Rohingya Muslims against the burial of a Christian in Cox's Bazar
Mohi Uddin's body was moved to a Baptist church in Chattogram. For years, Rohingya Christians and Muslims were buried together in the Kutupalong refugee camp. At least, 200 Christian families fear persecution.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – For years, Muslim Rohingya allowed Christians to be buried in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar.
A few days ago however, the body of a Christian refugee was left without burial for 30 hours because Muslim refugees did not want him to be buried in their camp.
Only thanks to the local Baptist church was the deceased taken to a Christian cemetery in the nearby town of Chattogram to be laid to rest.
“Mohi Uddin died of illness, but we could not bury him in the Kutupalong cemetery due to a Muslim protest," said Bethel Church pastor Rev Peter Saiful, speaking to AsiaNews.
“The camp manager and the UN staff tried to solve the problem but couldn't,” explained Saiful, who ministers in the largest refugee camp in the world.
As a result, “For the first time, we buried the body of a Rohingya Christian in another district due to Muslims’ opposition, even though, the bodies of all believers were buried together for years.”
Mohi Uddin's body was interred with the help of the Baptist Church in Patiya, which said it was pleased to welcome a Christian.
The head of the refugee camp, Rashedul Islam, confirmed the episode, which took place last Sunday. “Muslims formed a barrier and we were forced to contact another church,” he said.
Currently, some 200 Christian Rohingya families live in Cox's Bazar after fleeing Myanmar in 2017. Many hide their faith for fear of persecution by Muslims.
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11/08/2022 14:35
