Eid Mubarak

It signalled the end of the month of Ramadan, or the “festival of breaking of the fast,” a holy event for believers of Islam and even of other religion who joined the Muslim world in their prayer.

For our Muslim brothers and sister, yesterday was supposed to be a day of jubilation after the season of fasting and prayer has been observed. In our beautiful land of Mindanao, however, it was a day of woe, of crying and of gnashing of teeth.

We cannot deny the extensive damage wrought on the revered city of Marawi, or what remains of it, after the month-long, no letup destruction there, and it is still continuing.

We are well-aware about the ulterior motives in what now appears to be futile attempts to crush this so-called rebel group Maute that is being linked to the Isis (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) terrorist group. (Progressives allege that Isis is actually a creation of the United States Government).

Many people has continually refused to swallow hook, line and sinker the military authorities’ flimsy excuse for the abhorrent obliteration of Marawi City, even if it seems so easy just to accept it as presented by so-called experts of political dissent.

There’s really no point of argument there because everything that is going on inside that damned city is under wraps, and only the “authorities” are in the know.

My heart bleeds for the displaced people of Marawi City who are crying out to be heard. It seems that their little voices are being drowned out by the BIG words of the experts that are being interviewed by the established media that are covering “blow-byblow” (and flaunting it) the fighting on the ground.

Yet little has been done to alleviate the hardships suffered by the evacuees, some of whom are dying because of lack of basic necessities.

Many among the poor residents who left their city with heavy hearts have refused to acknowledge the harsh reality that they are now facing a very uncertain future as almost their entire abode had been razed to the ground, if not turned into rubble by the incessant aerial strikes and burning allegedly by the terrorists. Their cries are not being heard.

Thus, what is there to be happy about, especially in Mindanao? Eid Mubarak. Perhaps it took a deeper meaning yesterday more than ever because the children of Islam are greatly suffering due to the greed of those in their midst, aided by foreign forces that are hiding under the guise of benevolence.

Eid Mubarak. It has been said that many among our Muslim brothers and sisters are looking forward to Shawwal, which is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, and on continuing their fast for another six days. They believe that Allah will reward them as if they have fasted for the entire year.

Let us then continue to pray and fast for peace. Mindanao under martial law is not a picnic contrary to what mainstream media and some people want the world to believe. In our consumerist world that is continually being besieged by advances in technology, it seems a struggle for us ordinary mortals to find even a little space where we can find peace.

While it seemed like Filipinos are living in peace and prosperity as projected by the government’s promotional office, the reality of poverty continues to hound us all.--