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    10 views19 pages

    GUIAM

    Uploaded by

    princess catherine Pabellano

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 19
    Telling the Truth othe “Other's images of Islam and Muslims in the Philippines by Rufa Cagoco-Guiam Reporting on a culture other than one's own presents tre- ‘mendous challenges toa journalist, even to a recognized veteran in the profession. ‘The task becomes even more daunting when, the journalists reporting on the day-to-day events ofa longzdraven but conflict between majority and minority cultural communi- ties. A reporter's ethnic biases tend to surface despite carefully chosen words and politically correct terms. Reporters and jour- halistsare only human, after all, and donot operate in a social or caltural vacuum, Like many other professionals, they are shaped largely by the norms and standards of their own culture. Itis the mirror which provides them the norms or yardsticks by which to appraise other people For quite some time, reportage on Muslims or on events: associated with Muslims in the Philippines has promoted an ad- verse image of the Muslims as among the dregs of the earth Kidnappers, bandits, corrupt politicians and all other undesir- able characters in society are invariably associated with Muslims from southern Philippines. It is no surprise that the peace agree- ment signed between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Philippine government generated wide opposition from ‘various sectors of Philippine society. The majority Filipino popu- lation, basically Christians and steeped in generally negative re- portage on a “troublesome” minority population like the Mu limes, is expected to react adversely to any perceived favor granted to the latter. ‘This paper orients journalists in all the media with the basic tenets that distinguish the Muslims in the Philippines from ‘the majority Christian Filipinos. It will also describe the ways Muslims in the country have been depicted historically. More- over, it provides tips for non-Muslim journalists reporting on Muslims. In doing these, I hope to contribute to the efforts of journalists to help themselves in telling the truth about the “other”: ‘hat instead of inciting those on the other side of the fence to defend or attack, journelists will report events associated with Muslims with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Muslims as. people. This understanding will eventually pave the ‘way to a fruitful dialogue in which each culture will “shine in its own uniqueness...”" What is Islam? ‘The popular literature on Islam indicates that it is the most misunderstood religion or way of life not only in our pre~ dominantly Catholic country, but also in many parts of the world, Islamic zealots claim that this is the result of a Western-oriented, Zionist-influenced global media. The worldwide resurgence of Islam has been explained as @ reaction to such influence. ‘Many Muslims in the Philippines consider that claim asa fact. They see the effects of such Western influence in the way some Muslims today behave. With cable television and an Ameri- can-influenced mass media, many Muslims in the Philippines, like the majority population, have succumbed to a highly can- sumerist-oriented lifestyle. Even traditional rites of passage are marked by commercialized and Western-oriented themes like white ‘wedding gowns in Islamic wedding rites held in restaurants or hotels. The traditional practice of a community- and clan-based preparation for a wedding feast is now entrusted to a non-rela- tive: the restaurant manager who charges for every little service performed during a wedding ceremony. Indeed, Muslims in the Philippines have much to worry about, especially in terms of pre- serving their holistic and integrated way of life in a society marked ‘by compartmentalization and crass commercialism. Itis beyond the scope of this paper to narrate the reasons why Islam has been widely misunderstood. It would suffice to get @ glimpse of the basic principles of this misunderstood way of life. Moreover, I do not claim to provide a comprehensive, one- stop lesson on Islam. Even those who were born into the Mus- lim way of life need a whole lifetime to learn the intricacies of Islam. Pechaps itis best to start with the principle that clearly distinguishes Islam from Christianity. The principle of separa- {ion of the church and state, wich is basic in Christianity, espe- ally among Roman Catholics, isnot applicable in Islam. Thiois because Islam ie not only a religion, but also a total way of life, It is a holistic and integrated way of life in which decisions regarding every aspect of life are ideally made on the basis ofits asic tenets. Islam provides guidelines for every human activity, from the most sacted (e.g. praying) to the most worldly (like an ‘swering the calls of nature). Muslims who engage in economic activities like buying and selling, and the accompanying activity of lending money are enjoined not to assign a high margin of Grofit or interest lest these actvitics be considered riba (usury/ Rsurious) and therefore haram, (forbidden) ‘The word Islam comes from two Arabic root words: “salm” which means peace, and “silm,” meaning submission. A “Mus- lim? is one who peacefully submits himself/herself to the will of ‘Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful and just Almighty. Islam stands for ‘a commitment to surrender one’s will to the Will of God" and to be at peace with the Creator and with all that hhas been created by Him. Itis through submission to the Will of God that peace is brought ebout.* Jaeally, a Muslim is one who lives in harmony with his/ her Creator and his/her fellow creatures. ‘There is no compart= mentalization in the Islamic way of life, as Islam provides the iguidelines for every act ofa Muslim or true believer. tn a Muslim's Ifestyle is incorporated the five pillars that are sine qua non in Islam: 1) shahadab, the profession of faith in one God (Allah) and ‘no other, and in the acknowledgment of the great prophet in Is- Jam, Muhammad (peace be unto him}; 2) salah, the practice of praying five times a day; 3) zakat, obligatory alms giving for all Fhoome earning Muslims; 4) saw, or fasting in the holy month of Ramadhan; and the 5) performance of the hafj, or pilgrimage tothe holy land of Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at least once ina Muslim's lifetime if he/ she can afford it. (Take note that underscored the word ideally in the precedingand the previous paragraphs, This is to emphasize that religions set ideal stan- Bards for the behavior of its members and that these are not ‘always followed in day-to-day human transactions. This is true for all peoples, whatever religion they profess. There is a wide range of possible human behavior, and it is not necessarily at- tributable to religion). The performance of these five pillars and adherence to the six articles of faith (iman) within the Muslim's lifetime ie thee Passport to an eternal life in the hereafter. ‘The six articles cf fit are: 1) belief in Allah, the Bver-living, All-enowine sedate, 3) eepeettul Creator and Proprietor ofall) beliefin the Angele ayeetief in the five divine scriptures revealed and sent done” by Aish which includes the Qui’an, the Islamic Holy Book asatuee, to Muhammad (peace be unto him}; the Torah, or Old Trote or Nee econ to Musa (Moses), peace be unto him; the Injee!, the aa destament, sent down to isa (lesus), peace be unto viet, Ee AxZaboor, the Psalms, sent down to Dawood (David). pores penta him; and the Sheets of Ibrahim, peace be unto hin 4) For many non-Muslims, these pillars and articles of faith sractccs Popular” as the impression that Muslims have “strange” Prnctices, which include the taking of more than one wife (Se. {ygamy) and the practice of divorce. Since these practices ealfee quubthe standards of Roman Catholicism, many non-Muslims is the Philippines perceive the Muslims to have “baser” belrasieet Standards akin to the instincts of lower species in the animal world, ‘These non-Muslims do not realize that the practices of polygamy and divorce are not basic in Islam, ie. one can be Tagg geamous and still bea Muslim. Like many Christians, Mus, tims hold dear the value of righteousness in the path of God, which means living a life of peaceful submission to His will aaj performing acts which are just and not oppressive to fellow Ine Patz cigs. To Mustims, these basic values which are incorpo. Fated in the five pillars and the six articles of faith are far more sybertant than the acquisition of more than one wife or the me, dilection for divorcing one's wife. While many Muslim men indeed take more than one wife, the practice is not a fulfillment of any basie principle in Telane Historically, the practice of polygamy was warranted during the early days of Islam when Muslims were prosecuted for their new religion. This meant that all able-bodied Muslims fad to fight to defend their faith, leaving their wives, daughters and older male relatives behind. In many cases, the men who fought in these wars got killed. An older man in the community (who had a wife and substantial means) might offer marriage to a widow to pro- tect and support her fatherless family, Of course, we hear of Publicized abuses of this practice, including the conversion of Some Christians to Islam just to “legitimize” their practice of maintaining mistresses. Muslims, like other peoples in the world, are human beings, and many of them are capable of acts that are condernned in Islam. This is due to the freedom of choice granted by Allah to man. Sometimes human beings make wrong choices in committing acts that are downright condemnable in Islam and {in other religions. And the proclivity to digress from an ideal or rightful path is not a monopoly of the Muslims, or of any single ‘group of people in the country or the world. Who are the Muslims in the Philippines? ‘Specialists who have written extensively about Muslims in the Philippines agree that there are at least 13 ethno-linguistic groups indigenous to Mindanao that have adopted Islam as their way of life.? These are: * The Maguindanaon (people of the flooded plains) of the provinces Carved out of the once vast Empire province of Cotabato (Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, North and South Cotabato), * The Maranaw (people of the lake) of the Lanao provinces, * The Tausug (people of the current) of the Sulu archipelago, ‘The Yakan of Basilan island, ‘The Sama of Tawictawi and its islands, ‘The Badjaw, also from different islands in the Sulu archipelago, ‘The Kalagan of central Davao, ‘The Sangil of Sarangani Bay, ‘The Iranun who live on the boundaries of the Cotabato and Lanao provinces, ‘The Palaweni and Melbugnon of Palawan, ‘The Kalibogan of the Zamboanga peninsula, and ‘The Jama Mapun of Cagayan de Sulu island, In addition, there are a growing number of Muslim con- verts all over the Philippines. They come from the various ethno- linguistic groups in the country, from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, In 1996, their number was conservatively estimated at 95,000.‘ This group could constitute the 14th group of Mus lims in the Philippines today. Of these groups, only three are the most mumerous and the more politically dominant: the Maguindanaon, the Maranaw and the Tausug. Several political leaders of national prominence have come from these groups, like the late senator Mamintal Tamano (a Maranaw), former congressman Michael 0. Mastura, [a Maguindanaoan) and Governor Nur Misuari of the Autono- mous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a Tausug. In the Philippines, the terms “Muslims” and “Moros” have een used interchangeably to refer to the various ethnolinguistic groups described above, However, as we will explain later, the two are not exactly the same. The term Muslim is a religious identity, of one who submits himself/herself to the Will of God {also described earlier). On the other hand, the term Moro or its plural Moros connotes a political identity. The term was origi- nally used by the Spanish colonizers when they discovered that Islam was the way of life of many of the native populations in Mindanao. It was used in reference to the Moors of Morocco who were the colonizers of the Iberian peninsula for more than seven centuries. The Spaniards suffered heavily in their bloody wars against the Moors between the 10th and 12th centuries. Expectedly, they were resentful of any group they met that had a similar way of life to that of their enemies. Thus they used the word Moro to refer to the brown-skinned natives in Mindanao and Sulu in the same derogatory way they viewed the native Fili- pinos for whom they used the epithet Indio. With the rise of a self-assertive consciousness as a dis- tinct people among the Islamized natives of Mindanao and Sulu, as expressed in the organization of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the late 1960s, the term Moro soon gained a favorable connotation among young Muslims. To them, Moro is an expression of their distinctiveness as a people who have con- sistently resisted foreign domination. Used together with the Malay word Bangsa, as in Bangsamoro/Bangsa Moro, the term con- notes a nationality distinct from that of the majority Filipinos who are mainly Christian by religious orientation, Islam and Muslims in the Philippines: the historical context ‘The coming of Islam to the Philippines antedated the Christianization of the country by more than a century. Islam ‘came together with the Arab traders who were active paruiciparts| {n the long-distance bulk trade common daringthe 10th to 12th ‘centuries. Historical ccounts show that before Spain daimed tw have “discovered” the Philippines in 1521. Islam had already taken rot in many places in the country, especially in Sulu and sa maland Mincanso. ‘The Spaniards came tothe islands they later on called the Philippines as a consequence of their government's search forweath toreplenish thes drained national celers The bloody ‘ware with the Muslim Moors in the heriaa Peninula had been

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