Muslim, Christian groups unveil peace gong

MANILA, Philippines - Youth and civil society organizations, led by party-list group Anak Mindanao, gathered Muslims and Christians during the unveiling of a peace gong at the Quezon City Memorial Circle yesterday.

Former Anak Mindanao congressman Mujiv Hataman was joined by Sitti Djalia Poturabin Hataman, executive director of the National Commision on Muslim Filipinos, and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista in the ceremony to unveil the “Peace Agong,” which was erected near the Peace Bell in the park.

Hataman, one of the frontrunners in the selection for the next Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer-in-charge, said the placing of the Peace Agong will intensify the call for support for the government’s decision to have “all-out peace and all-out justice in Mindanao.”

“We support President Aquino’s call for all-out peace and all-out justice in Mindanao, not all-out war as called for by the opposition,” Hataman said.

He said the unveiling of the bell was done in time for the Islamic festival Eid’l Adha, during which the faithful commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead.

 “We oppose all-out war because war will again victimize not only the Muslim people but also the Christians in Mindanao. It will again cause the unnecessary loss of many human lives, both Muslims and Christians,” Hataman said.

Hataman said the call for peace was very important to the people of ARMM, noting that yesterday’s event had gotten numerous people from Mindanao, who traveled a great distance in favor of peace.

“It is this distance, in body, mind and heart that we seek to cross, it is this gap, in views, thoughts  and aspirations that we long to bridge,” he said.