims and so are we. This makes them our brothers and we should protest if somebody does wrong to Muslims anywhere in the world.” PHOTO: PPI
KARACHI: It is rare when a well recognised school supports a cause on an official basis to inspire international forums. Yet, students and teachers at the Aisha Bawany Academy came out in large numbers on Wednesday to protest against what they termed ‘insensitivity of the international community on the genocide of Muslims in Myanmar’.
The move appeared bold, especially as the government and human rights organisations are silent about the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. “But the school’s managing trustee, Ismail Bawany, consented to this protest when teachers and children of the school approached him,” said the academy’s spokesperson, Imdad Hussain Shah. At noon, nearly 500 students, in their school uniforms, left the school building located at Sharae Faisal to gather on the sidewalk. These students, from grade four till grade eight, were holding placards and posters, some with very gory visuals while the rest carried statements urging to stop the massacre.
Near to a 100 teachers chaperoned the students to make sure they made sure that the activity did not result in disturbing the flow of traffic on one of the city’s busiest roads. This seemed necessary as the young lot appeared enthusiastic about the task. Most children, however, appeared amused with their involvement in the activity yet there were those too who thought of it as a serious cause.
Ahmed Hasan, who teaches O’ Level students at the academy, tried to explain the students’ passion, saying that the children know what was happening around the world as media was creating awareness in them. He added that the teachers also supported the students for this cause.
Shah told The Express Tribune that all major international organisations and powers intervened in cases like East Taimoor but they were silent about this Muslim genocide where even women and children were not spared. “We demand the government and human rights organisations to immediately raise this issue at an international level,” said Shah.
“The Burmese are Muslims and so are we. This makes them our brothers and we should protest if somebody does wrong to Muslims anywhere in the world,” said 12-year-old Sibtain Haider, while holding a poster which stated: OIC says ‘Oh I See’ but does nothing.
Another student, 14-year-old Syed Anas, was displaying a placard ‘Don’t expect justice from so-called champions of peace’ and accused the United Nations and America for being two faced in matters where Muslims anywhere in the world were oppressed. His argument was also conceded by the academy’s spokesperson.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 9th, 2012.
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hypocraites…………what about syria………..no no silence
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Brain washed kids. Don’t see all the killings and try to raise awareness against it in their own city and yet seem to know and care more about a foreign land. Delusional.
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What about the Muslims in Pak that are being killed? Look inside before looking out. If everyone did that, the world would be a better place.
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Meanwhile, your fellow PAKISTANI’s, in the form of minorities, Balochi’s and Shia Hazaras, are killed and persecuted everyday.
Good to see where our priorities lie.
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We are blind to the killing of our compatriots, hazara, ahmadis, christians. Muslim first and Pakistani second is the reason why we are in this mess.
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I await the day when such ELITE schools will protest for killings OF PAKISTANIS (Shias, Hindus, Christians, Ahmedis, Balochs) BY PAKSITANIS!
Till then, it smells like hypocracy, looks like hypocracy and tastes like hypocracy! Well, it IS hypocracy!
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There is a huge hyprocrisy about Pakistanis who protest against the maltreatment of Muslims in other countries. In their own country, religious minorities (Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, etc.) are persecuted, assaulted and forcibly converted into Islam which is fast acquiring a bad name in the rest of the world thanks to these actions. Before you point fingers at Myanmar, look at yourselves in the mirror. Are you not committing crimes and the same genocide which you accuse others of doing?
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“The Burmese are Muslims and so are we. This makes them our brothers and we should protest if somebody does wrong to Muslims anywhere in the world”
Waiting for muslims in this statement to be replaced by humans. Lets hope it happens someday
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Young and upcoming hypocrites! Parents should question the school management for their puppeteering.
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Wait What about Syria, Ughiyurs in China??
Also why should the USA do something about it? What’s it gotta do with them
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Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said,
‘You will see the believers in their mutual mercy, love, and compassion for one another like a single body. When one limb suffers, the entire body is in distress.’
(Sahih ibn Hibbaan)
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it is not only the kids, it is the entire soicety that is more concerned about burma than pakistan!! facebook is full of the save burmaa tags, rise for burma, had only half of the support been given against the killnig in pakistn maybe we could have done so we can kil muslims within a muslim state by the muslims but we must protest killing of muslims in a nonmuslim country by nonmuslims?? idiotic!!
what about hazara parachinar gilgit, karachi target killing and balochistan massacare??are they not important simply coz they are carried by muslims??
the president can ‘write’ a letter to burmese president has he ever thought of visiting only parachinar hazara gilgit balochistan to condole the deaths? let alone visitng has he ever even issed a statement condeming the deaths of shias, balochis target killnig!!
i like the fact the kids are waking up but here isthe danger theyare all dependent on the soical meida fpor ther information and at this age far too yong to knw what is authnetic and what is not!!they are follwing whats cool and in on the fb, i wish someday they lead a march against the honour killnigs the blochistan issue the killnig of minorites then i will be staifed of a truly stong future of pakistan
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Adults are sleeping but kids are awake. Remarkable effort from Ayesha Bawani, Secular extremists can’t handle that for sure.
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A country that teaches hypocrisy to young children is bound to doom.
Syria is the one where an actual genocide is taking place.
Has anyone ever protested or sought apology for the 3,000,000 muslim genocide in Bangladesh?
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Lets Appreciate for a change; good things for no matter whom should be APPRECIATED!!!
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The Burmese are Muslims and so are we. This makes them our brothers and we should protest if somebody does wrong to Muslims anywhere in the world,”
This is a sign of classical cultism.
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charity begins at home , somebody please stop the exodus of 60 hindu families to India.
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Looks like a peaceful protest — seems like they should get kudos rather than criticism.
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Look in your own city before you raise awareness about a most peaceful country. Vermin should be exterminated everywhere but start with Karachi first.
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It is selfishness to see only himself and not take care of others.This is not sacrifice it is only selfishness.You have every thing in Pakistan.Thank god you have Muslim country.
All comments contain selfishness .
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“United Nations and America for being two faced in matters where Muslims anywhere in the world were oppressed”
So I see people condemning them for talking about Syria, which is a blatant massacre then I see people condemning them for not talking about Myanmar, which has a number of odd influences and views.
Two faced, eh? If they are, so are Muslims towards other Muslims.
I’ll forget the kids in the real criticism. They’re easily manipulated at that age. I’d like to hear what their teachers have to say about how they view the situation and what they’ve been teaching them about both Myanmar and the other Muslim killings in even Pakistan itself and how they differ.
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Thanks for focusing the genocide of Rohingyas in Arakan State by the Burmese criminal military regime and their allies the terrorist Mogh groups of RNDP and ALP whos have well planned to sweep out the aboriginal Rohingyas from Arakan State.It is a state terrorizing and they have started war against Islam and Muslim.The Muslim Ummah should stand behind to defend and protect them by all means.
M.Hussain Azmi
Frankfurt-Germany
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@Sid:
“hypocraites…………what about syria………..no no silence”
I agree, but why are you not mentioning China which has been butchering and oppressing the Uighur Muslims for decades? Why don’t these so-called students protest against China?
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Beta students: Please do the same for the deaths of ahmadis, shias, infidels, liberals, etc. etc. About 20,000 killed in syria, but I guess that is okay since the killing is done by fellow ummah members. No outrage at the killing of non-muslim sudanese??? Maybe that is planned for Friday?
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Why all comments focus criticism on Burma.Selfish people.
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