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Salaam Alaykum All: I recently received an email from Doctors Without Borders describing the situation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh and Burma. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/node/71826 Though I had heard about the situation, I had failed to imagine the severity of the living conditions. Nor did I consider that they may have been dying of lack of good food and clean water. I figured that a prayer for them was the best I could do, having my own situation and issues to deal with. This is taken from Sistani.org, Islamic Laws of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani: 2644. It is obligatory upon every Muslim to save the life of a Muslim, who may be dying of hunger or thirst, by providing him enough to eat or drink. This obligation is pretty simple to understand (i could be wrong here, maybe it applies when one knows of someone specific dying?), but it seems like such a huge feat in todays trends of wars and oppression: Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Bangladesh/Myanmar, (we can also imagine the stories that will never make it to Western news outlets). So I've been looking through mostly Muslim charities, trying to vet them for the most effective way of fulfilling the above mentioned obligation. Some that stood out to me were One Nation: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/helprohingya Human Appeal: https://donate.humanappeal.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuq6exL-Y1gIVEZ4bCh2kFApAEAAYASAAEgLbKfD_BwE I'm wondering if any of you out there have made any contributions to any of these cause, how you may have settled on a trustworthy charity, Muslim or otherwise. Thanks in advance for any input. Wa Salaam

Bangladesh siege: Twenty killed at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka 4 minutes ago From the sectionAsia Share Twenty people, most said to be foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a cafe in Bangladesh claimed by so-called Islamic State. Gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka late on Friday before troops entered almost 12 hours later. Six attackers were also killed and one was arrested, officials said. Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has declared two days of national mourning. At least nine Italians were among those killed, Italy's foreign minister said. "There is another person who is missing and could be hiding or could be among the wounded... we are looking for him," Paolo Gentiloni told reporters. The Italian press said many of those dining at the cafe worked in the garment industry. Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said seven Japanese nationals were in the cafe but it was not clear if they were among the casualties. The army had initially said all hostages killed were foreigners, but later reports said some Bangladeshis also died. In other developments: India's foreign minister said a young Indian woman was among the dead Bangladesh Army Brig Gen Naim Asraf Chowdhury said the victims had been "brutally" attacked with sharp weapons Gen Chowdhury said 13 people were rescued, including one Japanese national and two Sri Lankans Pope Francis condemned the attack as an "offence against God and humanity" The siege began as diners were gathering to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper said the gunmen tortured anyone who was unable to recite the Koran. They provided meals overnight for only the Bangladeshi captives, it said. "It was an extremely heinous act," Ms Hasina said in a televised statement. "What kind of Muslims are these people? They don't have any religion. Image copyrightAP Image captionRelatives of some of those inside the cafe are gathering for updates Media captionA Dhaka resident captured the sound of gunshots during the raid Sumon Reza, a supervisor at the cafe in the Gulshan district of Dhaka, managed to flee to the roof when the attackers burst in. "The whole building was shaking when they set off explosives," he told local media. He later jumped from the roof and escaped. "From 08:00 it all started," said Rashila Rahim, who lives near the cafe. "Gunshots, tank sounds... It was like we were in the middle, and gunshots from all around." 'Tension is palpable': The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder at the scene Street 79 in Dhaka's upmarket Gulshan area is remarkably quiet. The street is barricaded with scores of heavily armed police. "Please sir, please move back," one police officer tells us, politely but firmly. The tension in the air is palpable. As more media teams arrive, the officer loses his temper and screams at his men, telling them to make sure no-one crosses the barricade. The Holey Artisan Bakery is known as a bustling cafe popular with expats and wealthy locals. "There is an open-air terrace overlooking a lake," Dhaka Mayor Annisul Huq tells me. "That's why it was so popular. It was so serene. I can't believe that this has happened to my Dhaka, I simply cannot." He has cut short a trip to Moscow and is visibly shaken. People mill around, talking in whispers. There is fear in the air, but also disbelief at the nature of the attack and the brutality of it - the selective targeting of foreigners and the manner in which they were killed. Bangladesh at a crossroads after cafe attack In pictures: Dhaka hostage crisis Is extremism on the rise in Bangladesh? Lurching from secularism to sectarian terror? The attack began when eight or nine armed men burst into the cafe at about 21:20 (15:20 GMT) on Friday and opened fire. Media reports quoted witnesses as saying that they shouted "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is great". At least two police officers were killed in exchanges of fire late on Friday, and 30 police officers were injured. A statement on IS's self-styled Amaq news agency said militants had attacked a restaurant "frequented by foreigners". Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud, commander of the Rapid Action Battalion, told Associated Press the gunmen did not respond when asked to negotiate. It is unclear if they made any demands. The attack comes after a spate of murders of secular bloggers, gay activists, academics and members of religious minorities, blamed on Islamist militants. Are you in the area? Have you been affected? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36692613

i'm a sunni from bangladesh and apparently my parents are talking about visiting iran next year. i just wanna know what's the worst that can happen to us? any verbal harassment? subtle racism? i know with that isis group some of you might be a little anti sunni. me personally i really don't care what "sect" someone is i only see muslims and muslims. also, do a lot of people speak english there?

I am so looking forward to this. Havent been this excited for a match since their 2011 semi-final match. Who else is looking forward to the match tomorrow in Mirpur, Bangladesh ? :)

What do you think of the events in Bangladesh and the punishing of JI leadership for 1971 war crimes?