Muslim women pose for a souvenir photo in Tuesday’s celebration of the Eid al-Adha. CDN photo/ Tonee Despojo
AROUND 2,000 Muslim residents of Cebu City gathered at the Plaza Independencia grounds early on Tuesday for their morning prayers.
Facing eastward, they kneeled on the ground to pray not only for their families and Muslim brothers, but also for an end to killings in Cebu and the rest of the country.
Malo Manongiring, director of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in the Visayas, said there is a need for every Filipino, irregardless of their religion, “to sacrifice their vested interests that cause harm to other people.”
“Kaya nga itong ating Eid al-Adha is timely sa nagyayari ngayon. Para i-remind ang lahat ng tao, hindi lang yung mga Muslim, na huwag nating sundin iyong ating personal na mga vested interests (The celebration of the Eid al-Adha is very timely with what is happening to the country now. This is timed to remind each of us, not just the Muslims not to prioritize out personal interests),” Manongiring said.
Manongiring said that killings should be stopped because this is “certainly not pleasing to the Allah.”
“The message is sacrifice. You have to sacrifice your personal interests for the sake of the Allah, the creator. When your personal interest stand against the interest of the creator, you have to sacrifice your interest,” Manongiring said.
“Itong mundo is temporary lang. Isakripisyo natin ang ating mga vested interest alang-alang sa kapakanan ng nakakarami para manatili ang kapayapaan (The world that we have is only temporary. Let us make sacrifices of our vested interest to uphold the interest of the majority and ensure peace in our midst),” he added.
Muslims coming from various parts of Cebu City started to converge at the Plaza Independencia at 6 a.m. on Tuesday for their morning prayers in celebration of the Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice in Islam traditions.
An hour later, they started to kneel on their mats while they prayed facing eastward to the direction of Mecca which is considered as the Holy Land for the Muslims.
Others occupied the eight mosques in Cebu City to pray.
Manongiring said there are about 8,000 Muslims residing in Cebu City and nearly 500,000 in the entire Visayas.
He said that those who prayed in their mosques, shared whatever meals or offerings that they brought, with their other Muslim brothers.
The Cebu City Government also provided packed meals for the Muslims who attended the congregation prayer at the Plaza Independencia.
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