The History of the Royal Rose Declaration on Holding the All-Myanmar Islamic Conference

 The History of the Royal Rose Declaration on Holding the All-Myanmar Islamic Conference

On April 6, 2013, a joint declaration was issued following the "Royal Rose Discussion and Meeting" of independent Myanmar Muslim organizations across various strata and public-representative groups. (A photograph of the attendees was included.)

The primary objective of this declaration was to convene the "All-Myanmar Islamic Conference."

Its purpose was to establish shared, agreeable, and unified policies for the Myanmar Muslim community—a collective of people living in Myanmar who share a common past, destiny, and outlook. In essence, this meant expressing the collective will and sentiment of the majority within the Myanmar Muslim community.

This stance would clearly guide what actions should be taken and how they should be implemented for the betterment of Myanmar Muslims.

Put simply, it aimed to establish a unified statement of common will—a mandate—free from sectarianism, organizational factionalism, or group bias among all Muslims.

Those who wish to control the unified will of Myanmar Muslims through sectarianism and factionalism must anticipate that such a mandate would not be welcomed by them.

Conversely, for the government (authorities) and various faith communities within Myanmar who wish to live together in peace and mutual respect, this serves as a clear and positive message—and is therefore welcomed by these groups.

Because this declaration was made public, it would bring greater clarity to the precise stance of Myanmar Muslims.

If that is the case, who would want to object to or obstruct such a conference? The answer is clear: those who wish to manipulate the community according to their own agenda against the community's will, those who oppose interfaith harmony and peace, and those harboring pessimistic views.

Examples of topics that could be discussed at the conference include:

1. Definition of a Myanmar Muslim

   It is necessary to define terms such as "Myanmar Muslim," "Pathi," or any other designation clearly through mutual agreement (regardless of citizenship status). Otherwise, media outlets might use inappropriate or inaccurate terms. Therefore, establishing a formal, agreed-upon name is crucial.

2. Religious Education

   Islamic education should be taught in Myanmar and Arabic, fostering respect for Myanmar's cultural values while promoting an educational system that encourages interfaith goodwill and patriotism.

3. Social and Health Sectors

   It is also necessary to mutually establish common frameworks for social and health development.

The points above are merely examples, and the conference could be conducted in the following phased stages:

• Stage 1: Defining and approving the topics to be discussed during the conference (e.g., education, religion, nomenclature, social welfare, health).

• Stage 2: Forming topic-specific groups to establish foundational positions.

• Stage 3: Discussing and approving the positions submitted by each group within the plenary conference.

• Final Stage: Issuing the finalized resolutions as the collective mandate of the Myanmar Muslims (or under a mutually agreed-upon designation).

To implement these processes, following the joint statement by the independent Islamic organizations, the Unity for Peace group was formed the very next day, April 7, at 129  (Sait Khwan Thar Road, Yangon. However, due to various circumstances, further implementation eventually came to a halt.

Nevertheless, I believe that the mandate calling for the "All-Myanmar Islamic Conference"—stemming from the joint declaration of these diverse Islamic organizations—remains a historic responsibility for Myanmar Muslims today.