Members of the university’s Muslim community during the session. Photo by Hannah Lou Balladares

In light with the recent tragedy that struck the city, Muslim and Christians, people of different faiths convened last Sept. 7 at the third floor of the Community Center of the First Companions for a session entitled, “Reflections of the Roxas Avenue Davao Bombing”.

From students to professors and religious leaders, all of the audience condemned the bombing and were united to say that terrorism has no religion, sympathizing with the Islam faith and the Muslim brothers and sisters on how their faith and identity has been marred by the acts of terrorists claiming to be part of their religion.

“You can’t be a Muslim if you’re a terrorist and you can’t be a terrorist if you’re a Muslim,” Fatima Star Lamalan, a member of Salaam: Ateneo Muslim Society, said.

Her words received a lot of support from the audience. Most of the other speakers during the duration of the event said that this was not an issue of religion, agreeing to her opinion and her stand on the matter.

“This is not a religious issue; this is a human rights issue,” she added.

Al Qalam Institute’s Executive Director Datu Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan said the event was organized to further the stand of the institute about the bombing incident as expressed in a statement they released last Saturday.

“The Muslim community here in Davao, here in Ateneo, must take a stand to condemn the act or what happened last September 2. Although they are saying it is not directly attacking Muslims, but that’s what’s happening. The realities in social media, it is somehow related to Muslims on jihad, on mujahidin. So we need to clarify that, that the Muslims in Davao are strong followers of Islam and we condemn the act and we condemn any group that was responsible,” he added.

The event was organized by the Al Qalam Institute in partnership with Interfaith Council for Peacebuilding in Mindanao.