Bittersweet Eid Al-Fitr For 2 Rohingya Muslims In Malaysia

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa ALOR SETAR (Kedah), July 20 (Bernama) -- It was a bittersweet Eid celebration for two Rohingya Muslim men who had been victims of human trafficking syndicates at Wang Kelian and Padang Besar, southern Thailand. Nurul Amin Nobi Hussein, 25, who was rescued from a transit camp at Bukit Wang Burma, Wang Kelian last year is very thankful to be able to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr. But he also grieves for the senseless death of friends at the camp. "I am so happy to be able to fast and celebrate Aidilfitri (Eid celebration) in Malaysia without any fear. In Myanmar, Muslims who gather to pray on Aidilfitri morning will be arrested by the army," he told Bernama. Detained for two months at the 'death camp' at Wang Kelian (a Perlis border town on the Malaysia-Thailand Border), he said ethnic Rohingya in Myanmar were confined to celebrating Aidilfitri with family members at home in their village. "I contacted my parents in Maungdaw, Myanmar. They did not celebrate Aidilfitri, it was like any other day, just staying in the house," he said. According to him, Rohingya Muslims were required to seek permission from the army if they wanted to visit their relatives in other villages during Aidilfitri or ordinary days. "They would be jailed if they failed to do so. The army do not want us to move freely," he said. This year he got to celebrate Aidilfitri with ease, with his wife Nur Khaidha Abdul Shukur, 24, and their two children, Mansur Ali aged four and five-month old Mohamad Yasir at their present home at Simpang Kuala in Alor Setar, Kedah. His wife who was rescued after 10 days at a transit camp at Padang Besar, southern Thailand, was one of the witnesses who came forward to testify about the rape of Rohingya women by guards at the camp. "This year is more special because I could buy new clothes for my children, cook food and make etnic Rohingya traditional cakes to celebrate. We also freely visited friends at wherever they were staying," Nurul Amin said. Jahedul Islam, 25, said Muslims in Malaysia were very blessed to be able to celebrate Aidilfitri in a peaceful environment. "I am very happy to be celebrating Aidilfitri in Malaysia but I also feel very sad that my family and relatives have to live under oppression by the Myanmar army. "I also grieve and feel a sense of guilt when I think of friends who suffered and died at the hands of violent guards at the camp. Nurul (Amin) and I are among the fortunate ones to have managed to escape," he said. Police found 106 bodies of human trafficking victims at the transit camps at Wang Kelian and 99 had been given proper burial at the Pokok Sena Khairiah cemetery. -- BERNAMA