Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo of Cotabato tells Christians “to look at history, not their own biases and prejudices’ on the Muslims. He also said “that the dream of Muslims for self-determination in their own territory is ‘very valid’. He urged Christians to study the history of Mindanao before the Spanish colonialists arrived in the Philippines.
In an interview by Mindanews Editor Carolyn Arguillas on February 2, Cardinal Quevedo said, “I think we Christians should look at history, the history of Mindanao before Christianity, and base our ideas of peace on that history and not our own biases and prejudices.”
“Our conception of Mindanao history seems to start with the coming of the Spaniards and the Americans. That radically differs from the Muslim and Lumad conception of Mindanao history. Theirs go back to pre-Spanish times,” Quevedo added in the interview.
“We Christians in Mindanao are relatively new,” Mindanao's first cardinal explained. “And so knowing Mindanao history as it is, we Christians would then be able to recognize as very valid the profound aspiration of Muslims for self-determination in their own territory, for identity and integral development.”
Cardinal appreciated statements of MILF leaders Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, 1st Vice Chairman Ghazali Jafaar, and MILF Chief Peace Negotiators Mohagher Iqbal “who say: 'We have learned our lessons from history, too. We cannot claim the whole island. We can only claim self-determination in the core territory.'” He also appreciated and thanked the late MILF Founding Chairman Salamat Hashim.
Cardinal Quevedo who grew up in Cotabato detailed the injustices against Muslims in a ‘paper’ in 2003.
In that paper, the cardinal said “the root cause of insurgency in the South is injustice.” He enumerated 3 basic injustices:
•Injustice to the Moro identity
•Injustice to the Moro political sovereignty
•Injustice to Moro integral development
Of all regions in the country, Mindanao, as a whole, remains the poorest island group.
“The central government in Manila can be justly faulted for this underdevelopment,” he added. “But one cannot escape the impression that through the years many Moro leaders who served in the government have also failed their own people.”
Quevedo said: “Justice to the Moro identity and sovereignty must be seriously respected. But this task is far from simple. Prejudices and biases have to be overcome. Muslim and Christian religious leaders have a major role in this. Both the Qur’an and the Bible teach respect, understanding, reconciliation, and love.”
http://www.luwaran.net/index.php/welcome/item/767-moro-dream-very-valid-cardinal-quevedo
“Our conception of Mindanao history seems to start with the coming of the Spaniards and the Americans. That radically differs from the Muslim and Lumad conception of Mindanao history. Theirs go back to pre-Spanish times,” Quevedo added in the interview.
“We Christians in Mindanao are relatively new,” Mindanao's first cardinal explained. “And so knowing Mindanao history as it is, we Christians would then be able to recognize as very valid the profound aspiration of Muslims for self-determination in their own territory, for identity and integral development.”
Cardinal appreciated statements of MILF leaders Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, 1st Vice Chairman Ghazali Jafaar, and MILF Chief Peace Negotiators Mohagher Iqbal “who say: 'We have learned our lessons from history, too. We cannot claim the whole island. We can only claim self-determination in the core territory.'” He also appreciated and thanked the late MILF Founding Chairman Salamat Hashim.
Cardinal Quevedo who grew up in Cotabato detailed the injustices against Muslims in a ‘paper’ in 2003.
In that paper, the cardinal said “the root cause of insurgency in the South is injustice.” He enumerated 3 basic injustices:
•Injustice to the Moro identity
•Injustice to the Moro political sovereignty
•Injustice to Moro integral development
Of all regions in the country, Mindanao, as a whole, remains the poorest island group.
“The central government in Manila can be justly faulted for this underdevelopment,” he added. “But one cannot escape the impression that through the years many Moro leaders who served in the government have also failed their own people.”
Quevedo said: “Justice to the Moro identity and sovereignty must be seriously respected. But this task is far from simple. Prejudices and biases have to be overcome. Muslim and Christian religious leaders have a major role in this. Both the Qur’an and the Bible teach respect, understanding, reconciliation, and love.”
http://www.luwaran.net/index.php/welcome/item/767-moro-dream-very-valid-cardinal-quevedo
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