Pope uses word Rohingya in Dhaka

Desk Report: Pope Francis on Friday referred to Rohingyas by their ethnic name for the first time while meeting a group of these forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and asked for their forgiveness for all of the hurt they endured. 

"The presence of God today is also called Rohingya," he said while meeting 16 refugees brought to the capital from their makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar, bordering Myanmar.

He added, "In the name of all of those who have persecuted you, hurt you, I ask forgiveness. I appeal to your large hearts to give us the forgiveness that we are asking."

The pontiff used the word "Rohingya" for the first time during his current Asia trip to refer to refugees when he also apologized for the "indifference of the world" to their plight.

Until his deeply moving encounter with Rohingyas at the decorated residence of Dhaka's archbishop at Kakrail area, the pope, even drawing media criticism, preferred to avoid uttering the word as Myanmar declined to acknowledge them by their ethic name.

"We understand your pain and sufferings . . . our peace in heart is shattered...We all want peace and our prime objective is to establish peace and harmony," he said in his reaction after meeting with the Rohingya people at an interfaith meeting at city's Kakrail Church on Friday afternoon. 

Francis greeted and blessed the Rohingyas holding their hands and intently listened to their stories in a show of solidarity as they approached him one by one while they recounted their experiences through an interpreter.

The Rohingyas specially the women narrated to Pope how they and others women were raped and tortured by the Myanmar army since August 25 and their male family members were brutally killed. 

Hearing their ordeal, Pope consoled them as each member of the group, which included 12 men, two minor girls and two women proceed towards Pope and told their horrific stories. 

"We will continue to help so that their (Rohingys) right is acknowledged and recognized," the top priest of Catholic Christians said. 

Ahead of his emotional encounter with the Rohingya's, the 80-year-old Catholic Christians chief priest joined at the same venue an interfaith meeting of Muslim majority Bangladesh's Islamic scholars alongside Hindu, Buddhist and Christian clerics and civil society figures on the second day of his three-day tour.

Professor emeritus Anisuzzaman spoke on the occasion as civil society representative, while Maulana Fariduddin Masud, Swami Dhrubeshananda, Sanghanayaka Shuddananda Mohathero and Archbishop Cardinal Patrick D Rozario addressed the meeting on behalf Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian faiths.

They all referred to Bangladesh's rich heritage of interfaith harmony and to the Rohingya crisis seeking the pope's sustained role for its resolution.

The meeting, also attended by the parliamentary speaker, chief justice, ministers, the CEC, MPs, foreign envoys, politicians and academics, began with the recitation from the Holy Quran and scripts of other faiths.

The pope was visibly enthralled as Bangladeshi dancers serenaded him as he made his way to the stage for meeting the interfaith and civil society leaders at the archbishop's residence. 

Francis traded his pope-mobile for a rickshaw, Bangladesh's typical bicycle-pulled carts en route, and waved to crowds from the passenger seat of the pedicab which carried him to the event.

The pope today also met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Vatican embassy in the capital while premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim told newsmen that they held a 20-minute private conversation while Sheikh Hasina was accompanied by her family members.

Earlier in the morning he led an open-air Mass in Suhrawardy Udyan ordaining 16 priests while the service was joined by over 80,000 Catholic Christians, who comprises only 0.02 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million populations.

Francis arrived in Bangladesh to a red carpet reception to be received by President Abdul Hamid after wrapping up a sensitive tour to Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Upon his arrival in Dhaka on Thursday, the pope demanded international community's "decisive measures" to resolve the Rohingya crisis, standing by Bangladesh.

Bangladesh sheltered more than 620,000 refugees who fled their homes Myanmar's Rakhine state since the August 25 army crackdown against alleged terrorists, which the United Nations called a textbook example of "ethnic cleansing."

"It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis," the Pope told a civic reception hosted by Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid at his Bangabhaban presidential palace on Thursday evening.

Francis said the international measures should not only be limited in spearheading efforts to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, "but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs".

"None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps," he said.

The Bangladesh president expected the Pope's stance against brutalities to resolve the Rohingya crisis and "provide moral responsibility to the international community to act with promptness and sincerity".

"The very commendable position of Your Holiness has taken in favour of the distressed Rohingyas and your passionate voice against such brutality, raises hope for resolving the crisis," the President told the reception in pope's honour at Bangabhaban presidential palace. _BSS

 

risingbd/Dhaka/December 1, 2017/A K Azad