Philippine government urged to pursue ‘meaningful recognition’ of Muslim culture
Peace activist says while Philippines recognizes Muslim holidays, its approach falls short compared to Singapore
SINGAPORE (MNTV) – The Philippine government must pursue a “meaningful recognition” of Muslim culture to foster social cohesion, says a peace activist.
Ariza Nocum, co-founder and president of KRIS For Peace (Kristyano-Islam Peace Library), pointed out the gap between token recognition and meaningful inclusion, saying that many citizens remain unaware of the significance of Muslim holidays.
“There’s still so much more that needs to be done, as if we’re not just doing token recognition, but that we’re also doing meaningful recognition, that we’re truly investing to make people understand,” Nocum said in an interview with Philstar.com.
Nocum, reflecting on her experiences at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) held in Singapore, observed that while the Philippines recognizes Muslim holidays, its approach falls short compared to Singapore’s.
She noted that in Singapore, despite possibly having a smaller Muslim population, these holidays are widely celebrated, with mall displays, street decorations, and public signage reflecting the festivities.
“Even the malls have exhibits, even the streets have signs and celebratory decorations. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, you don’t really see that,” she said.
According to Singapore’s 2020 census of population, 15.6% of the population are Muslims.
Nocum also emphasized the need for open spaces for dialogue on all ideologies, saying that freedom of expression and media freedom are critical for this to be achieved.
She suggested that environments allowing for diverse perspectives are optimal. However, she cautioned that while encouraging diverse viewpoints, there is also a need to form a society based on common values, which she believes is currently lacking in the Philippines.
“We have to do a lot more work and that work, putting social cohesion, bringing people together, peace-building, it’s important for many reasons,” she added.
She cited an instance of a multifaceted impact of unresolved conflict, particularly in Mindanao, where she said it worsens poverty by causing displacement, destroying livelihoods, hindering education and affecting the national image, business and investments.
“Every time there’s a conflict, an attack, a terrorist incident, it affects the whole community. Communities, in fact, people get displaced,” Nocum explained.
To address these issues, she urged the importance of collective action in achieving sustainable development, noting the Philippines has not yet reached a point where all sectors of society are included.
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