Dear All,
Let me share to you my experience and thoughts on interfaith dialogues.
It seems to me that the idea of interfaith dialogue has been abused that even people who seems not to have faith advocate for it! faith to me is a very deep commitment to believe on something that we do not even see. I’m wondering if may mga tao bang ganito pa ngayon? Who still believe in what they do not see. Perhaps there are… Marami nga sa mga filipino and to some extent mga Bangsamoro, still believe in the ideals of our leaders despite not seeing it. Marami pa rin naniwala na ang mga leader natin are their to serve the people despite the fact that its the power and money that they are after of.
My experience with intefaith dialogue is a bit funny. When I worked as a free-lunch journalist in the late 80’s, I was invited by a friend priest to a “tri-people interfaith dialogue” somewhere in Central Mindanao. Of course, a penniless journalist at the time, I went because the lunch is free! To my surprise, a fraternity buddy back in the university was there. He was leading the Muslim delegations from communities where there NGO was working . He was wearing something like an Afghan turban that reminds me of the Taliban guerillas fighting the Russians at that time.
At the opening prayer, three people were to lead the prayer: a Muslim, a Christian and a Lumad.
first was the Muslim who recited verses of the Qur-an in Arabic. I was standing beside my old frat buddy and I asked him what does the Arabic prayer means. My friend, blushed and with a smile whispered to me: “Hindi ko rin naintindihan basta verse yon ng Qur’an.” I smiled back at him.
Next was the Christian woman. She gave praises, asked forgiveness and blessings from God the father, son and holy spirit. The prayer was very emotional and a bit long. The woman seems to be about to cry. I whispered to my friend-priest: “Is she a Catholic?” My friend whispered back: “A Charismatic, ” then he smiled as the woman ended her prayer. I wonder, are Charismatics, Catholics. Mind you, while she was praying, her eyes were closed. So I also close my eyes but seconds later, I opened my eyes to see if the others were also closing their eyes. To my surprise, most eyes were wide opened. The most serious faces were the Muslims!
The last was the Lumad. The Lumad was a man around his 50s. He wore a tubao in his head and a black vest with some embroidery. I thought that he will be praying in chant or with dancing. To my surprise, he started with a sign of the cross: ”Sa ngalan sa Amahan, sa Anak ug sa Espiritu Santo. (In the name of the father, and of the son and the holy spirit). Amen.” (Mind you, I was jolted and I made the sign of the cross taught to me secretly by my Boholana mother. My father dislike it because he wanted me to pray at the mosque.) The Lumad asked God’s blessings for everyone and for the success of the activity. He ended his prayer with the Catholic “Glory Be.” I look at my priest-friend with a questioning look. He whispered to me: “He is a Kapilya leader active in our Tribal filipino Apostolate. He was baptized just about three years ago.”
At the end of the opening prayer, I was at a bit confused. But that experience did not saddened me.
What saddened me is the observation idea of interfaith has been politicized in the last few years. Even GMA is now stressing that interfaith dialogue is key to the solution to Mindanao. I agree with GMA but doing interfaith dialogue to solve the Moro issue will never work.. The Moro problem is not rooted in faith alone. It has economic and political dimensions.
If interfaith approach is to be done, the common problems experienced by people of both faiths should be addressed. Poverty, landlessness, internal displacement are problems not exclusive to the Bangsamoro People. filipinos in Mindanao also experience the same. If we count the poorest of the poor in Mindanao, I bet that there will be more Christians than Muslims. And if we count the richest people in Mindanao, i’ll bet that among the richest are Muslims.
Central to any interfaith dialogue in Mindanao is to discuss the central problem in Mindanao: unsecured land tenure of the majority of both Muslims and Christians both in the urban and rural areas. Not discussing this issue could make any interfaith dialogue senseless and devoid of the real reasons why the great faiths of the world take roots. for judaism, its promise land. for Muslims, its the ummah, a community of faithfuls — of course, in a secured place. for Christians, still a community in a secured place … a secured “balay sa langit nga nagsidlaksidlak. ” I’m sure Christians (of whatever religion or denominations) never think of renting or being displaced from his/her place in the Kingdom of God.
A “secured place” – in reality or idea, on earth or in heaven - is core to the traditions of the great faiths. for interaith dialogues to become authentic as what PGMA wants, the issues of homeland, ancestral domain and agrarian reform (urban and rural) should be the core issue if the Mindanao conflict is to be resolved. The solution that will result from any dialogue or peace process shall address the problems of the people irregardless of faith or religion. If it will only resolve the Moro problem, it will never be acceptable to the filipinos in Mindanao.
I believed that one of the reasons why the MOA-AD is not acceptable to most Christians is that it only refers to the domain of the Bangsamoro. It is not clear on the domain of the Indigenous Cultural Communities. Much more that it did not say about agrarian reform. Of course a genuine one, not that includes areas of Lake Lanao.
I’m really wondering how much faith is put in interfaith dialogue by the people engage or advocating it.
BanDag
