US: Religious discrimination contributes to RP conflicts

MANILA, Philippines - Ethnic, religious and cultural discrimination against Muslim minorities contributed to persistent conflicts in some provinces in the Philippines, a United States report said. The US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor made this assessment in its International Religious Freedom Report 2008, dated Sept. 19 but posted on the US Embassy website Wednesday. The report said that despite religious freedom in the Philippines, Muslims still complain “that the Government has not made sufficient efforts to promote their economic development.” “Some Muslim religious leaders asserted that Muslims suffered from economic discrimination," it said, adding that ethnic, religious, and cultural discrimination against members of the Muslim minority by members of the Christian majority exists in the country. “This, combined with economic disparities, contributed to persistent conflict in certain provinces," it said. It said that historically, Muslims have been alienated socially from the Christian majority, and some ethnic and cultural discrimination against Muslims has been recorded. "Young Muslim professionals reported that some employers stereotype Muslims as being less educated. Some Muslims reported that they had difficulty renting rooms in boarding houses or being hired for retail work if they used their real names or wore distinctive Muslim dress. Therefore, many resorted to adopting Christian pseudonyms and wearing Western clothing," it said. However, it said the government promoted interfaith dialogue to build mutual trust and respect among various religious and cultural groups. It also said amicable ties among religious communities are common, and many participate in interdenominational efforts to alleviate poverty. Also, it noted that last March 12, President Arroyo created the Council on Interfaith Initiatives to strengthen government's existing institutional arrangements for interfaith activities. The Council replaced the National Committee on Interfaith Cooperation as the highest policy-making body for the Government's interfaith initiatives. Also, the US said the government "generally respected religious freedom in practice," and there was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government. It said the US government discusses religious freedom with the Philippine government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. "The Embassy actively encouraged the peace process between the Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front and maintained active outreach with religious leaders and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to engage them in interfaith activities," it said. In its report, the US said Islam is the largest minority religion, and Muslims constitute between 5 and 9 percent of the total population. Groups that together constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Seventh-day Adventists, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Assemblies of God, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and Philippine (Southern) Baptists. Domestically established denominations include the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan), the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), and the Members Church of God International. Christianity is the majority religion among indigenous peoples. Between 12 million and 16 million indigenous persons adhere to Catholicism or Protestantism, often incorporating elements of traditional indigenous belief systems. The 1987 Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. According to the US, the Philippine government permits religious instruction in public schools with the written consent of parents, provided there is no cost to government. Local public schools give church groups the opportunity to teach moral values during school hours. Attendance is not mandatory, and various churches share classroom space. Approximately 14 percent of the Mindanao student population attended Islamic schools (madrassahs). Government officials estimated the number of Islamic schools at more than 2,000. Government's National Ecumenical Consultative Committee (NECCOM) fosters interfaith dialogue among major religious groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, Muslim groups, Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipayan, and Protestant denominations. Also, the Philippine government observes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, All Saints' Day, Christmas Day, and Eid al-Fitr as national holidays, the US noted. On the other hand, the US noted the Code of Muslim Personal Laws recognizes Islamic law (Shari'a) as part of national law. "However, it does not apply in criminal matters, and it applies only to Muslims," it said. It added some Muslim community leaders (ulamas) argued that the Government should allow Islamic courts to extend their jurisdiction to criminal law cases, and some supported the MILF's goal of forming an autonomous region governed in accordance with Islamic law. "As in other parts of the judicial system, the Shari'a courts suffered from a large number of unfilled positions. All five Shari'a district court judgeships and 37 percent of circuit court judgeships remained vacant. Aside from budget restrictions, judicial positions on the Shari'a courts were particularly difficult to fill because applicants are required to be members of the Shari'a Bar in addition to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines," it noted. Still, it noted there were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country. The US added there were no reports of forced religious conversion, including of minor US citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the US, or of the refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the US. Also, it said amicable ties among religious communities are common, and many participate in interdenominational efforts to alleviate poverty. It cited the Interfaith Group, a NGO which includes Catholic, Islamic, and Protestant representatives, continued to support the Mindanao peace process. The Peacemakers' Circle Foundation, a loose coalition of various religious and faith-based groups, focuses on building and strengthening interfaith relations in selected communities through dialogue. Also, there is an active Bishops-Ulamas Conference in Mindanao that brings together Catholic bishops and members of the Ulama League of the Philippines from Mindanao to hold dialogues on addressing local issues of peace, order and inter-cultural solidarity. "Leadership of human rights groups, trade union confederations, and industry associations typically represents many religious persuasions," the US said. For its part, the US said its government discusses religious freedom with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. US embassy officers regularly met with representatives of all major religious groups to discuss these problems and concerns, while the US government actively supported the Government's peace process with Muslim insurgents in Mindanao. The Embassy also maintained active outreach with NGOs. In July 2007 the Embassy hosted the visit of an American imam who conducted an interfaith summer camp for Muslim, Christian, and Lumad (indigenous people of Mindanao) high school student leaders, as well as interfaith outreach seminars for Christian and Muslim community leaders and clergy. "For fiscal year 2007, 60 percent of the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) $69 million budget for the country went to programs in Mindanao, mostly in the ARMM. USAID programs were instrumental in supporting the peace process and helped foster an environment for greater religious tolerance. One example of such an effort was a multiyear USAID program that helped 28,000 former MNLF members make the transition from fighting to productive farming," it said. The Embassy also sought to help religious leaders broaden their cultural understanding through the Mission's exchange programs. During the period covered in this report, the Embassy sent both Muslim and Christian leaders to the United States on International Visitor Program (IVP) grants. It also used two student exchange programs, the Youth Leadership Program, and the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, to enable Muslim students to study in the United States and learn about religious tolerance and pluralism from the perspective of American youth. During the 2007 academic year, the YES Program sponsored 40 secondary students from the ARMM to spend the academic year living with an American family. In April 2008, through the Youth Leadership Program, 21 Muslim, Christian, and Lumad students attended a 4-week student exchange program with an American university. A Citizens Exchange Program sent six Muslim leaders from the country to the United States for a month to meet with Americans engaged in interfaith dialogue. - GMANews.TV