Many Burmese Buddhists point to regional examples of how Islam
has displaced Buddhism in the past. Ashin Sada Ma, a prominent 969
monk who claims to have designed the movement’s logo, has stated,
“Only small parts of Asia are Buddhist now; in the past, Indonesia,
Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and many other places, including Turkey
and Iraq, were Buddhist countries, but now they are lost” (Galache
2013). Speaking specifically about Myanmar, U Wirathu has said, “If
Buddhists don’t do anything to stop it, the whole country will be like
the Mayu region in Arakan state by 2100,” referring to an area of the
state that is populated primarily by Rohingya Muslims (Galache 2013).