Press Release
July 26, 2009

Gordon to Muslim group: Respect, understanding, and acceptance
are keys to genuine peace

Senator Richard J. Gordon (Ind.) told a group of Muslim leaders and professionals that the long-hoped for peace in Mindanao can be attained if everyone learns to respect, understand and accept one another.

During the first Muslim Leader Tripartite Conference, where Gordon was honored for his efforts to recognize the significant role of Filipino Muslims in the country, the senator stressed that peace and development in Mindanao, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is possible if everyone works together to achieve such goals.

"I simply would like to reiterate and constantly reiterate the very fact that it seems our country has forgotten the three most important words so that we could have great communication with one another, and that is, respect, understand and accept," he said.

"It is important to face up to the reality that, not the government, but the people of this country unite--the Ulamas, the business community, the scholars of this country, as well as the common man. We must build the peace together," he added.

Gordon has been actively advocating measures that would give due recognition to the invaluable contribution of the Muslims in the country.

In Senate Bill (SB) 2590, he proposed increasing the number of rays of the sun on the Philippine flag from eight to nine, which would symbolize the Muslims who fought and won against foreign invaders, and were never conquered; while SB 2162 seeks to declare April 27 of every year as a holiday to commemorate the victory of Lapu-Lapu, the first Asian to beat the colonial invaders.

Gordon said these are but a few ways to start bridging the gap between different religions in the country.

"There is no reason for us to make war upon one another, we come from the same roots, and we worship the same God although we call him differently. We are all one country and there's no need to fragment that country. We can all work together," he said.

The senator added that he is planning to file a bill that would require schools to teach the history of Muslims and other cultures and religions in the country during Pre-Hispanic period.

"I wish we had Muslim scholars write the history of Pre-Hispanic Philippines so that we would know the many, many wonderful things that happened here when Islam arrived in our country. I intend to file a bill that would make sure that the Muslim history of our country be taught in schools," Gordon said.

The senator is also planning the establishment of a Museum of Islamic Culture within Intramuros to showcase the rich history and culture of the Filipino Muslims in the country.

When he was tourism secretary, Gordon fought for the construction of the Lapu-Lapu statue at the Luneta, which the senator prefers to call by its original name Bagumbayan. Lapu-Lapu is a Visayan-Muslim, a Tausug chieftain of Mactan.

The 40-foot statue of the first Filipino hero was donated by members of the Korean Freedom League as a gift to the Filipino people in recognition of Filipino soldiers who had come to their country's aid and gave their lives during the Korean War.

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