First, They Erased Our Name: a Rohingya speaks by Habiburahman (PDF)

Description

For the first time, a Rohingya speaks up to expose the persecution facing his people“I am three years old and will have to grow up with the hostility of others. I am already an outlaw in my own country, an outlaw in the world. I am three years old, and don’t yet know that I am stateless.”Habiburahman was born in 1979 and raised in a small village in western Burma. When he was three years old, the country’s military leader declared that his people, the Rohingya, were not one of the 135 recognized ethnic groups that formed the eight “national races”. He was left stateless in his own country.Since 1982, millions of Rohingya have had to flee their homes as a result of extreme prejudice and persecution. In 2016 and 2017, the government intensified the process of ethnic cleansing, and over 700,000 Rohingya people were forced to cross the border into Bangladesh.Here, for the first time, a Rohingya speaks up to expose the truth behind this global humanitarian crisis. Through the eyes of a child, we learn about the historic persecution of the Rohingya people and witness the violence Habiburahman endured throughout his life until he escaped the country in 2000.First, They Erased Our Name is an urgent, moving memoir about what it feels like to be repressed in one’s own country and a refugee in others. It gives voice to the voiceless.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “This is my chance to speak for my people, who continue to suffer, but who are voiceless.” ―The Guardian“This is the gripping, chilling inside story of the incubation of a genocide. In a corner of Asia where hatred has raged for decades, Habib’s moving family history emerges as a powerful and, to my knowledge, unique historical document. His compelling storytelling relates how playground prejudice against the Muslim Rohingya of Arakan escalated into pogroms, terror, and apartheid. As he makes his arduous and dangerous escape, he writes “death is always snapping at our heels”. What an incredible story. There are many who, after the killing fields of Cambodia, Bosnia, or Rwanda have said “Never again”. It just did, in Burma, and here’s how.” ―Jonathan Miller, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Channel 4 News“The book is written in simple language and tells the story without embellishment. There is no need for flourishes; it is relentless.” ―Gay Alcorn, The Guardian“Written in a simple style appropriate to the childhood it records, the memoir is a devastating testimony of persecution.” ―David McKechnie, The Irish Times“Habiburahman is a vivid storyteller…It is a book that should be read the world over until the Rohingyas get justice…An essential read.” ―Liam Heylin, Irish Examiner“Here is the first account by a Rohingya of the decades-long oppression of his people, as well as a memoir of his own journey. Chilling and eye-opening.” ―i“The greatest barriers to stories such as Habiburahman’s being heard, though. Are invalidation and indifference. Do not be indifferent to this urgent, humane book. Read it, share it, talk about what has been happening―and in so doing safeguard the humanity of Habiburahman, the Rohingya and all asylum seekers, as well as the imperilled humanity of this country.” ―Maria Takolander, The Saturday Paper“Habiburahman was a boy when Myanmar outlawed his ethnic group, the Rohingya, stripping its members of citizenship and turning them into a stateless people. His book is a rare account of growing up during the subsequent catastrophe for the Rohingya … a useful addition to the literature of human rights abuses.” ―Kirkus Reviews About the Author Habiburahman, known as Habib, is a Rohingya. Born in 1979 in Burma (now Myanmar), he escaped torture, persecution, and detention in his country, fleeing first to neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, where he faced further discrimination and violence, and then, in December 2009, to Australia, by boat. Habib spent 32 months in detention centres before being released. He now lives in Melbourne. Today, he remains stateless, unable to benefit from his full human rights. Habib founded the Australian Burmese Rohingya Organization (ABRO) to advocate for his people back in Myanmar and for his community. He is also a translator and social worker, the casual support service co-ordinator at Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees (RISE), and the secretary of the international Rohingya organisation Arakan Rohingya National Assembly (ARNA), based in the UK. In 2019, he was made a Refugee Ambassador in Australia. The hardship and the human rights violation Habib has faced have made him both a spokesperson for his people and a target for detractors of the Rohingya cause.Sophie Ansel is a French journalist, author, and director, who lived in South Asia for several years. It was during a five-month stay in Burma that she first encountered the Rohingya people and heard of their plight. She returned to the country several times, and also visited the refugee communities in neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia, where she met Habib in 2006. Habib helped Sophie to better understand the persecution faced by the Rohingya, and she has been advocating for their cause since 2011. When the Myanmar government accelerated the genocide of the Rohingya in June 2012, while Habib was detained in Australia, she helped him to write his story, and the story of his people.Andrea Reece is a translator of novels, short stories, and works of non-fiction from French and Spanish.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐An absolutely chilling look at a genocide which is still currently ongoing today. Absolutely EVERYONE in the world must read this book. The Rohingya deserve to be heard.

⭐This is a gripping read. I study international humanitarian law and read about genocide on a regular basis, and this one is different.Most of these types of books are horribly grim to a point that reading them is difficult, and there are grim moments here, but he manages to tread the line between accurately depicting the cruelty without making it unbearable to the reader.It’s also a narrative style that many of these texts stray from. It stays gripping throughout without getting too deep into the academic perspective.Overall, if you’re looking for a source for a paper or a scholarly piece on the genocide, this probably won’t be a great source; however, if you’re looking for a good read that will make you personally more informed about the region and the horrific actions of the Junta, I highly recommend this book.

⭐Educational and gripping

⭐This is the first book I have read about the Rohingya in Burma/Myanmar. It’s a first person account of a coming of age story of Habiburahman and the oppressive laws and policies of the Burmese government against all minorities, especially the Rohingya Muslims. The book was interesting enough that I was able to finish it through about three sittings. The writing at times feels a little awkward and repetitive, but allowing for that it gave me a deep sense of empathy and privilege that we enjoy in free societies.My title “Oppression is worse than death” is a paraphrase from the verse of the Quran (2:191).

⭐Fascinating, compelling, a horrific story.If this was a work of fiction I would be praising the author for his vivid imagination and for weaving a compelling but utterly horrific story, sadly this is Habiburahman’s life story and that makes it even more appalling.It is impossible to imagine living with constant fear and brutal oppression, it is also hard to comprehend that this isn’t ancient history but is about recent decades, the here and now.The atrocities, depravation and deep humiliation are all recounted in a gentle manner without anger or bitterness something which speaks volumes about the author’s character.There has been significant press around this book but the more widely it is read, the more widely the events are reported the greater the chance that the Rhohingya name and the plight of the people will not be ignored.

⭐What makes this book a monumental effort in factual storytelling, are the spattering of raw emotions of a refugee and the obvious facts, which regional governments as well as international organizations, who are meant to protect the affected, have systematically overlooked. It is a short book and can be read in a day or two. However, a great effort to bring to light the Rohingya plight in the form of a personal tragedy.

⭐A Genocide that is still live, executed by the so called followers of budha with the full support of rulers. The dirty face that Myanmar is trying to hide. It’s the life of thousands executed for they don’t belong to Myanmar home communities or so do they say. The life of thousands of helpless humans through the eyes of survivor. AMust read one

⭐A heartfelt tale that opens our eyes to the sad discrimination in the name of race, religion, ethnicity prevailing in the word. As you turn the Pages you feel the pain as the Rohingyas face every single moment. A must read !!

⭐A heart wrenching truth that everyone should acknowledge. One should never complain the struggle they suffer as a human without knowing what is happening in this world. Your heart might soften a little after reading this book and if not, all I have to say is that emotions are necessary to be called a human.

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