Al-Azhar has called upon the international community to rescue Rohingya Muslims migrating by sea from Myanmar, but who have been shunned by neighboring countries.
Al-Azhar said in a statement it has been “anxiously” following media reports about the crisis of Rohingya Muslims who have been fleeing discrimination at home.
It strongly denounced the displacement of Rohingyas and the burning of their homes and mosques, as well as the deprivation of their basic citizenship rights.
Al-Azhar also called upon neighboring states to “bear their humanitarian responsibility” towards the migrants and provide them with shelter.
More than 120,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar by sea over the past three years, according to the UN refugee agency.
Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have faced international criticisms for failing to rescue the migrants, leaving them to die at sea or be at the mercy of human traffickers.
The Rohingya minority, already unrecognized as citizens by the Myanmar government, has reportedly endured a bloody crackdown by members of the Buddhist community and the government since the rape of a Buddhist girl, allegedly by Rohingya individuals, in 2012. The sectarian violence left dozens of Rohingyas dead.
