In solidarity with the call for a Bangsamoro government and Muslim representation, the University Publication Office of Ateneo de Davao University launched a book featuring a documentary history of Muslim Mindanao last June 18, 2018 at Room J301, Jubilee Building.
Dr. Heidi Gloria, author of the launched book entitled: “Injustice and Prejudice in the Philippine South” and professor emeritus of the university, thanked the university president for allowing her to write on Mindanao history.
“Salamat Padre Joel, sa iyong pagpapahalaga sa pagsulat ng kasaysayan ng Mindanao. Salamat sa iyong tulong nabigyan ng buhay ang pag-aaral sa ating nakaraan upang higit maunawaan ang napakaraming suliranin nating lahat sa kasalukuyan,” Gloria expressed.
Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan, executive director of Al Qalam Institute of the university gave a personal review on the book and added how it had contributed to the ongoing deliberation on the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
“Today, the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s peace process seems to be well underway. The book of Ma’am Gloria was distributed in the 11th hour before Congress gave their deliberation for the 3rd and final reading [of the Bangsamoro Law]. I’m happy to say that somehow the book gave them more reason to correct the historical injustices,” Lidasan said.
University President Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ remarked how the book, which included over 30 documentations from primary sources, was done to enrich the discourse and create a more inclusive history writing.
“This compilation is done in correcting the writing of Philippine History. We all know that historical writing is done in several viewpoints. There has been Philippine history written in the viewpoint of Spanish conquerors, the American conquerors and there is also from the Philippine ‘North’. These which tended to exclude or undervalue the importance of Philippine ‘South’,” Tabora noted.
Dr. Anderson Villa, associate professor of International Studies of the university lauded the book and its value to the academe and peace advocacy.
“In all these undertakings, the incredible expertise of Dr. Gloria is ever-present in her contribution to the study of Mindanao history and [to the] the advocacy for peace with our Muslim brothers and sisters in the region,” Villa cited.
Villa also added how the book emphasized on certain historical events in the viewpoint of Mindanao including: The Treaty of Paris, Muslim Massacre by the United States, Settlement Act and the colonial government.
The recently launched two-volume book is one among several other books published by the university that addresses the needed writing history from the lens of Mindanao. Another book also authored by Gloria was “History from Below” published in 2013.