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To avoid "misunderstandings," no doubt with Misunderstanders of Islam.
While Muslims in the West complain about largely trumped-up discrimination, this is life for Christians in majority Muslim areas, where the spirit of the dhimmi laws is alive and well.
Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Philippines' Islamic city proud to be different," by Carmel Crimmins for Reuters (thanks to Twostellas):
MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Father Teresito Soganub doesn't look like a Catholic priest and, from the outside, his cathedral doesn't look like a church.In his parish, tucked away in Marawi, the only Islamic city in the Philippines, it's easier that way.
"To avoid arguments and to avoid further misunderstandings we just plant the cross deep in our hearts," said the 47-year-old priest, who doesn't wear a crucifix or a clerical collar and sports a beard out of respect for his Muslim neighbors.
The Philippines, a largely Catholic country in Southeast Asia, proudly advertises its dominant faith even in the southern region of Mindanao, where an estimated 20 percent of the population is Muslim.
But Marawi City is an exception.
This ramshackle city of wooden shacks and shabbily elegant mosques is around 385 miles south of Manila, but it's a world apart for many Filipinos.
Marawi is the spiritual centre for the Maranao, the most devout of three major Muslim groups in the Philippines.
A quick glance at the streets of Marawi make it clear that this is a city of the crescent rather than the cross. "Gift of Allah" rather than "Gift of Jesus" is the sign blazoned across the city's pedicabs, the local bank is Islamic and women are veiled.
Unique to Marawi, Muslim moral rules are part of the city code.
Alcohol and gambling are banned, Muslim women must cover their heads, the sale of pork is forbidden and karaoke clubs, the beating heart of village life across the archipelago including other Muslim regions, are a no-no.
"At home with the family we can do karaoke but we do not allow it in public," said Camid Gandamra, one of the province's numerous sultans and also secretary of transport and communications in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a homeland for Muslims established in 1989.
"It might encourage people to go to nightclubs and other places of amusement that are prohibited for our tribe," said the father of 12, over tea and muffins in his smart city residence. [...]
Father Soganub says local Muslim leaders include him in community discussions and he is constantly having to dissuade locals from trying to find him a wife.
But his modest Santa Maria Auxiliadora Cathedral, with its corrugated iron roof, has no cross outside to show that it is a Christian church.
"People here don't want a large symbol. The residents don't want that," he said.
Catholics account for around 1 percent of Marawi's 160,000 population and Soganub is lucky if he gets 8 weddings a year.
Most celebrants prefer to get married elsewhere so they can feast on lechon, or roast pig, a staple at celebrations in Catholic parts of the country....
Posted by Robert at March 17, 2008 2:51 AM
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Nothing unusual, this is the life of non muslims wherever islam rules. let this be a lesson to all of us.
Posted by: desidude![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 17, 2008 8:01 AM
Having twice been to the Philippines, and having travelled to Bicol, Antipolo City, Cavite and a few other places, part of the whole vibe of the country is the wonderful decorations of Jesus on the jeepneys, rosary beads festoon from the mirrors of many vehicles, it is a place of vibrancy, noise, people and lots of community. In the huge Baclaran cathedral in Manila i went to a mass last year, there must have been over a thousand people, maybe more as the church was huge, massive big open aired building with open archways at the sides so people who can't fit in the seats can still participate. Amazingly, the local priest there is a fellow Aussie!
Over the EDSA in a rather desolate looking place, with no light is a solitary mosque, all in dark concrete which seemed far removed from many of the bright colours you see there. I cannot help but think that is a microcosm of the two societies there, and thinking that in the Philippines, although most likely in the A.R.M.M you could have a Catholic church made so anonymous due to the desires of the muslims there is pretty sad. It seems religious tolerance is generally only a one-way street, In saying that, i do welcome the opening of the Catholic church in Qatar announced yesterday. That is a big deal, a welcome bit of news that is a pleasant change from the normal despair one hears.
Howver, here one must almost think perhaps it's better for the local Christians there in that region to maybe move to the light of genuine Filipino society rather than live in an area where 'Little Arabia' has an iron grip.
Pork is pretty much the meat of choice there in the Philippines, there is little room for cattle apart from the native carabao, and sheep obviously are hardly suited to the climate! Islam by denying colour, the beauty of the Filipina, the joy of dance and karaoke, hugely popular there culturally, is pretty much denying civilization to a beautiful race. I have been there for two peiods of two weeks, and thoroughly enjoy everything there. Sometimes i think people overlook the significance of an Asian country surrounded by Muslim Malaysia and Indonesia that is over 85% Christian. Islam must never be permitted to take hold over any more areas of the Philippines that it currently does. It is also no surprise that the A.R.M.M is also the poorest province. Keep them all there, and leave the rest of the country to Filipinos who wish to enjoy living.
Posted by: DaveOz at March 17, 2008 8:05 AM
Groveling, the new faith of the West.
Posted by: profitsbeard at March 17, 2008 10:52 AM
Nice dhimmis, don't make trouble or the faithful will rise up and kill you.
Minority rights are a western idea, a right we should be willing to fight for.
Posted by: tanstaafl at March 17, 2008 10:58 AM
How many hundreds of thousands of people died suppressing various Moros revolts in the 'pines? Well, I guess this city is a concession to the defeated. Anyone who is briefly acquainted with those revolts and the government responses know they make what Israel does look like schoolyard fist fights.
Posted by: Dumbo at March 17, 2008 12:22 PM
If the Filipinos really value their Catholic faith, or anything else in their national tradition, they've got to stop this PC indulgence. They should start reclaiming the concessions that allow the autonomy of these Muslim areas. Otherwise it may not be long before Fr. Soganub's position changes from one of inclusion to that of a pawn forced to oversee the collection of Jizya - or are they already paying it? - from a very isolated, very frightened little Christian community. If that happens, his beard will cease to represent inculturation. It'll be yanked on as a symbol of humiliation as he comes forward to offer the tax. The whole position of this community is precarious. There's nothing to prevent the further radicalization of the Muslims here, just as its occuring elsewhere. (Further, I say, because, this sharia law nonsense, ban on pork, control over entertainment, prohibition of crosses on a church is already pretty far gone, and I wouldn't be surprized if there isn't already the threat of beheading for those who fall out of line with the rules, that somehow managed to slip under this reporter's radar.) Given the insurgency that the Phillipines authorities have had to deal with elsewhere in Mindanao, you'd think they would realize that the peaceful situation here (if that's really what it is) is unlikely to last.
And how can it be that this "ramshackle city" is "the only Islamic city in the Phillipines"? Does that make it the only city in the region? The only city in an area the size of Portugal, with a population of over 18, 000, 000?! If so, what does that say about the level of cultural and economic development that the Islamic mores generate? I wonder what the current state of affairs is costing the Phillipines' economy? Maybe this is their way of trying to defuse the situation by way of concessions, but we all know how well that works! If that's it the Phillipines' government is really in lalaland.
Posted by: templar at March 17, 2008 12:27 PM
"Islam must never be permitted to take hold over any more areas of the Philippines that it currently does. It is also no surprise that the A.R.M.M is also the poorest province. Keep them all there, and leave the rest of the country to Filipinos who wish to enjoy living"
Posted by DaveOZ
Dave:
I see you arrived there ahead of me. With a bit of egg on my face, I regret that I did not read your post better as it would have clued me in to the difference between ARMM and Mindanao. Having done the research since posting which I should have done before, I'm glad to note that I'm in agreement with someone who's been there.
It seems that poverty and Islam coincide with one another everywhere, with the possible exception of oil states. When the oil runs out or the world abandons fossil fuel, I wonder how Islam and it's followers will get by.
at March 17, 2008 12:55 PM
"...said the 47-year-old priest, who doesn't wear a crucifix or a clerical collar and sports a beard out of respect for his Muslim neighbors."
"Respect" my ass. It's called cold, naked FEAR!
Posted by: alexon at March 17, 2008 3:03 PM
"This ramshackle city of wooden shacks and shabbily elegant mosques is around 385 miles south of Manila."
"shabbily elegant", now there's some odd wording.
What the writer probably means is "They look like hell but Islam makes them heavenly."
Good luck to Father Soganub; He'll need it.
Posted by: alexon at March 17, 2008 3:09 PM
Personally, in this day and age I like to see a church look like a Church.
However....
In the early days of the church during the Roman persecutions Christians worshiped in hiding from Roman authorites. They were martyred in horrible ways for the pleasure of the Roman games. Eventually the church flourished.
I think the very fact that a church is present at all in such a hostile area is something to rejoice over.
Posted by: adobe at March 17, 2008 10:23 PM
When will the symbol for addition (+) be modified to placate the misguided delusions and prejudges sported by roughly 3% of the population?
Posted by: We need G.C. Scott at March 18, 2008 2:22 AM
DaveOz, your kind words about our country are greatly appreciated. As an insular people, we tend to become too engrossed with our negatives; views from visitors such as yourself gives us a fresh perspective on ourselves. God bless.
Posted by: marts at March 18, 2008 5:19 PM
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