On Jan. 17, at the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City, officers of the Darul Ifta, the religious advisory council of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and four Catholic bishops issued a joint statement on the Dec. 3 bombing of a Catholic Mass at the Mindanao State University (MSU) gymnasium. The bombing left four dead and almost 50 others wounded.
The religious leaders declared that “the killing of innocent civilians … under the guise of religion is a condemnable and cruel irreligious act that defiantly contradicts both Muslim and Christian beliefs.” On the other hand, the religious leaders were heartened by the mutual assistance given the victims by Muslims and Christians, “a sign of continuing fraternity amidst violence.”
Bishop Edwin de la Peña of the Prelature of St. Mary’s in Marawi described the pervasive fear and consternation among students and their families in the aftermath of the bombing. The Mass had to be celebrated at midday in a smaller restricted chapel. The bishop welcomed the joint statement from the Muslim and Christian leaders, saying it would allay the anxieties of the academic community at MSU.
On the Muslim side, Dr. Muhammad Nadzir Ebil, member of the Fatwa House and Islamic Jurist, pointed out the four meanings of salam (peace) in the Quran as: safety and security; the greeting “Peace be upon you” (Assalamu Alaykum); the religion of Islam itself, meaning full submission to only one Allah, and goodness and righteousness. Rejecting “all types and kinds of extremism, fanaticism, and terrorism,” he added, “this work does not represent anything in Islam.” For his part, Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, outlined the government’s commitment to sustaining the peace process in Mindanao. He cited the gains attained by the BARMM economy with a growth rate of 7.5 percent, the second fastest growth among all regions. Poverty incidence had also dropped from 56 to 39 percent. This development was echoed in the comments of Bishop Charlie Inzon of Jolo in his emailed observations: “For the past two years now, Sulu has been living in peace. People are able to move freely now from one town to the other even at night … Business establishments are sprouting again … and beach resorts in all parts of Sulu are multiplying.”
The joint statement of the bishops and ulama pointed out some future courses of action, e.g., imparting the true teachings of both religious traditions and sacred scriptures; furthering the peace process in the Bangsamoro; engaging in inter-religious dialogue as “one of the most effective ways of establishing a culture of peace,” and promoting social justice and economic development. The statement honored the legacy of the co-convenors of the Bishops-Ulama Conference: the late Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao, the late Dr. Mahid Mutilan of the Ulama League of the Philippines, and the late Bishop Hilario Gomez of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. It also cited the assistance of the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light, an international peace organization based in Korea, for the dialogue meeting and its formation of the Religious Peace Academy.
The other signatories to the joint statement titled “Religions are for Peace” were: executive director Emran Mohamad of the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta; Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, OMI; Archbishop Angelito Lampon, OMI, of Cotabato, and myself.
Throughout the discussions, the significance of the 2019 joint document on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” issued in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb was cited—in particular, “the firm conviction that authentic teachings of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace.”
—————-
Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, is archbishop emeritus of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.
The religious leaders declared that ‘the killing of innocent civilians … under the guise of religion is
a condemnable and cruel irreligious act that defiantly contradicts both Muslim and Christian beliefs’