Rallying to Inform People about the Persecution of Rohingya Muslims by Ihsan Khalaf

When we look at the situation in Burma, the issue didn't just stem from a lack of sympathy, but from a lack of awareness. For years, the Rohingya Muslims have been one of the most persecuted Muslims on earth, and if you were to ask the average American "What do you think of the Rohingyas?" they wouldn't even know who you're talking about. Even with this escalation of over half of a million Rohingyas being persecuted now reaching genocidal proportions, the mainstream media doesn't show much interest.

That was why a demonstration was the first necessary course of action. We must be aware of a problem before countering it. The demonstration was held in front of the Hill Student Center at UAB on September 16th, from 12 to 1:30PM.

Only 15-20 people, comprised of students and families, along with a speaker, David Gespass, a local attorney who has helped the Muslim community and is the current Chairperson of our newly established CAIR-AL chapter, attended.  However, everyone that drove by, either looked at the signs or honked in acknowledgement.  Additionally, flyers about the Rohingya were passed out to pedestrians walking by. This was encouraging to be able to inform so many people, however, this also reminded us how little people are aware of the situation.

Cars that passed by slowed to read signs and honked in recognition of those rallying to bring attention to the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Burma.