List of prominent Burmese Muslims
Saya Gyi U Nu (Great Teacher or Guru; 1762–1822) Mayor of Yammar Watti, Shwe Taung Thargathu also known as Mohamed Kassim was a very famous Burmese Muslim writer during King Bodawpaya. He wrote or translated many Islamic religious books. He used Pali and other words and terms from the Burmese religious literature to Burmanise the Islamic literature. Combined with his flowery, poetic Burmese writing, his books are regarded as Myanmar Muslims’ classics. [1] Bodawpaya appointed him as the head of the mission to India to collect and bring back books and Scriptures in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu and Persian. [2] Saya Gyi U Nu was appointed as the Mayor of Yammar Wati with the Shwe Taung Tharga title. [3] But recent military rulers prohibited the Muslims from using these Pali words and terms in Islamic religious books.
U Razak (20 January 1898 – 19 July 1947; Arabic: Abdul Razak) was a Burmese politician who was a respected educationalist. While his brothers and sisters chose to be Buddhists, he maintained the Muslim name Razak, in honor of his father. Being Nominally Muslim, Razak was a secularist who deeply loved Burma and encouraged unity in diversity. Razak initiated calls for unity between Burmese Muslims and Buddhists. He was a Muslim and maintained ties to Buddhism, educating himself on Pali, the sacred script of Theravada Buddhism, and helped found the Mandalay College (modern Mandalay University). Razak fathered three children. He was a minister at Aung Sann's pre-independence interim government and was assassinated, along with Aung San and other members, on 19 July 1947. July 19 is celebrated in Myanmar today as Martyrs' Day. U Razak was Minister of Education and National Planning, and was chairman of the Burma Muslim Congress. [4]
- Wazir U Kan Gyi (1870–1960) [5]
Educated in Bombay, Kanji made Burma his home and adopted the Burmese name Kan Gyi. He was given the title of Wazir by his Highness the Aga Khan. He was a wealthy, influential business man who devoted himself to social causes and philanthropy.
- Maung Thaw Ka or Major Ba Thaw
Maung Thaw Ka or Major Ba Thaw (1928–1991) from Navy was a very prominent writer and pioneer NLD leader died in SPDC jail. He was buried at Kandaw Gale Sunni cemetery. [6]
- U Shwe Yoe aka U Ba Ga Lay
U Shwe Yoe (1890–1945) was a Burmese Muslim named, U Ba Ga Lay. He was the pioneer famous Cartoonist, Actor, Comedian and dancer
U Shwe Yoe dance was U Ba Ga Lay's jolly joker dance sequence in, "Ah Ba Yae" (Oh Ah Ba. Ah Ba means old man or father in Burmese) which was one of the pioneer films of Myanmar movie history about rural life. The dance is full of fun and joy and it appealed so much to the Myanmar audience and is adopted as a dance for all festive occasions. [7] [8]
Colonel Ba Shin a noted historian was later a member of The Myanmar History Commission, UTC and Islamic Religious Affairs Council.
Tun Tun Min is a Burmese Muslim Lethwei fighter, former Openweight Lethwei World Champion. [9]
- Kyar Ba Nyein and family members
Kyar Ba Nyein was a Burmese Muslim Lethwei fighter who represented Burma in the 1952 Summer Olympic Games in Boxing. He successfully trained a lot of boxers and rejuvenated Myanmar traditional boxing.
- Win Nyein (the eldest son of Kyar (Tiger) Ba Nyein)
Win Nyein is a prominent writer and chief editor of the long-lasting Myanmar Literary Magazine "Shwe Ahmhutay".
- Myo Myint Nyein (the fourth son of Kyar Ba Nyein)
Myo Myint Nyein is the writer and editor of many Myanmar magazines and journals such as the Veterans Magazine in 1977, Pay-phoo-lwar magazine, the Ma-hay-the Magazine (1983), the Cinema Essence magazine (1984), the News Magazine (1984) and the News Journal (1985). He was active in democracy movements in 1988, worked as communication and information sector of National League for Democracy Party. He was imprisoned for 7 years in 1989 because he published a poem " What is happening" by Min Lu. He was unstoppable and kept working on freedom of expression in prison later his prison sentence was extended for seven more years. He was awarded of Freedom to Write Award by the Canadian Journalists for Freedom of Expression (CJFE) in 2001 and recognised as an honorary member of PEN International. He was released on 13 February 2002 under amnesty. He and his colleagues tried to take up Myanmar PEN center in 2013. He was elected as a board member and currently he is the President of PEN Myanmar Center. He publishes the Info-Digest [10] bi-monthly news digest journal.
Karim Ghani was born in Sothugudi, Ilayangudi, a politician in South-East Asia of Indian origin Karim Ghani. Before the Second World War Karim Ghani was a parliamentary secretary in Burma under Dr. Ba Maw.
U Raschid, an Indian Myanmar Muslim, was active in the student movement against the ruling British. He was the first general secretary of the Rangoon University Students’ Union in 1931 together with prominent Myanmar political leaders: Aung San, U Nu, U Kyaw Nyein, U Ba Swe etc. U Nu was the first president of the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU)in 1935-1936 with Mr. M. A. Rashid as Vice-President and U Thi Han as the General Secretary. [11]
U Raschid was the president of the All Burma Students’ Union, while being concurrently president of the Rangoon University Students' Union in 1936 - 1937. Aung San was then vice-president. In 1952 U Nu appointed him as Minister for Housing and Labour, later in 1954, Minister for Trade and Development, in 1956, Minister of Mines, in 1960 Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1958 he was the Vice President of the Trade Union Council of Burma. U Nu requested him to change his name to U Yanshin to make him more acceptable to other Buddhist but he declined. General Ne Win arrested him in 1962, during the coup.
Kan Chun @ Mohamad Omar is a Satirist, Journalist, Novelist, Cartoonist and Artist (Painter) from Mandalay, Burma. Born in Mandalay on 4 April 1946 from the parents U Ba Htay and Daw Aye Shwin. Died on 20 August 2009 in Mandalay.
- Hajima Pyinmanar (Sein) Daw Pu. Hajima Daw Pu was also a famous Myanmar-Muslim philanthropist. Because of her donation of a new Kidney Hospital and good social relations with General Ne Win, Military Government even awarded her with a medal for her outstanding social deeds. [12]
- Sultan Mahmood (Health Minister)
Wealthy and influential Myanmar Muslim, Sultan Mahmood was the political secretary in U Nu's government and later was appointed as Health Minister. [13]
- Other MPs (Member of Parliament)
Other Rohingya Myanmar Muslims in U Nu's Parliament as parliamentary secretaries were Mr Sultan Ahmed and Mr Abdul Gaffar. Mr Abdul Bashar, Mrs. Zohora Begum @ Daw Aye Nyunt, Mr Abdul Khair, Mr Abdus Sobhan, Mr Abdul Bashar, Mr Rashid Ahmed, Mr Nasiruddin (U Pho Khine), were members of Parliament in different terms in U Nu's Government. [13]
- Colonel (Tat Hmu Gyi) U Pho Kar
He started to enlist in Mindon's Cannon regiment since young. During King Thibaw's reign, he was the Captain on the Sekyar Ngwezin Thulu ship which went to Bhamo to fight in the Sino-Burmese War.
During the third Anglo-Burmese war, he was at Min Hla Fort leading 200 Cannoners. U Pho Kar was together there with his uncles Captain Bo Kyae, Captain Bo U Maung, Sergeant (Thwe Thaut) U Kyar Yone. At the battle, one Captain and 50 soldiers killed. Burmese had to retreat and U Pho Kar retreated with the gunshot wound on the abdomen. After the war he settled in Maymyo. Parliamentarian Haji U Than Nyunt was his son. U Pho Kar died on 10 May 1956 at the age of 95. [14]
- Ambassador U Pe Khin was the most important negotiator and architect of the historical Panglon treaty. Even General Aung San was disappointed, given up and decided to take the flight back to Rangoon that evening. U Pe Khin persuaded General Aung San to stay for one night and to allow him to negotiate with the Ethnic Minority leaders. U Pe Khin successfully negotiated with those Ethnic leaders to get an agreement for this most important treaty in Burma, which was the foundation for the Union of Burma and its Independence. [15]
- Myanmar Muslim activists
- U Aung Thin represented the Myanmar Muslims at the Round Table Committee on whether Burma should be separated from India or not. That was held at London, in 1930. [16]
- Ko Ni
Ko Ni (1953–2017) was a lawyer and an expert on constitutional law.
