Rohingya

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group indigenous to Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) in western Myanmar. They speak Rohingya, an Indo-European language closely related to Chittagonian Bengali. The name 'Rohingya' derives from 'Rohang,' the historical name for Arakan. Denied citizenship under Myanmar's 1982 Citizenship Law, the Rohingya are one of the world's largest stateless populations. They have endured decades of persecution culminating in the 2017 genocide that displaced over 700,000 to Bangladesh. The Rohingya diaspora spans Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and smaller communities worldwide. Their Muslim identity is inseparable from their persecution — they are targeted specifically because they are Muslim in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Rohingya culture blends South Asian and Southeast Asian elements. Traditional clothing includes the lungi (sarong) for men. Rice-based cuisine with fish, vegetables, and spices is central, sharing elements with Chittagonian Bengali cooking. Extended family networks are strong, with chain migration patterns sustaining diaspora communities. Oral traditions and storytelling maintain cultural memory of Arakan. The community's stateless status has made cultural preservation difficult — identity is primarily defined by Muslim faith and shared persecution rather than by language or territorial traditions. In diaspora settings, tight-knit neighborhood networks organized by family and village of origin provide mutual support.

The Rohingya community is uniformly Sunni Muslim following the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Islam is the cornerstone of Rohingya identity — their faith is both the cause of their persecution in Myanmar and the basis for their acceptance in Muslim-majority host countries. Daily religious practice follows standard Sunni observance: five daily prayers, Friday congregational prayer, Ramadan fasting, Quran recitation. Some folk practices from Myanmar, including the use of amulets and traditional healing, persist among older community members. In Saudi Arabia, proximity to Islam's holiest sites gives religious life particular intensity.

Bible portions and the New Testament are available in Rohingya. The Jesus Film is available. GRN audio recordings exist. However, Rohingya identity is inseparably linked to Islam, and the community's Muslim faith is the basis for their acceptance in host countries like Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. Converting away from Islam would risk losing the already tenuous protections they receive. No known Christian outreach or believers exist among the Rohingya globally.