Interreligious relations ‘unscathed’ by Marawi conflict

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The conflict in Marawi City only damaged the structures and properties but not the relationship between the Christians and Muslims living there, a Roman Catholic priest said.

Father Ramonito Torres, Vicar General of the Prelature of Saint Mary’s in Marawi, issued the statement as the country commemorates on Wednesday, October 17, the first year of the city’s liberation from the violence brought by the Islamic State-affiliated group Dawlah Islamiyah, led by the Maute brothers, last year.

“The conflict has actually strengthened their bond, it made them closer, because there is this mutual feeling of having gone through the same struggle, this need for one another in times of crisis,” Torres said.

The prelature, he said, has continued with its “Duyog Marawi” (accompanying Marawi) program to help both Christian and Muslim evacuees through development of shelters, food aid, and other interventions.

In fact, he said, Duyog Marawi is not just composed of Christians, but also Muslim youths, students, and professionals who have volunteered to work for the group.

Maranaws and Christians alike have also shown optimism about Marawi's economic prospects, the Catholic priest said, adding some of them are finding carpentry and other jobs in some areas of the city.

“Even if the extremists try to ‘clean’ Marawi of Christians, Marawi will always have a Christian population. They have contributed to Marawi as many of them are working for Meranaw families and in the city’s establishments,” he added.

“There are Christians who don’t want to go back to Marawi, but there are those who still want to re-establish their lives there. Many of them were born and have families there, and many of them have been working there. Marawi is also their home,” Torres said.

Torres said the priority of the Roman Catholic Church for the faithful displaced during the war was to ensure that their basic needs are addressed.

“The bishop said to prioritize the people ahead of the rebuilding of the structure,” Torres said, referring to Bishop Edwin dela Peña, the head of the prelature that covers Marawi, and the Lanao del Sur towns of Malabang, Balabagan, Sultan Naga Dimaporo and Baloi towns in Lanao del Norte.

The St. Mary’s Cathedral was one of the religious buildings that was damaged due to the fighting in Marawi. Maute group members were said to be responsible for destroying the sacred images and other objects inside the church.

Although Torres could not give the exact number of non-Muslim internally displaced persons (IDPs), he said there are more than 75 Christian families, Roman Catholics and Protestants, still living in evacuation centers and temporary shelters in the Lanao provinces.

Per data from gcatholic.org, there are 35,906 Roman Catholics living within the prelature as of 2015. Torres said the prelature is still waiting for the government to start the reconstruction efforts in Marawi so that it could help in facilitating the shelter needs of both Christians and Muslims. (PNA)