Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
The Arakan Humanitarian Organization concluded on Sunday its participation in the 10th edition of the Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair, during which a number of prominent guests and visitors to the pavilion delivered messages of support for the Rohingya cause.
The organization participated alongside more than 300 publishing houses from over 20 countries, in addition to several universities, schools, and cultural institutions. The participation came as part of its activities aimed at raising awareness of the Rohingya issue amid ongoing violence and persecution against them in Arakan State, western Myanmar, according to the organization’s director, Salim Noor.
The organization’s pavilion witnessed a high turnout of visitors since the opening on August 9, with a total of 116,432 visitors.
The pavilion’s activities included introducing the Rohingya cause, highlighting their suffering inside and outside Myanmar in cooperation with Arakan News Agency, and showcasing the organization’s relief projects and humanitarian initiatives for the Rohingya.
Visitors to the pavilion also experienced a virtual reality tour simulating life inside Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which hosts over one million Rohingya who fled persecution in search of safety.
The pavilion was also visited by prominent political, media, and religious figures who expressed messages of support for the Rohingya cause, emphasizing the need to shed more light on it.
Dr. Mohammed Khalaf, deputy president of the World Forum for Thought and Culture and a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, stressed that Islamic countries must focus on awakening Muslims and drawing their attention to the Rohingya, who remain committed to their Islamic identity.
“We have great hope that the world will awaken and pay attention to the Rohingya cause. We will not fall short in addressing and publicizing the issue until consciences awaken to save this nation”, he told Arakan News Agency.
During his visit to the pavilion, Turkish journalist Hamza Tekin said the tragedy and injustice faced by the Rohingya in Arakan is no less than what Palestinians in Gaza endure, and in some cases may even be worse.
He pointed out the significant media blackout regarding the Rohingya issue, stressing the need for media focus on the cause in several languages—including Arabic, English, French, Turkish, and Spanish—so that the world becomes aware of the true tragedy of the Rohingya in Arakan.
Director General of the Arab Family Library, Abdullah Al-Shallah, called for publishing books that address the Rohingya issue, document the persecution they face, and highlight political, humanitarian, and relief efforts so the cause remains present in people’s minds.
Digital media influencer, Abdulrahman Al-Duaiss urged Rohingya youth to work for their cause by holding onto their language and identity and spreading awareness everywhere, adding: “No cause can triumph without its own people.”
The 10th Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair—considered the largest Arabic book fair outside the Arab world—kicked off on August 9 under the slogan “Arabic Remains”, with the participation of the Arakan Humanitarian Organization, and in the presence of Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, alongside senior officials, intellectuals, and writers from Turkey and the Arab world.
