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Few people can feel the pain of the victims of genocide as much as the Ukrainians, because they were themselves subject Soviet holodomor (artificial famine) of 1932-33, as well as ethnicity-based total deportations of 1944 and “Red Terror‘ against, among others, people trying to stick to their religious identity. For that reason, many Kyiv Muslims and non-Muslims came forward then a peaceful gathering of what should be a Rohingya Support Campaign outside the building of Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday evening. Despite the event, where Kyiv Islamic Cultural Centre was a co-organiser, had been announced less than 24 in advance, quite many people attended.

Many of them had not come empty-handed, but carrying some impromptu picket signs calling to stop the cleansings against the Rohingya people. People demanded to stop the genocide and prayed that God protected those suppressed.

The gathering was strictly peaceful, and several provocators who, using hate speech, tried to get an outburst from the members of the meeting could learn that at first hand, for instead they got an open discussion where they were proposed to explain their point and be given explanations from the other party as well. In the end, the failed provocators had to leave scene, as their attempts were vain.

After the meeting, Muslims prayed the joined evening prayer right on the spot, near the Ministry building.

It bears reminding that the event was meant to support  the Rohingya people and demand to stop the genocide in Myanmar by addressing the International community through the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Ukraine’s representative at the UN Headquarters. The gathering also called for Ukraine to provide reasonable humanitarian aid for the victims, and for the neighbouring states of Myanmar to provide a humanitarian corridor, safety and help for the Rohingya refugees.

Myanmar Muslims. According to international institutions, primarily the UN, Myanmar authorities are committing aggressive policies against the Muslim minority. Mass killings  of Rohingya (not even their babies spared), rapes and torture are being carried out on the grounds of ethnicity and religion. As of today, over 800,000  Rohingya of Myanmar are endangered.