Never Again: Analysis of the Rohingya Crisis and the Role of Religion in Conflict

Abstract

After the Holocaust, the world promised “never again.” However, in the last century, the frequency of genocide has only increased. With the global trend of nationalism, a scapegoat is needed to define identity. In Myanmar, the rise of Buddhist nationalism along with the power of the military resulted in the scapegoating of the Rohingya (a Muslim minority) with a genocide in 2017. The conflicting historical narratives between Buddhists and Muslims created tensions over time that have bubbled into political, legal, and social conflicts. The alignment of religion and violence is nothing new, but there is a lack of religious understanding when analyzing the factors resulting in the crisis. In this thesis, I examine the history of Muslims in Myanmar, the role of religion in the Rohingya crisis as well as its relationship with the country’s political landscape and offer reconciliation-oriented solutions to the crisis.