Pro-Palestine Rally in Japan Sparks Backlash Over Silence on Buddhist Girls’ Abuse in Bangladesh

Tokyo, June 19, 2025 —A large pro-Palestinian rally in Tokyo has triggered international criticism over perceived double standards, as questions emerge about the silence of Islamist activists on the persecution of Buddhist minorities in Bangladesh.While demonstrators marched through Japan — a Buddhist-majority nation — to condemn Israeli actions in Gaza, critics have pointed out the irony of voicing outrage in a Buddhist land while ignoring alleged atrocities committed against Buddhist girls in Bangladesh.“You mourn Gaza in a Buddhist land, but stay silent when Buddhist girls are raped in Bangladesh?” read one viral post on social media, amplifying calls for consistent human rights advocacy regardless of religion or geography.Rights organizations and local activists have long documented cases of sexual violence, land grabs, and systemic abuse against Buddhist communities in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, where ethnic and religious minorities have struggled for protection and justice.“It’s not about opposing support for Gaza. It’s about selective morality,” said a South Asian rights researcher. “The same voices condemning Israeli strikes go completely silent when Buddhist girls are assaulted in Bangladesh.”The Japanese government has not commented on the rally, which remained peaceful. However, the event has reignited debate over the credibility of human rights activism when it appears to overlook suffering outside of a political or religious narrative.As support for Gaza continues to grow worldwide, activists are urging global movements to apply the same urgency and empathy to all victims of violence — including the overlooked Buddhist minorities in Bangladesh.