THE continuous dialogue within and by the coalition of Roman Catholic and Protestant bishops and Muslim Ulamas, otherwise known as the Bishops-Ulamas Conference (BUC), have been instrumental in keeping the conflict in Moro Mindanao under control."As long as the BUC is there, it is highly improbable for a religious war to occur," National Defense Secretary Gonzales said.
Religious wars in other countries resulted in years-long wars where targets are no longer just the armed protagonists but those of the same faith as well.
"Religious wars are the most destructive kinds of conflict that could possibly occur," Gonzales said.
The defense chief also said it is through dialogue and by keeping the lines of communication open that peace is attained.
Gonzales expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the BUC in reaching out to the military and the police in order to attain lasting peace in Mindanao. Gonzales, together with Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon and Philippine National Police Chief General Oscar Calderon, arrived in the city last Thursday to attend the Bishops-Ulama Conference, aptly dubbed "To dialogue on how to cooperate with one another in the continuing search for peace, particularly in Mindanao."
In the words of Gonzales, history has been made in Davao with the meeting and earnest cooperation of the religious sector and the military and police to find a long-term solution to the continuing conflicts in Mindanao, especially in the central and western portions of the island.
On the other hand, Catholic Archbishop Orlando Qeuvedo said there is great need for the dialogues on peace not to be solely concentrated on the leadership level but moved down to the grassroots level.
After thorough discussions, the tripartite group made up of the religious, military, and police was able to come up with three important convictions.
First, that peace making is the task of every Filipino citizen.
Second, that religious leaders and official peacekeepers have a key role to play in achieving peace.
Third, that peace is the fruit of respectful dialogue.
On his end, Dr. Mahid Mutilan, representative of the Ulama group, said elusive peace in Mindanao could only be attained through sincere dialogue.
However, Gonzales said that although they have opened themselves to dialogue it does not mean they would not be aggressively taking on the enemies of the state.
Nonetheless, all three sectors that took part in the conference said it was a brand new start to the search for peace in the island of Mindanao.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce