Peace and unity especially in Mindanao, are the hopes of the Muslim community in Cebu as they marked Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice yesterday.
Imam Mohammed Helmie Abemor of the Al Khairiah Mosque in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City, offered prayers for the end of the armed conflict in Marawi City between government forces and the terrorist group, Maute, which had already affected hundreds of thousands of families there.
He hoped that their fellow Muslims in Marawi were able to celebrate Eid’l Adha despite the on-going war.
“Panalangin namin sa Eid’l Adha na sana po ay magkaisa na po .. kumbaga magkaayos na po ang mga problema at saka magkaisa po ang lahat ng mga tao sa Mindanao, Christian man o mga Muslim, pagkat ang tinuturo po ng Islam ay kapayapaan po wala pong katuroan ang Islam ng digmaan,” the Muslim cleric said.
(Our prayers for Eid’l Adha is for an end to the problem and that there would be unity among all people in Mindanao, whether Christian or Muslim because Islam teaches peace and not war.)
Reports said around 200,000 individuals had been displaced by the war in Marawi, since it began last May 23.
Abemor appealed to Cebuanos to continue giving donations to help the war victims in Marawi which may be sent through their mosque or directly to the Office of Muslim Affairs.
“We’ve already organized this kind of activity since the conflict started and we were able to turn over donations to Marawi City during the celebration of Ramadan. But they still need our help,” Abemor said.
The celebration of the feast started with a one-hour prayer at around 7:00 a.m., Friday.
After the prayer, some members of the Muslim community offered cows, goats and sheep as a sacrifice. The slaughtered animals will be shared with their poor Muslim brothers in a celebration lasting three days till Sunday.
The Al Khairiah Mosque in Mambaling received two cows out of forty animals donated to Cebu Muslims by Islamic communities in Malaysia.
“Every year mohatag g’yud na sila og baka (they will give cows) as donation,” said mosque caretaker Ismael Demie Alfaro.
“Amo sa sila ampoan as ritual before sila katayon, unya ibahin-bahin sa mga miembro ang karne niya (We will first say a prayer as ritual before we slaughter the cows then we will divide the meat among the members),” he said, adding that this year, they have decided to distribute all the meat among Badjao families in Alaska, Mambaling.
Non-Muslims are welcome to join the celebration, added Samer Mamasalagat, another member of the community.
In a celebration marking Eid’l Adha at Plaza Independencia, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced, Friday, that he will set up an Office of Muslim Affairs at City Hall to maintain a close relationship with Cebu’s Muslim community.
Osmeña said that it was important to keep close ties with brother Muslims so that they will be open in coordinating and seeking the help of the city government.
“Importante g’yud nga naa ta’y connection sa ato Muslim brothers kay mauwaw sila. Dili sila muduol kung naa sila’y problema,” Osmeña said.
(It’s important that we have a connection with our Muslim brothers because they are shy to approach us whenever they have problems.)
Osmeña noted that Cebu has been free from terror attacks due to the help of Muslims and their “close relations” with the city government.
Cebu’s Muslim community has peacefully settled and engaged in business, noted Osmeña. /with Kristine Q. Remolisan USJ-R Journalism intern