OIC chief condemns violence against Muslims in Myanmar

Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on Monday strongly condemned the recent spread of violence against Muslims in Myanmar at the hands of extremist Buddhists. Violence in Arakan region (Rakhine State) in west Myanmar (also known as Burma) continues uninterrupted since last June and has spread to other cities and areas, particularly in the Miektila city in the central Mandalay region, Ihsanoglu regretted in a press release by the Jeddah-based organization. “As a result of this violence, scores of Muslims were killed and their homes and properties burnt, in addition to the burning of eight mosques and a number of schools. Hundreds of families fled their homes. Such violence should not continue,” he stressed. He expressed concern over the Myanmar government’s failure to protect the lives of its innocent civilians.