Zamboanga hosts the country’s first observance of “World Interfaith Harmony Week”

Press Release
February 8, 2011

ZAMBOANGA CITY  –  The city’s different religious leaders, Christian constituents and Muslim women leaders and peace advocates hailing from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including those from the islands of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, gathered together for an Interfaith Harmony Solidarity Dinner held at the Garden Orchid Hotel to observe the UN-declared “World Interfaith Harmony Week”.

Amina Rasul, the President of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), a non-government and non-profit organization, revealed that 2011 is the first celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week, which takes place every first week of February, after the passage of a UN General Assembly resolution in October last year, sponsored by King Abdullah of Jordan.

“There are over 45 events that have been scheduled worldwide to celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week. Our Interfaith Harmony Solidarity Dinner is one of many events and the only event in the Philippines which is known as a champion of interfaith dialogue, in the world,” she disclosed further.

Rasul said interfaith dialogue is important to strengthen Muslim-Christian relations strained by persistent conflicts in Mindanao.

In his welcome message, Mayor Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City thanked the organizers for choosing his city as the venue for the Interfaith Harmony Week celebration. “Our population is a good mixture of Christians, Muslims and Lumads who co-exist with great respect for and tolerance for one another despite religious differences.”

A Religion of Peace

Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason, vice-president of the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines, encouraged fellow Muslims to emphasize that Islam is a “religion of peace, compassion, forgiveness, moderation and harmony, and not a religion of lawlessness, kidnapping, violence and terrorism.”

Archbishop Romulo Valles of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, appreciated the initiative and was grateful for the many efforts of interfaith dialogues in the Philippines. He added, “It was not easy at the beginning to convince people of other faiths that the Catholic Church is sincere in promoting interfaith dialogue, but we continue to promote dialogue and help many in the Church to believe that this is the way to be faithful to our mission.”

Reverend Ira Lee Rosalita revealed he feels at peace and secure in the company of Muslims and has never experienced being harassed while passing through Muslim communities in Lanao and Maguindanao.

Bartolome Madriaga of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, urged Zamboangeños to strengthen their individual resolve to be “doers of the word and not hearers only” when it comes to promoting peace and harmony in this city and beyond.

From the RVM Congregation, Sister Maria Niña Balbas, Directress of Pilar College, said that peace is recognized as one of the highest values to be sought and defended. She stressed that, “by bringing harmony among the different faiths in the world, we then are able to contribute to the healing of our wounded planet.”

Father Sebastian d’Ambra of the Silsilah Foundation, said that “harmony” is a very good synthesis one can apply to one’s faith. He pointed out that despite many efforts and initiatives in peace-building, trouble still exist which tells us that “we need to work more.”

Muslim peace advocates in Zamboanga are active in sowing peace and harmony among the followers of different faiths according to Prof. Ali Yacob, head of Golden Crescent Consortium of Peace Builders. “We continue what our past traditional leaders have started – spearheading peace-building efforts to strengthen Muslim-Christian relations on which we enjoy the fruit,” he added. He disclosed that the city is relatively peaceful where Muslims and Christians have love and respect for one another.