Philippines

     

       

1. Arrest Of 'Alleged Terrorists' Alarms Filipino Muslims
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL) ]

Filipino Muslims expressed alarm and fear Tuesday, March 30, over the recent spate of arrests carried out by government troops against Muslim men alleged to be members of the 'Abu Sayyaf'.

2. Christians Document Filipino Muslims' Plight
MANILA — Two Christian artists who have witnessed how Muslims survive marginalization in this largely Catholic state have lent their voices to Filipino .

   

3.  Filipino 'Halal' Industry Booming
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]To meet a rising demand among Filipino consumers, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, a fast growing number of Filipino companies seek Halal certification of their products.Muslims tend to consume Halal products, especially foodstuff, for obvious religious reasons, but Muslims in the Philippines make only 10% of 84 million population.

4.Filipino MP Proposes Islamic University 
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
 A Muslim legislator is championing a proposal for the creation of a state-run Islamic university in the largely Catholic Philippines."It will bring about peace because it will bring about the consciousness of Islamic values. Remember, real Islam shuns violence. This is what we need to nurture and foster today," Rep. Faysah Dumarpa, a member of the lower house of Congress, told IslamOnline.net. 

   

5.Filipino Muslim Candidate Accuses Army Of Election Fraud 
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

 A candidate for a Philippine Muslim party-list group accused the military of "systematic fraud" in the general elections of the lower house of Parliament last week.  

6. Filipino Muslims Bid 'Bad' 2004 Farewell [By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

Many Filipino Muslims believe 2004 was not a very good year, citing mounting waves of Islamophobia and the government’s failure to ink a peace agreement in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

   

7. Filipino Muslims Condemn 'Terrorist Label'

[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
Filipino Muslims Monday, March 29, condemned Friday’s raid of a boarding school for Muslim reverts in Quezon City, where police claimed six terrorists were hiding.

8.  Filipino Muslims Fight Islamophobia in Ramadan
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

As far as Filipino Muslims are concerned, there is only one task to be accomplished during this holy month of Ramadan; namely to prove that Islam and Muslims have nothing to do with terrorism and violence, some religious leaders there revealed to IslamOnline.net Monday, October 25.  

   

9. Filipino Reverts Form Council of Elders
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

Filipinos who reverted to Islam have decided to form a Council of Elders to guide them and raise their concerns and problems with the government. "We have decided to come up with the Balik Islam Council of Elders,"   

10.Filipino Reverts Use Iftar to Integrate
  [By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
Filipino reverts are making use of the Ramadan spiritual atmosphere to further integrate among the Muslim community in this largely Christian city, through seeing to the preparation and paying the cost of daily iftar meals for the community.

   

11.Foreign Scholars Promote Peace in Mindanao 
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

An international network of non-governmental organizations lambasted in its annual report released Monday, April 26, the Filipino government over its failure to end the decades-old crisis in Mindanao.  

 

12.How Islam Got to the Philippines
[By Brendan I. Koerner,Posted Friday, Jan. 28, 2005]

The Philippine military has stepped up its campaign against the nation's Muslim separatist movement, bombing a suspected hideout on the southern island of Mindanao. The primary targets of the raid were members of Abu Sayyaf, which is seeking to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state on Mindanao. How did Islam originally get to the predominately Catholic Philippines? 

   

13. International Report Slams Philippines Over Mindanao
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

An international network of non-governmental organizations lambasted in its annual report released Monday, April 26, the Filipino government over its failure to end the decades-old crisis in Mindanao.  

14.Internships Help Filipino Muslim Professionals
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

"Islam Hour" has proved a real success since the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with many Muslims and non-Muslims calling for the Radio Show to be extended beyond the dawn-to-dusk fasting month. 

   

15. 'Islam Hour' Help Filipinos Understand Faith
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

"Islam Hour" has proved a real success since the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with many Muslims and non-Muslims calling for the Radio Show to be extended beyond the dawn-to-dusk fasting month.

 

16.Islam in the Philippines 
[By WIKIPEDIA]
Islam is one of the oldest organized religions to be established in the Philippines. Islam reached the islands in the 14th century with the arrival of Indian, Malay and Javanese merchants, and Arab missionaries from various sultanates in the Malay Archipelago, although the spread of Islam in the Philippines is due to the strength of Muslim India. India brought Islam to Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia and Indonesia, and in turn the latter two brought Islam to the Philippines.  

   

People praying during the groundbreaking of the second Islamic Cemetery in Metro Manila.

17. Manila Muslims Get New Cemetery
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
After contending themselves for years with an over-congested cemetery, the thousands of Muslims living in the Philippine capital will soon have a new four-hectare cemetery.

18.Manila Times Devotes Section to Muslims
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)] 

The mass-circulation daily in the Philippines has launched an eight-page monthly section devoted to story on development, peace and business opportunities in Mindanao, the birthplace of Islam in the Philippines.  

   

ImageLocals are cautious about the real intentions of the plan.

19. Manila Troops on Know-Muslims Mission
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

Philippine troops plan to start visiting mosques and madrasahs in the capital of the Roman Catholic nation to learn more about the community and address their problems, though Muslim locals are worried about their real intentions.  

 

20. Manila's Sole Islamic Bank for Sale
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

 Bidders from Malaysia and the Middle East are eyeing to take over Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines, the country's first and only Islamic bank, after the government put it for sale."The sale is aimed to better the performance of the bank," Al-Amanah chair Ali Sangki told IslamOnline.net on Monday, March 6.

   
 

21. When Christians embrace Islam
[By Johnna Villaviray, Senior Reporter,The manila Times]

When the television reporter Richard Rivera stepped onto the Sulu pier, one thing was on his mind: send stories to Manila about efforts to recover the Abu Sayyaf’s 19 Sipadan hostages. By the end of the six-week assignment, Rivera brought home not just war stories but a new faith as well.   

Benito said some of their students took the Shari’ah bar examinations and are now lawyers while others are imams and teachers.

22. More Students Taking up Islamic Studies in Philippines
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
The premier Islamic studies school in Mindanao has been registering an increasing number of students since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, its dean told IslamOnline.net on Tuesday, July 26. Dr. Hamid Barra, dean of Mindanao State University ’s King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies, said they have enrolled this semester 318 students, 58 more than the last semester.

   

The independent survey showed majority of Filipinos have a positive view of Islam.

23.Most Filipinos Positively View Islam
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)] 

The majority of Filipinos gave Islam a positive view, according to a recent survey by an independent and popular polling firm. The Social Weather Stations (SWS) said 52% of their 1,200 respondents gave Islam a positive view while 41% gave an opposite view.

24.Muslim Mindanao To Witness Economic Boom
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)] 
Business people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) expressed optimism that the region’s economy would further improve as they push for new efforts to increase trade and investments.

   


The nominees were chosen based on their exemplary, sustainable and long-term works, which are worthy of emulation.

25. Peace Quest Wins Muslim Women Nobel Nominations
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

An undaunted quest to bring peace to the conflict-hugged island of Mindanao, the birthplace of Islam in the Philippines, has earned three Filipino Muslims a deserved nomination for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.

 

26.Philipine: Muslim minority
[By Abhoud  Syed M.Lingga, Institute of Bangsamoro Studies]

Religion: About 83 percent of the population is Roman Catholic; 9 percent Protestant, including Presbyterian, Methodist, Philippine Independent Church, and Philippine Church of Christ; 5 percent Muslim; and 3 percent Buddhist and other. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and separation of church and state. But hristianity predominates, and Muslims historically have been marginalized.
 

   
Image

27.Philippine Public Schools Teach Islam, Arabic 
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
After their classes in government-run schools, Muslim students would not have to attend madrasahs, private Islamic religious schools, as the education department is offering Arabic and Islamic subjects to them as part of the state's "madrasah education" project right within their schools.

Image
Madrasahs system is promoting a culture of tolerance and a better understanding of the Philippine culture

28.Philippines Madrasahs Dispel Fears
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)] 

Muslims in dominantly-Catholic Philippines are striving to dispel fears that madrasahs (religious schools) are condoning violence.
 

Muslims make up 5% of the country's 87 million population. 

   
 

29. Philippines Info
[By U.S Library of congress]

How the Muslims as a minority situate themselves within the Philippine national community is the subject of discussion in this paper. A look into their views on their relations with the national community is helpful in understanding the conflict in Mindanao for this is the impetus in their assertion for their right to self-determination.


"Others get their names from famous Muslim figures," said Lidasan.

30. Religion Influences Filipino Names
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]

Filipinos have succumbed to Western influence as evidenced by the rise of fast-food chains as well as the popularity of foreign brands and labels.But when it comes down to naming one's child many Filipinos resort to their religions.  

   

Muslims, a minority in Christian Philippines, complain of being discriminated against by the government and stereotyped as terrorists

31.Salam Police No Solution To Filipino Muslims Problems [
By Rexcel Sorza,
IslamOnline(IOL)]
The special police force created by the government with Muslims as officers and members would not stem human rights violations against Filipino Muslims but rather pit Muslims against each other
 


The conference was to focus on the costs of the Philippines-MILF conflict and the challenges to the peace talks

32.U.S. Institute Regrets Expulsion Of Muslim Professor 
[By Rexcel Sorza, IslamOnline(IOL)]
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is working on a new date for the conference on Mindanao that was postponed after Filipino speakers withdrew their attendance to protest the U.S. expulsion of a prominent Filipino Muslim professor, a USIP official said on Thursday, June 3, adding that the institute deeply regrets this faux pas.