While domestic groups in Muslim countries as well as international organisations are rightly condemning the horrific atrocities taking place in Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims, there is little to no outrage over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Yemen. Saudi-led coalition is bombing cities across Yemen, and this has already resulted in massive loss of civilian lives. Roads and bridges used for bringing in food and medicines have been destroyed due to the bombardment. Food shortage has led to widespread starvation — with children being affected the most. According to UN, a child under five years of age dies of malnutrition every hour in Yemen. Over 7,600 Yemenis have been killed and 42,000 injured since March 2015. Only 45 percent of the 3,500 health facilities in the country are fully functioning. The regime is being helped and armed by the US, as the rest of the Muslim world stays mum. The hypocrisy is staggering to say the least. It seems that Yemenis are lesser humans than the Rohingya. Many of those protesting against what is happening in Myanmar are doing so not because they stand against human rights violations, but because the Myanmar violence feeds their ‘non-Muslims are evil’ narrative. This is why they do not utter a word of condemnation when Muslim extremist groups kill or persecute religious minorities like Shia or Ahmadis. In Pakistan, for instance, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has been holding protest demonstrations to express solidarity with Rohingya Muslims. Never has the JI sympathised with Shia community or other religious minorities of its own country that have long been on the receiving end of sectarian violence and religious intolerance. Not too long ago, then chief of the JI Munawar Hasan had termed Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud a martyr. Ironically, banned sectarian outfit Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) also took out a rally on Friday against the Burmese government. Those who support killings on the basis of religious differences in their own country have no right to condemn the same in other countries. The fact that outlawed groups in Pakistan are allowed by the government to hold rallies is also concerning and shows the complete failure of the National Action Plan (NAP). It’s about time those condemning the genocide of the Rohingya while deliberately ignoring Saudi Arabia’s acts of killing in Yemen are called out for their hypocrisy. Human rights violations and massacres are condemnable everywhere, and the victims need to be saved, regardless of the faith of the perpetrator.* Published in Daily Times, September 9th 2017.