Editorial

Beware of anti-religious and terror mongerers

Bomb threats are already scary and how much more if these really occur as there had been actual explosions in different areas in Mindanao, resulting to casualties and fatalities. Could there be more… God forbids for we want peace and tranquility to always reign.

There was sort of a hunch that the January 27 twin blasts at Our Lady  of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu would be followed by another blast… there was one inside the mosque in Zamboanga City last January 30. Are these two separate bombings intended to create a divide and hatred or conflict between and among religious groups? Religious leaders and government authorities dismiss the view or speculation of religious undertone,  surmising that the dastardly bombings are meant to sow terror.Muslim religious leaders dislodge the idea of religious retaliation, pointing on terrorism and extremism as the culprit of the saddening events to create fear, horror, and doubts among ethnic groups.

Both Muslims and Christians have co-existed for long in different parts of Mindanao. Muslim Filipinos feel secure in Christian-dominated communities and so do the Christian counterparts in Muslim-dominated habitats such as in Sulu Archipelago and the geographical setting in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which will soon be carved as the new Bangsamoro region following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. We stand witness to religious toleration and respect in southern Philippines. Conflict here is not attributed to religion and we pray this character of religious toleration is ever maintained.

Be as this may, both Muslim and Christian believers have to remain vigilant against threats aimed at dislodging religious respect and tolerance… let us not allow ourselves to be intimidated in anyway by the acts of a third force that tend to undermine the unity of a people. Islam means peace and so does Christianity. Is there a religion that teaches hate and vengeance? There could be declared a jihad or crusade if one religion is being suppressed... but in our setting, there is no religious suppression, only cultural solidarity that promotes peace, elusive as it may seem because of some evil ends.

We stand by our faith because we believe in spiritedness and religiosity. We have to embrace as one in the fight against divisiveness and acts of terrorism. Only a united people can fear be subdued. Let us stand to reason and not heed to mongerers of religious uprising for we fall as losers. Religion is part of culture and this binds people together. When Muslims and Christians go to places of worship, they pray for peace.

People with rationality and Godliness respect religious beliefs and affiliations. And curse be on those who undermine religious solidarity for they lose their souls and are cast away.