Rohingya men, women and children have been fleeing from their homes for forty years. The tipping point came in August 2017, when almost 700,000 were wrung from Myanmar in a single military operation. There are now very few members of this Muslim minority left in the country. Instead, they live mostly in Bangladesh's refugee camps; or precariously in Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia and scatterings elsewhere. With the Rohingya almost entirely in exile, 'I Feel No Peace' is the first book-length exploration of what their existence abroad looks like. Journalist Kaamil Ahmed draws on hundreds of hours of interviews, and on relationships that he has built over years with Rohingya in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and throughout the diaspora. He speaks to families who have had their children snatched, and people kidnapped to feed a system of human trafficking that is nourished by the community's suffering. Among the most disturbing and under-reported of his revelations is the complicit role of the UN and NGOs in the plight of the Rohingya. But Ahmed also describes stories of resilience and hope, painting a nuanced picture of how a scattered community survives. The characters of 'I Feel No Peace' are complex, heart-breaking and unforgettable.
Kaamil Ahmed is a journalist at 'The Guardian', covering international development, who previously lived in and reported from Jerusalem, Bangladesh and Turkey. Kaamil was born in East London and studied at Queen Mary University of London. This is his first book.
Title: I Feel No Peace: Rohingya Fleeing Over Seas & Rivers
Author: Ahmed, Kaamil
ISBN: 9781787389311
Binding:
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publication Date: 2023-02-16
Number of Pages: 272
Weight: 0.7882 kg
'This book goes to the heart of the eternal and under-reported suffering of the Rohingya. Forced out of what once was Burma and now is Myanmar, most are in exile in Bangladesh and beyond. An important story of our times.' -- Jon Snow
'This book paints a deep, complicated and appalling picture: of one million people who have fled danger but now face immense risks from those they thought would protect them. While documenting the harm done by the UN and the Bangladeshi state, Ahmed humanises those normally dehumanised--the refugees.' -- Aditya Chakrabortty, 'The Guardian'
'A haunting and poetic, yet incisive and grounded, account of the tragedies that have befallen the Rohingya, of the realities of a people living almost entirely in exile, and of their struggles to maintain dignity and hope in the face of persecution and betrayal.' -- Kenan Malik, author, broadcaster and 'Observer' columnist
' I Feel No Peace is a tender, forensic, harrowing and beautifully human portrait of the Rohingya, a people persecuted beyond measure. Ahmed has produced an exceptional work of journalism which promises to inspire change for the better.' -- Musa Okwonga, author, podcaster and musician
'This is a remarkable and vivid testament to the results of Myanmar's genocide of the Rohingya. A striking portrait of a people forced on the run--in all their suffering, bravery and determination. A must-read.' -- Azeem Ibrahim, author of 'The Rohingyas' and 'Authoritarian Century'
'A strikingly urgent and necessary book, giving voice to the world's most silenced people. A fierce roar of resistance against the greed, racism and violence that have been largely ignored by the global community. This is a book to be read by all.' -- Zana Fraillon, author of 'The Bone Sparrow'
'Kaamil Ahmed is both a journalist and friend to many Rohingya. This is what makes his book come alive. With great detail, he tells the story of Myanmar's genocidal attacks, the diverse journeys of many refugees, as well the resilience of the Rohingya people.' -- John Quinley, Senior Human Rights Specialist, Fortify Rights
'Kaamil Ahmed's book fills a glaring void in the literature on one of the world's worst examples of cruelty and dispossession. It promises to bring much-needed attention to the catastrophe of the Rohingya and deserves to be widely read.' -- Christopher Lamb, President, Australia Myanmar Institute
'Readers wanting to learn about Rohingya refugees and understand the complexity of their current plight will not be disappointed by Ahmed's book, which provides both personal accounts of the Rohingya's unfathomable hardships and historical events that contextualise the protracted crisis.' -- Mary Shepard Wong, Professor in the Department of Sociology, Azusa Pacific University, and editor of 'Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar'