Reaction Paper

: Iris Felisilda Costillas

Last August 28, 2019, a group " Duyog Marawi" composed of people from Marawi
and from different places in the Philippines performed a local play called Kuris. That play
showed us the different situations happened before and after the Marawi siege way back
May 24, 2017. That siege lasted for how many months that led President Duterte declared
martial law in Mindanao.

By watching the play, I realized how harmonious, gloriuos and united the Maranaos
living in thier society. They have thier own celebrations, ceremonies, and beliefs that had
been practice for so many years. Own language and costume that used for many generations.

When the day where Isis attacked and abused the people in Marawi, I saw (through the
play) how the Muslims covered, protected and adopted the Christians just to save them from
the Isis. Christians that time were the aim of the Isis to attacked. It was crucial and risky being
a christian that exact moment. It was really a test of faith for survival. If I'll be the in that
place and day maybe I'm dead already because imagine being that point of your life where
you didn't do anything then suddenly someone will just kill you just because you're christian.
You'll be thinking if being a christian is a sin or being a muslim will be a way for you to be safe.

As the play goes on, honestly I had doubt if what they showed to us was really true
espacially the moment muslim protect or hid the christians. What's their point for showing us
those. But then I realized, yes, they maybe muslims but they're still Filipinos with same heart
they just varied in beliefs. So what they are trying to showed us was the built relationship
between muslim and christians.

When I was young until now, i didn't realized i was being racist in terms of beliefs or
religion especially for the muslims. When you talked about muslims, all i was thinking were
negatives. For me, muslims were bad, tricky and etc. But the moment I saw the play I reboot
my mind that not all muslims fit my own descriptions on them. Not all!