As the whole world buckles under the stress and implications brought on by Covid-19, everyone adjusts to the kind of life we never thought we would see. Although this virus makes no distinction between the rich and the poor, the color of your skin or religion, there’s always that one group of people who seem to face the worst of it: The minorities; the downtrodden; the castaways. The ‘pariah’ of any country they land on. They are the Rohingya.

No matter what crisis the world might currently be facing, the fight to merely survive is what they face, be it the worst of times, or the best of times. And, in light of our current circumstances, this struggle seems like a battle they will never win.

As with anything ‘viral’, Malaysians never hold back on their feelings and sentiments on social media. However ill-mannered and hateful, or apologetic and sympathetic, they have all came out in throngs. But this time, those coming out with their pitchforks shouted the loudest and drowned the voices pleading for humanity. It came to the hilt when a ‘Say No To Rohingya’ petition was circulated in social media.

Incredibly, and horrifyingly, all this stemmed from fake news. The Rohingya never in fact ‘demanded’ for Malaysian citizenship, or for our government to give them full rights that we enjoy as nationals of this country. Nevertheless, the vitriol spread like wildfire, even in the blessed month of Ramadhan, and has somehow managed to fuel people with hate, instead of compassion.

Weren’t the Muslims taught by the Prophet (p.b.u.h), that this is a month to learn to be in solidarity with those who are not as fortunate as you? Rather, how did we reflect and behave? By signing our names and thereby certifying our hatred for this minority group.

One of the things that we take for granted is the privilege we all have of being in control of telling the world who we are and where we come from. Me and you, we get to write our own narrative. The oppressed don’t. The oppressors do it for them.

Imagine being told repeatedly that you don’t belong, that you are nothing, that the whole lot of you are rotten and evil. Imagine their babies growing up on this narrative, their destiny to play the role of antagonist wherever they go. This is precisely why they risk their lives on rickety boats, hoping to land on our soils to chart a better future for themselves and their children. Sadly in this case, only for us to throw at them the very same narrative authored by the tyrants back home.

It is unfair of us to hold the Rohingya to the same standards we abide by. Our moral and social code stem from a place of peace and stability. What about theirs? Their world is chaotic. And surely their moral and social conduct reflects that dysfunctionality.

The problems that you and I worry about would be luxury that they wished they had, as the only thing that matters to them is how to survive for one more day. One of the most common slurs thrown out there is that “they are dirty, they desecrate the place with filth, etc.” Do we ever reflect that this could be the only way they know to live? How do you live decently, with approved and dignified social etiquettes, when the struggle to wake up the next morning alive is the only goal you have before you go to sleep?

Fear comes from a place of ignorance. We hate anything we don’t understand. The hate comments spewed all over social media these past few weeks is an example of this.

There are fears that they might take over the country, deplete our resources or kill half of the Malaysian population with Covid-19. Some have pointed out that the fear is warranted and understandable; we’ve been such a great host, what else do they want? In Malay we would say ‘beri betis nak peha’. However, treating anyone with dishonour and malice, knowing that they have absolutely no choice in their plight, is uncalled for.

It’s one thing being careful not to be taken advantaged of, it’s entirely another behaving like bigots. For now, the least we can do is to treat them with some semblance of dignity and decency. Offer them a glimmer of hope, that this world is not as bad as they have come to know. Let’s not contribute to heaping on more sorrow and tragedy upon their lives. Let’s try to give them a better narrative shall we?

Remember what Master Yoda said, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”.

Zalzuli Awal is a graduate in the fields of Psychology and Sociology. He comes from a family of activists and protects the fate of orphans, abandoned and poverty stricken children, teens with behavioral issues, as well as single mothers. His writings have also been shared internationally.

Photo courtesy of REUTERS