Muslims want anti-discriminatory ordinance

CEBU, Philippines - The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) is asking the Cebu City Council to pass an ordinance penalizing members of the media who will use the word Muslim to describe criminals.

Magadapa Pangarungan, chief of the NCMF-7 cultural affairs division, suggested to include his request in the proposed ordinance sponsored by Councilor Alvin Dizon seeking to prohibit discrimination of people.

Dizon’s proposed ordinance received an overwhelming support from the public when it was presented for public hearing. In a letter to Councilor Dizon, the NCMF official said that there were several instances that his Muslim brothers in Cebu City have encountered discrimination because of their religious belief.

The statistics show that there are 61,435 Muslims in Cebu City alone, most of them are residing in Mambaling and Zapatera where they have their own Church and Imams or priests.

“Muslim constituents in Cebu are experiencing discrimination in schools, media, private establishments, government offices,” said Pangarungan.

He added that they also heard most of the time in radio broadcasts and even read in newspapers using the word Muslim to identify criminals like the use of the “Muslim terrorists or Muslim robbers” to refer to Abu Sayyaf bandits.

“Some members of the local and national media are branding very general and sweeping statement against Muslim as criminals, terrorists, drug pushers, bandits and hold-uppers,” the NCMF official said.

Pangarungan recalled an incident in March 2010 wherein a Muslim lady was allegedly denied entry to a bank because she was wearing hijab. The bank security allegedly ordered the Muslim lady to remove her hijab but when the latter refused to do it she was denied entry.

Another Muslim lady was also ordered by the management of a pharmacy to take off her hijab otherwise she won’t be taken in for job training.

Pangarungan said the other incident took place at a health office in Cebu City when government officials did not accept Muslim applicant.

Dizon assured Pangarungan to take note of his comment about his proposed Anti-Discrimination Ordinance of Cebu City.  (FREEMAN)