The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in the Visayas urged the public not to associate Islam with terrorism and intolerance in the wake of the arrest of an Australian “jihadist” over the weekend.
Regional (NCMF) Director Malo Manonggiring said the authorities should first investigate Robert Edward Cerantonio thoroughly before making any conclusion that would cast Islam and Filipino Muslims in a negative light.
“We want to know who he is. And in the conduct of the investigation, please take into consideration that he too has rights. Please do not discriminate,” he said.
Manonggiring said “jihad”, for one, has been misconstrued by several people.
He said the term doesn’t mean “holy war” but “sacrificing a bad habit or vice.”
“The Quran, the Bible of the Muslims, mandates us not to kill any person, be it a Muslim or not. I do not believe in holy war. We’re totally against terrorism. And so please avoid equating Muslims to terrorism,” he said.
Manonggiring instead urged the public to help authorities fight terrorism.
“Let us all be vigilant. Let us guard everyone. After all, we are all brothers and sisters. Although we differ in belief, our unity should not be compromised,” he said.
Last Friday, police arrested Cerantonio in an apartment in Lapu-Lapu City.
The 29-year-old Australian was tagged by foreign intelligence agencies as an influential “Jihadist” or “hate preacher”.
Cerantonio allegedly used the social media to recruit armed fighters in Syria and Iraq.
He was arrested based on a warrant of deportation for violation of immigration laws. Cerantonio was flown to Manila and will be subjected to deportation proceedings for being an undocumented alien.
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