Alwaght – Thousands of Muslims in Myanmar gathered to say the prayer of Islamic Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) and perform the rituals of the day despite pressure and threat from Buddhist monks.
The Islamic holiday started on Tuesday in Myanmar unlike most Muslim countries that celebrated the day on Monday.
The hard line Buddhists had previously warned against the event in a letter to the local police authorities. The police allowed the gathering anyway but asked Muslims to keep their celebrations low-key.
“The letters claimed that local Muslims were preparing for the slaughter without the correct permissions,” a senior official from Yangon's regional government told Turkish Anadolu Agency by phone.
The hard liner Association to Protect Race and Religion (better known as Ma Ba Tha) sough the ban on the event. The group is publicly known for its anti Islamic views. Buddhist monk Wirathu, one of the group’s leaders had previously accused Muslims of flaming communal conflicts and plotting to Islamize the country.
The communal clashes between Rakhine Buddhists and stateless Rohingya Muslims broke out in 2012 in Rakhine state resulting in the death of 100 people and displacement of largely Muslim 140000 others.
