BAGUIO CITY – The Muslim community in the city, in partnership with the City government and the Baguio City Police Office(BCPO), recently conducted a forum that aims to promote and foster understanding between the Muslim community and law enforcement agencies last February 12.
In the “Muslim on Peace and Harmony” forum that gathered Muslims and non – Muslims, the peace and order situation of Baguio was presented by BCPO and lecture on the teaching of Islam and its view against terrorism was done.
Also present were National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Director Abdullah Macarimpas, City mayor Mauricio Domogan and Congressman Mark Go, Imam Bedejim Abdullah and BCPO Director Ramil Saculles.
Imam Bedejim Addulah, Islamic lecturer, emphasized that the said forum was part of the Muslims’ peace building effort and aims to look into the bigger effect of understanding among Muslims and non-Muslims.
‘Our primary advice to our fellow Muslim brothers, is that they should be true to faith. On the other hand , we also encourage our non – Muslim kababayan (countrymen) especially those on law enforcement agencies to know more about Islam, so that we will have a harmonious understanding and better view of things’, Abdullah said.
Domogan emphasized that there is no question that the teaching of Islam is a good and it is unfortunate that when a Muslim is implicated in any wrongdoing, the Islamic faith is being tagged along the issue.
Macarimpas stressed that as the law excuses no one it is also equally important that there is also equality and anti-discrimination for all, whatever race, culture, ethnicity or belief. /JDP/K. Cerva & A. Martinez – PIA CAR/SLU Interns#
