MANILA (UCAN): Religious leaders in Mindanao, the Philippines, the country’s Muslim majority region, called for dialogue to establish peace during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which coincides with the campaign period ahead of midterm elections in May, Fides reported on March 6.
The Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference [MIRLEC] said in a statement: “This year, Ramadan in the Philippines coincides with the political election campaign, marked by numerous and alarming acts of violence, and with the reality of violence throughout the world, which calls us to reflect, pray and act.”
The message said Ramadan is a “special time of purification of the heart and love of neighbor” when Christians and Muslims should explore the “spirituality of life in dialogue.” ,
The conference has promoted the Silsilah [Unbroken Chain] movement for Muslim-Christian dialogue in Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines, for over four decades.
For decades, the region has been known for deadly separatist Islamic insurgency and consequent military crackdown, leaving thousands killed and displaced.
On this occasion, we are invited to reflect: why war? Why not peace? We are brothers and sisters. We also know that in times of violence, there are also silent and powerful acts of love that transcend the boundaries of religions and cultures
The Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has long battled for greater autonomy for the region, but it disarmed thousands of its fighters after the Philippine government passed the Bangsamoro Basic Law in 2018 to offer greater autonomy for Muslims. However, many of its fighters have reportedly joined other extremist outfits.
Analysts blame the ongoing violence on widespread poverty in the region which has a population of 24 million. In 2021, Mindanao had 26.1 percent of people in extreme poverty, the highest in the country, according to the Philippine Information Agency.
Religious leaders reminded that peace is possible if people can transcend the boundaries of religions and cultures.
“On this occasion, we are invited to reflect: why war? Why not peace? We are brothers and sisters. We also know that in times of violence, there are also silent and powerful acts of love that transcend the boundaries of religions and cultures,” the message added.
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The conference noted that it launched an interfaith prayer initiative, Chain of Harmony, for peace when the Philippine government declared a “total war” on extremists in Mindanao.
While today “alarming elements” are emerging, we must “remember that God is love and loves everyone,” it added.
Research groups have recorded a rise in violence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, which covers Muslim-majority provinces in Mindanao.
In 2024, a total of 2,570 incidents of violence were reported in the region, according to the research institute, the Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia [CCAA]. The figure is the highest in seven years and a 24 per cent increase from the previous year.
The group noted that the increased violence presumably stems from instability ahead of the elections and is fuelled by the presence of armed groups.
“Violence in the region has been steadily increasing since 2021, and there are no signs of slowing down,” says the CCAA, noting that “violence will continue unless the phenomenon of illicit weapons is addressed and governance is strengthened.”
As the election approaches, “the risk of an even greater wave of violence is high” as there are at least 28 ongoing feuds between clans, the main source of conflict in the region, it said.
Concerned about the lack of a conducive environment for elections, the government decided to postpone midterm elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region until October.
The postponement was approved by the president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after the Supreme Court recently ordered the exclusion of the Sulu Archipelago from the Autonomous Region.
The new administrative decision entails a redistribution of seats and candidates in the region.
The CCAA also called on the Commission on Elections to actively address the violence in “hot spot” areas.
