Progressively Speaking: Humanity has thus far failed Rohingya Muslims – will we too?
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein gives a progressive Jewish view on a topical issue
On 7 November 1938, Herschel Grynszpan assassinated Ernst Vom Rath, a German diplomat in Paris.
Two days later, Kristallnacht – the Night of Broken Glass – demonstrated the overt confidence of a power that knew it could commit inhumane crimes with impunity.
On 25 August 2017, a small faction of Rohingya militants attacked Myanmar police posts, killing 12 members of the security forces.
The response of the Myanmar armed forces demonstrated the overt confidence of a power that knew it could commit inhumane crimes with impunity.
Ratko Mladic may now serve life in prison for genocide, but we stood by and allowed him to create the divided Bosnia of today. He won.
Just as in Nazi Europe and Srebrencia, so now in Rakhine State. Humanity has stood by and observed a systematic, state-sponsored campaign that is undoubtedly ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Rohingya Muslims have been utterly failed: Reports have been suppressed, diplomacy shown impotent and governments as uncaring as its populations.
Why have there been no large-scale demonstrations on city streets and outside the Myanmar Embassy?
Why not even a debate about military intervention? Why no call upon World Jewish Relief to act? Perhaps you know better than I?
Bless him, at least Sir Bob Geldof has shown his disgust at the complicity of the once-lauded Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar leader, giving back his award of the Freedom of the city of Dublin; an honour the two had been awarded.
In doing so, he called Aung San Suu Kyi, “a handmaiden to genocide”.
It seems the once doyenne of human rights activists, Aung San Suu Kyi has used power to be complicit to murder, rape, pillage, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Humanity has thus far failed Rohingya Muslims. Will we too?
The Torah teaches: lo tuchal l’hitaleim – do not remain indifferent or hide from living one’s Jewish values. It relates to returning lost property. How much the more so when it is a whole People.
As a Jew, a Liberal Jew I cannot remain indifferent or be a bystander. Join me in calling on your MP to pressure our Government to act to stop the violence.
Call World Jewish Relief to express your concern and desire for there to be a Jewish humanitarian response to this genocide.
Lo tuchal l’hitaleim – do not be a bystander to genocide.
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein is senior rabbi at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue.
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