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Young Filipino Muslims launch 'handshake project' to combat Islamophobia

Anger over last month's massacre in Maguindanao has raised fears about the future of the peace process
Young Filipino Muslims launch 'handshake project' to combat Islamophobia

Young Filipino Muslims stage a creative "social experiment" in Manila aimed at fighting what they perceive as growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country (Photo courtesy of Akbayan)

 

Published: February 27, 2015 09:02 AM GMT
Updated: April 23, 2015 06:56 PM GMT

A group of young Filipino Muslims has launched a "social experiment" called the "Handshake Project" in an attempt to eliminate negative feelings towards Muslims following the deaths of 44 police commandos at the hands of Moro rebels in Mindanao last month.

At the Friday launch, the group urged people in the capital Manila to shake hands with Muslims or write messages of support on "peace cards".

"We are deeply alarmed by growing anti-Muslim sentiment brought about by the tragic Mamasapano incident," said James Alih, vice-chairman of the Akbayan Youth group.

A botched anti-terrorism raid in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province resulted in the deaths of at least 67 people, including 44 police commandos, on January 25.

The deaths were blamed on members of the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and an offshoot group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The incident prompted the Philippine Congress to stop the passage of a law that aims to give autonomy to a Muslim region in the southern Philippines.

The aftermath of the Mamasapano incident also saw a growing number of hate messages, especially on social media, against Muslims.

"We are rallying our fellow youths against Islamophobia in all its forms through various symbols of solidarity," Alih said, adding that for decades Muslims in Mindanao have been "struggling for peace, justice, and equality".

People think Muslims "are violent and have a greater propensity for terrorism", Alih said. "Many fail to see how long we have been struggling for peace and justice, especially in Mindanao where many of us have fallen victim to war, oppression and poverty.”

Only by overcoming prejudices, "and only when all Filipinos, non-Muslim and Muslims alike, put their hands together in building mutual respect and understanding, can we achieve lasting peace in Mindanao," he said.

The "Handshake Project" was inspired by a Canadian social experiment called the "Blind Trust Project" that also aimed at countering Islamophobia.

Earlier this week, President Benigno Aquino appealed for support for the Mindanao peace process.

"If we allow ourselves to be defeated by those who oppose peace, it would be tantamount to allowing the chaos in Mindanao to worsen," the president said during 29th anniversary celebrations of the 1986 "people power" revolution on Wednesday.

He was referring to the BIFF and other radical groups such as Abu Sayyaf who have rejected a peace deal signed between the government and MILF.

Aquino said he still trusts the MILF, which entered into the peace agreement with the Philippine government in March last year.

"The good sincere exchange between the two sides that led to the agreement … was a product of trust," the president said.

A "golden opportunity" for peace is within reach, he said.

Risa Hontiveros, a senior Akbayan Party figure in Congress, said the "inflamed passion" of Filipinos after the Mamasapano clash, "reminds us to continue the pursuit for peace".

Filipinos need to come together if the peace process is to succeed, she said.

"There is no room for stereotyping or Islamophobia in our pursuit for peace," she said.

"We are at a critical point in the peace process…. We must come together as a nation, regardless of our religion," Hontiveros added.

 

 

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