Muslim-Christian Relations

As some of you might know, my family has roots in Iligan (in Mindanao, way down south, near Cagayan de Oro). My grandparents have since returned and decided to retire there. They now live in our ancestral home which sits just a few meters by the sea. Their home is beautiful and serene, and I always look forward to the chance to spend time with them over there. They spend six months there and roughly the same time here in the US. While there, my Nana writes for the local newspaper.

Right now, the situation is a little scary. Those of you back home would probably know more about the conflict between the Muslims and the Christians and know to what extent this political crap affects those in Mindanao. For us though, the extent of our knowledge does not go far beyond the fear for our grandparents' lives.

But they're staying because that is their community. The people for them are not just Muslim or Christian - they are their neighbors.

Here is her take on what has been going on and they intend to make things better:

IF SO…THEN WHAT?
by Dette Pascual

First Steps

What does one do when faced with a heavy burden that sees no immediate relief in sight?  Wise men say, "Take small steps, one day at a time."

This is what the "Save Muslim-Christian Good Relationships" movement is about. Per Mindanao Scoop (Aug. 31), "The movement, led by Hadji Abdullah Dalidig and other respected and prominent Muslim civic leaders in the cities of Iligan and Marawi, seeks for peaceful ways of resolving the conflict precipitated by the now-notorious MOA-AD issue. A simultaneous development was the peace dialogue on Aug 21 of the Ulama, Imams, Bishops of Iligan and Marawi, priests and laity and political leaders.This was followed by an Aug. 30 meeting of top leaders of Iligan City, Lanao Sur and Norte which they called 'Peace Summit and Drafting of a Peace Covenant.' "

So while those in the national government continue to debate on the best action to take on the Mindanao crisis, the local people are quietly working to restore the harmonious relationships that Muslims and Christians have had for such a long time in the two Muslim/Christian  provinces of Lanao. Being in ground zero, with their lives and their family's lives at stake, these people have focused on what is really important: Relationship with one another, and respect for each other's God. Unlike what is heard from some quarters in Manila, there is no talk of war. Instead, what is voiced is a need for a structure in which to dialogue, listen to one another in a face to face communication. It is a monumental  task. The harrowing experience in terms of loss of lives, grief, anger, vengeance, is still there.

Yet one must start somewhere. The situation calls to mind the birds in Iligan that I have been observing for a year now. When we decided to retire here,  my husband put up a bird feeder,  like what we had in our garden in Santa Barbara. But unlike the birds over there, no bird came to the feeder. It seems the birds here are more wary. They flit from tree to tree. They chirp. They look. But none came near the bird feeder. Why?

Then one day, I saw a little boy passing by holding a sling shot and looking up to the trees in our garden. "Aha! There's the answer," I told myself. The birds are afraid to feed because someone has been hunting them down. Once hurt, it is hard to make them trust human beings. I told my theory to my husband, who joked  that the bird feeder which I painted blue and white, with shutter windows and a picket fence, looked "stateside." Maybe we should build a nipa hut. But I told myself that there was no way I was going to give up that bird feeder.  I enjoyed painting it and if I say so myself, I think it's cute. Besides, to be practical, if we make it with bamboo and nipa, a single rainstorm with strong winds will blow that house away. So I told myself, "Patience!" Relationship must be built on friendship and trust, and the first step was to talk to that little boy with a sling shot.

So I waited for that boy by the beach, then started a conversation. Where did he live? Did he go to school? What grade? etc. When he was comfortable with me, I told him that I liked birds. Did he? He said yes. Then I asked  what he learned in school about birds. "They are our friends," he parroted. "They eat insects." "So,"  I said, "Why do you hunt them?" He smiled shyly, the sling shot was gone, and I found a friend .

But that was not enough. The birds were still wary, until one was brave enough to peek inside the bird house and took a peck at the seeds inside. Then he flew away. In the afternoon, he came back, took another peck, flew away again. Days later, others came. Today, birds come in and out of that birdhouse, happily chirping and eating. They got so crowded, that my husband added 3 more bird feeders. And every time we put in the feeds, we get a full house in all of them. Ah, what simple joy the singing of  birds bring to our everyday world. The friendly relation did not happen in a day. Not even weeks. It took months.

It takes patience and time to build up a trust that has been lost. In the case of the Mindanao conflict, it will take years. So much of the past intrudes on the present. Both sides, Christians and Muslims, are hurting. The military, caught in the middle, and following orders, suffered  loss of lives too. But  is there any other alternative? We do not have the luxury of dreaming new dreams. The immediate task is to restore the peace that was in place, but was rudely interrupted by the sudden burst of violence. Like the story of the birds, we take one step at a time.