The evening of Sunday 10th September saw over 100 members of the Bradford community including mosque leaders, imams, British Rohingya Muslims and charity organisers gather in Bradford for an emergency meeting organised by members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir to address the ongoing plight of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. As well as showing their support, there were frank and open discussions on the correct response for this crisis.

The first speaker outlined a brief history of the horrific persecution, demonstrating how this is not a new occurrence, rather a pattern which has been repeated over the decades. Furthermore, he described how the regime in Myanmar is emboldened in its atrocities against the defenceless men, women and children – all made possible by the neglect and inaction of the Muslim rulers.

The speaker provided examples of the empty words and crocodile tears from the likes of Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and Erdogan of Turkey, both of whom, alongside the others, have failed the Muslims of Myanmar. The duty of a ruler is to look after the affairs of the people, not to leave them exposed for the enemy to commit genocide.

The second speaker spoke of the brotherhood of the Muslims enforced by the aqeedah. The same brotherhood which had brought the attendees to the event and thousands of others on the streets of the world in support of their brothers and sisters. This brotherhood would not allow them to stay silent, unlike the rulers which have been imposed upon them.

The speaker concluded with the message that the solution must be sought from the same source that brought us out this evening; namely the aqeedah of Islam. That solution is the Khilafah system – providing the Ummah with a shield with which they will be protected.