Islamophobic Myanmar minister criticized over his anti-Muslim remarks

Myanmar’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture has come under fire for his offensive comments

Myanmar’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture has come under fire for his offensive comments about Muslims in the Southeast Asian country.

In a recent interview, Thura Aung Ko claimed that Islam in Myanmar is the religion of “minority associate citizens” who acquired citizenship through the 1948 Union Citizenship Law.

The London-based Myanmar Muslim Association in a statement on Monday objected to “the irresponsible comments” by the minister.

Earlier this month, the minister also said that “Islam is the religion of most of the country’s guest citizens,” when he was asked a question on how to prevent religious discrimination in the Southeast Asian country.

He also referred to Christians as full-fledged citizens and emphasized that Buddhism has become the preferential religion in Myanmar.  “The greater role of Buddhism has caused that of other religions to look dimmer. For that reason, the guest citizens of ethnic minorities might have a wrong view.”

Myanmar’s government refuses to recognize Rohingya Muslims as citizens and labels them as “illegal” immigrants.

Rohingya Muslims have been denied Myanmar citizenship since a new citizenship law was enacted in 1982, and there have been a number of attacks against Rohingyas over the past years.