Statement on the
Marawi Crisis
By Philippine Center for
Islam and Democracy
May 25, 2017
The Philippine Center for
Islam and Democracy strongly condemns the violent attacks perpetrated
by lawless elements in the Islamic city of Marawi and Lanao del Sur,
made more heinous as it occurred as the Muslim faithful are preparing
for the holy month of Ramadhan. Any act inciting to terror in the
hearts of defenseless civilians, the destruction of places of worship
and properties, the murder of innocent men, women, and children
irrespective of one’s faith are all forbidden and detestable acts
according to Islam. Sowing terror through force and violence has
always been an invalid means of attaining societal changes, and cannot
be justified through faith or religion. The Qur'an says: "If any one
slays a person- unless it be as punishment for murder or for spreading
mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew all people. And if
any one saves a life, it would be as if he saved the lives of all
people." (Surah 5, verse 32).
We urge the Philippine
Government to ensure that the declaration of Martial Law will not, in
any way, compromise the lives of our people and the principles of
democracy that we hold dear. PCID believes that the peaceful
resolution of the armed conflict Marawi is needed, through tempered
and calibrated responses that will prevent further casualties and
damage to property and livelihoods.
We ask fellow Filipinos to
stay informed based on facts, especially with the prevalence of
unverified information and unsupported theories regarding the crisis.
We also ask the media to take extra precautions in their reporting,
and to prevent framing the crisis as a binary conflict between Muslims
and Christians. We should focus on uniting and working together for
just peace and human rights, instead of holding unfair and preemptory
judgments that can only lead to a perilous cycle of fear, ignorance,
and worse, more violence.
More than ever, preventing
violent extremism is needed, so we are urging all sectors to
immediately address the worsening issue at its roots. First and
foremost, our government officials, particularly the elected leaders,
should be accountable for good governance and rule of law as well as
the deterioration of the peace and order condition in conflict
affected communities of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
Without good governance and the rule of law, government cannot be
effective in improving the socio-economic and political conditions of
our people, and the delivery of basic services long denied in the
Bangsamoro.
As the Muslim ummah enters
Ramadhan, we can only pray for wisdom, peace, and understanding.