links: http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/844-bbl-will-pave-way-for-inter-religious-dialogue-says-iqbal
Speaking before the leaders of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches on Monday (April 6), BTC Chairman MohagherIqbal said that enacting the Bangsamoro Basic Law will lead to more dialogues and partnership between adherents of various religions.
“An atmosphere of genuine peace will encourage exchanges of wisdom and mutual undertakings,” Iqbal told his audience at the Capitol City Baptist Church in Quezon City.
He stated that feuds between Christians and Muslims can be settled by maximizing their commonalities and closing the gaps of their differences. “They can put up a more formal mechanism or institutions to handle these problems,” he added.
Iqbal also asserted that the proposed basic law, when enacted by both Houses of Congress, can also foster unity and harmony since inclusive representation and equitable sharing of resources, which the BBL guarantees, will harmonize various groups.
“BBL is menu for unity and solidarity of this country. A happy and contented population like Quebec and Scotland will not think of seceding from the mother state,” said Iqbal.
Aside from these, Iqbal also posited that an enacted BBL willend the long-standing armed conflict in Mindanao and the suffering of the Bangsamoro people and other inhabitants; bring in economic development in Bangsamoro, Mindanao and the entire country; project the Philippines as caring for its minorities and shield against rising radicalism.
Iqbal was joined by OPAPP Sec. Teresita Deles in the forum that was called “Understanding the Impact of the Bangsamoro Basic Law on Christianity in the Philippines.”
PCEC National Director Bishop Noel Pantoja read in his keynote message the statement of PCEC “on the Current Situation in our Land in the aftermath of the Mamasapano Tragedy.”
Part of the statement reads: “We call on both the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to continue the Peace Process. We will continue to discern and process the implications of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as we help advance the kingdom of God in Mindanao and in our society as a whole. Along with other peace advocates throughout the country, we will continue our active participation in this process through our Peace and Reconciliation Commission.” ####
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Speaking to reporters last Monday, April 6, Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Chairperson of the GPH Peace panel warned of the emergence of radical groups should the peace process fail, and most likely to be a “very, very bloody”.
Ferrer expounded on the recent warning issued by President Benigno Aquino III that the failure of the peace process could mean more “body bags.”
Mr. Aquino issued the warning during a speech on the first anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and after a police mission to capture three terrorists ended in a bloodbath because of the government’s failure to coordinate the law enforcement operation with the MILF as required by a ceasefire agreement.
“The peace agreement would remain in effect even after the Aquino administration, and the timeline had been affected by the January 25 Mamasapanoclash last January 25, Ferrer also said”.
But she cautioned that while the MILF leadership has vowed to “stay the course of peace” even after the Aquino administration, “the problem would be if [the leadership] would have a hold on all its members.”
Violent groups
And the disillusioned members could go the path of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in the Middle East, Jemaah Islamiyah or al-Qaida-type groups “that [use] different modes of organizations and violence.”
“That is the direction we are all afraid of,” Ferrer said.
“It is a real threat, that kind of radicalization toward the Islamic State-like groups,” she said. “It is a religion-based ideology that would be more intractable, or more difficult and very, very bloody if you go through the history of religious wars,” she said.
Ferrer said the junking of a Moro homeland deal in August 2008 by the Supreme Court led to the MILF losing some of its commanders.
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) was “born out of that disappointment,” Ferrer said.
She said the new pursuits of such breakaway groups were unlike that of the MILF or the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) where the “agenda before was for the recognition of their unique identity within the Philippine context” and therefore was autonomous.
MILF Website
Article links:
BANGSAMORO FRAMEFORK
OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS WEBSITES
PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
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