It is more important now, more than ever, to keep for a narrative that separates the religion from the people, the faith from the massacre

No matter the context, it has become difficult to defend any group or individual whose inspiration and ideology derive from religion, especially in this day and age, especially if it’s extremist, and especially if it’s Islam. The fear for what has been termed as “Islamism” is rampant enough to warrant groups like these worthy of fear, suspicion, and disdain. A group could, potentially, be on the “right” side of history (morally speaking), but due to the very fact that they have potentially Islamist ideology flapping in their coattails, they would be dismissed by the world as being violent and untrustworthy. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, is no different. As the world slowly turns to support the plight of the Rohingya, in which Myanmar (a non-Muslim and thereby non-Islamist entity) has unequivocally been the villainous antagonist, it has become important in the current post-9/11 climate to ensure that they are not put in a box which carries the negative connotations surrounding Islamism. We have seen this played out elsewhere. Across the barren lands of the Middle East, we have seen how Hamas, because their faith is of import, has been demonised by Western media, in effect wiping out from the history books the infractions committed by Israel, replacing it with pithy phrases which speak of how the oppressor is trying to “defend itself” or merely “retaliating” against the terrorist group that is Hamas. Yes, in the era of the War on Terror, the equation of “Islam + Violence = Terrorism” is one that must be avoided. This is evident not only in political environment surrounding the issue of contentious land masses, but also in the way mainstream narrative continues to treat any crime: From the lone-wolf gunmen in America to the suicide bombings in the war-ravaged nations strung up to die by the misdirected theocracies.But this day and age has also brought us, hopefully, a heightened self-awareness. While we continue to tell the story of the Rohingya, we have refrained from letting the equation of terrorism engulf the struggles and terrors they themselves have suffered. But it has played a part in delaying and in somewhat putting the international interference we have been asking for, for so long. While, in principle, we shouldn’t have to pander to Western ideas of terrorism, the sad reality is that that’s exactly the situation we have to play for. It is more important now, more than ever, to keep for a narrative that separates the religion from the people, the faith from the massacre. The powers that be have ensured that such are the rules of the game we currently play. But the creation of ARSA should, at least, serve to highlight how terrorism breeds inside the confines of oppression. It should at least be a lesson for the world to recognise the environments which require intervention (something that the great nation of the United States of America has repeatedly gotten wrong), how to provide aid to those who have suffered, and how important it is to act in time. The world has watched in muted silence and indifference as an entire people was being systematically wiped out and ejected out of their own lands. Before the age of information, this was acceptable. But now, the world has no excuse for inertia and incompetence. It cannot claim that it didn’t know what the extent of oppression and torture was and how they were sidetracked by religious affiliations. Given the opportunity (or lack thereof), any community will fracture and unite under an un-ideal authority figure who will capitalise on the vulnerable mindsets of the oppressed minority. ARSA’s leader Ata Ullah, revered, respected, mythologised, is a perfect example. Whether or not Ata Ullah’s intentions remain true to the cause of the Rohingya, and not to establish an intolerant theocracy which wishes to dominate the people through Sharia Law, remains to be seen. But what is problematic is that this is, by the very way Myanmar has treated the Rohingya, now a possibility. More and more amongst them will see the false light at the end of the theological tunnel. Young impressionable minds will rise to the occasion of an unseen God and fight for an unseen Messiah. It’s important that we don’t let this happen. As we take in more of the Rohingya, and their repatriation becomes increasingly the stuff of fairytales, it has become Bangladesh’s duty to ensure that they do not use religion as the violent tool in the way many elsewhere in the world have, and fringe elements within them have. Educate and liberate: It is the only way to ensure that the Rohingya of today do not become the terrorists of tomorrow. SN Rasul is an Editorial Assistant in the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @snrasul.