Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Editorial: The search for peace
THE tireless efforts of the coalition of Roman Catholic and Protestant bishops and Muslim Ulamas, also known as the Bishops-Ulamas Conference (BUC), ought to be acknowledged and encouraged by all peace-loving citizens in this country.
The BUC has been instrumental in keeping the conflict in Mindanao under control; otherwise, it would have long ago spread and escalated into a religious war.
Religious wars in other countries as history shows us have always been the most destructive kinds of conflict, where the victims are no longer confined to those involved in actual armed confrontation but also to innocent followers of the contending faiths.
What has kept the Mindanao conflict that pits certain Christian and Muslim groups against each other arising from causes other than just plain religious matters is the existence of the BUC, which conducts dialogues from time to time between and among Christians and Muslims in the continuing search for peace, especially in Mindanao.
Recent developments show that dialogues should not only be confined to the leadership level but also among the grassroots. This conviction was arrived at in Davao with the meeting and cooperation of the religious sector and the military and police in finding a long-term solution to continuing conflicts in Mindanao, especially in the western and central portions of the island region.
The search for peace in Mindanao is anchored on three pillars: (1) Peace-making is the responsibility of every individual Filipino regardless of religious affiliation; (2) Religious leaders and official peacekeepers play a key role in achieving peace, and (3) Peace is the fruit of respectful dialogue.
Everyone, Christian and Muslim, should support the noble efforts of the BUC for the sake of a lasting and just peace in Mindanao in particular, and the entire country as a whole.
