TO MARK the armed conflict in Marawi City on Wednesday, May 23, Roman Catholic and Muslim religious leaders from Mindanao have come up with a unified stand on what approach the government and other stakeholders must take to rehabilitate the war-torn city.
Bishops, imams and ulamas issued on Monday, May 21, a manifesto titled “Marawi and Beyond,” a copy of which was released to the media late Monday.
In the statement, Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, head of the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro and convener of the dialogue between 12 Christian and 12 Muslim clerics held here recently, presented the seven concerns that the church leaders have agreed on in the hopes that the Duterte administration will take heed and consider them in its efforts to rebuild Marawi.
In his message, Ledesma said, “May the first anniversary of the Marawi siege then be a clarion call for both Christians and Muslims to look beyond and work together in forging a Culture of Peace and Development for... Mindanao.”
The group of clergy noted that prior to the Marawi conflict, Christian and Muslim communities in the area have harmonious relations, saying, “we need to restore these relationships of trust and mutual caring.”
“We are all against violent extremism,” the clergy said, adding the attraction to join armed groups is particularly felt among the younger Muslims who are frustrated by the lack of fulfillment of earlier promises and the long delay in passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and the eventual establishment of a special political entity.
“Muslim and Christian religious leaders should be united in working for a Culture of Peace in Mindanao and the rest of the country,” they said.
“Both Islam and Christianity are religions of peace. Religious leaders are the respected promoters of values for their communities,” they added.
The clerics suggested that the displaced Marawi residents be allowed to take part in the reconstruction plan for their city.
“They have suffered much already in evacuation centers or in cramped quarters with their relatives in neighboring cities,” they said.
The group touched on the issue on real property ownership in Marawi as many of the Maranaos feared they government will no longer recognized them as rightful owners of their land holdings.
“Many of the Marawi residents do not have titles or other documents to their occupied lands,” the leaders said.
“By custom and tradition they have been living there without the need for formalities. Hence, this will pose a challenge to authorities who have earlier expressed the requirement of at least some tax or land declaration,” they added.
The role of schools and the Madrasah system in promoting “peace education” is indispensable, they said. The education department, the clerics added, plays a crucial role in introducing peace education in the curriculum.
“There is need to look after the long-term solution by transforming the minds and hearts of all stakeholders in Mindanao,” the leaders said, “concretely the passage of the BBL can provide a sustainable framework for the peace and development of Mindanao.”