Muslims, Christians barricade church
Basilan residents protect church amid tensions caused by Jolo bombings
Young Moro professionals and Christians on Sunday held hands to form a human barricade around the Santa Isabel Cathedral here in a symbolic gesture of protecting it from terror attacks. The human barricade was meant to show that “Muslims and Christians form a strong bond,’’ said January Yap Zanoria of the Interfaith Council of Leaders in Basilan province.—
ISABELA CITY, BASILAN— In what could be one of the most powerful symbols of ChristianMuslim unity, young Moro professionals and Christians on Sunday formed a human barricade around the Santa Isabel Cathedral in this city to protect it from terror attacks.
Abou Mohammad Asmawil, provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government, said he and other Moro professionals wanted to show “we are not the bad guys.”
“We condemn any terror activities targeting innocent people,” Asmawil said.
“We want to show that as Muslims we have concern and love for our brother Christians,” he said.
“We are here to guard the church,” Asmawil added.
Sacrifice
At least 50 Moro professionals came from as far as the towns of Sumisip, Hadji Mohammad Ajul, Maluso and Lamitan to form the human barricade in front of the church.
“We showed them that there are Muslims who are willing to sacrifice life to protect our Christian friends and neighbors,” he said.
“This is not a short-lived activity,” Asmawil said. “We will do it every Sunday for Christians and every Friday for Muslims,” Asmawil added.
January Yap Zanoria, pro- vincial coordinator of the Interfaith Council of Leaders of Basilan, said there had been signs of strained relations between Muslims and Christians after the explosions in a cathedral in Jolo on Jan. 27 and the grenade attack on a mosque in Zamboanga City on Feb. 1.
“There is fear and apprehension on both sides and we are here to show our unity,” Zanoria said.
“In this city, Muslims and Christians coexist peacefully,” he said.
The human barricade was a “symbol to show that we Muslims and Christians form a strong bond,” Zanoria said.
“We are not doing this for the Catholic faith alone, but also for our brothers and sisters in Islam,” he said.
Feeling secure
He said every Friday, the human barricade would be formed at mosques.
Percival Go, a churchgoer, shook hands with the men forming a human barricade, thanking them for making him feel secure.
He said he was having second thoughts about going to church.
“My children keep telling me to stay at home until tension is down especially in Sulu, but it’s my Sunday obligation,” Go said.
“The presence of these people in black shirts made me feel secure,” he said.
Go said the church had been receiving threats, “but we are showing them that we are not afraid, we have our brother and sisters Muslims who are with us,” he said.
Fr. Jude Angeles, a priest at Santa Isabel Cathedral, said “they are here welcoming the spirit of peace and building good relationship with Christians.”
He said the presence of the human barricade “gives everyone the feeling of security.”
Supt. William Gadayan, Isabela City police chief, said the human barricade was coordinated with police.
Gadayan said security outside and inside the church had been tightened amid reports of another terror attack targeting a place of worship.
There is fear and apprehension on both sides and we are here to show our unity January Yap Zanoria Coordinator, Interfaith Council of Leaders of Basilan