Muslim Leaders in The Philippines Call for Rejecting Terror

Santosh Digal | ASSIST News Service | Published: Oct 26, 2006

Muslim Leaders in The Philippines Call for Rejecting Terror

COTABATO CITY, THE PHILIPPINES (ANS) -- Filipino Muslim Religious leaders urged fellow Muslims to shun terrorism in any form in the world.

In a khutba (sermon) Ustadz Abdulrauf Guialani, a member of the Assembly of Philippine Da’rul Ifta (Apdi or Houses of Opinion), declared senseless violence haram three times and terrorism is intrinsically is “haram” (unlawful).

The congregational prayers were held in observance of Eid’l Fitr (Feast of Charity). Eid’l Fitr marks the end of the Muslim fasting month.

To mark the occasion, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared on Oct 24 a national holiday in the largely Roman Catholic country.

“Allah has made it haram to kill children; Allah has made it haram to kill women; Allah has made it haram to kill elderly people,” Guialani said.

A similar teaching was delivered in open field prayers elsewhere in the country, particularly in the areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Ustadz Esmael Ebrahim, a senior member of the Apdi, said.

The ARMM is composed of the predominantly Muslim provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and Marawi City.

This year marked the first time in many years that political and religious leaders had unanimously agreed on a common date to celebrate Eid’l Fitr.

ARMM Governor Zaldy Uy Ampatuan and his father, Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan, were the first to declare Monday a day of Eid’l Fitr prayers.

The regional governor made the declaration through a religious deputy, Ustadz Mohamad Farid Adas, the ARMM madaris education undersecretary.

Governors Wahab Akbar and Abolais Manalao made similar declarations in Basilan and Lanao del Sur.

Ramadan begins with the moon sighting on the ninth lunar month of the Arabic Hijra calendar and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon on the tenth month.

Adas invoked the Islamic concept of government officials as being the “imam (leader) of the people” clothed with authority to declare what is to be followed in matters pertaining to secular and religious affairs.

The Apdi also issued a statement condemning the renewed violence that had prompted a heightened terror alert level following recent bombing incidents in Mindanao, southern Philippines.

In a public statement, Adas said terror was among the “worst forms of evil.”

He said he had twice witnessed what tragedies terrorism could cause, on June 23 in Shariff Aguak and on Dec. 24, 2002, in Datu Piang, both in Maguindanao.

In the first incident, seven people were killed while in the second, 14 died, including Mayor Saudi Uy Ampatuan, the brother of the regional governor.

The late mayor’s son and namesake, now himself the mayor of a town named after his father, said it was unfortunate that people had the misimpression that Muslims generally were “not the targets of, or were spared (from) terror attacks.”

“But look at what’s happening in Iraq. Many of the victims of terrorism are Muslims,” said Mayor Saudi Ampatuan Jr.

In their common sermons, the muftis said the Muslims’ finest role in a collective jihad (struggle) was that of maintaining “good relationships among humanity and with other creations of God."

© 2006 ASSIST News Service, used with permission

Muslim Leaders in The Philippines Call for Rejecting Terror