Let Eid'l Fitr be a reminder
of the Filipino-Muslims' contribution to RP's democracy - Gordon

Senator Richard J. Gordon ( Ind. ) today urged Filipinos to let the observance of Eid'l Fitr be a reminder of the Filipino-Muslims' heroic contributions to the country's democracy.

Gordon made the call as he congratulated the Filipino Muslims at the end of Ramadan or their month-long journey of reflection, prayer and fasting.

"Our brother Muslims have played a big part in our country's history. They have fought the foreign invaders and they were never conquered. They should be accorded respect, understanding and acceptance," he said.

"A good way of showing our respect for them is to join them in the observance of Eid'l Fitr, which is a day of joy, thanksgiving, worship, brotherhood, solidarity, and morality for the Islamic faith," he added.

The Philippines has recognized Eid'l Fitr, which marked the end of their month-long fasting, as a regular holiday by virtue of Republic Act No. 9177.

According to the records of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) delegation, who attended the 36th International Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) in Damascus, Syria on May 23-25, 2009, the Philippines is home to an estimated eight million Muslims who are living mainly in Mindanao.

During the First Metro Manila Muslim Leader Tripartite Conference held last July, Gordon was honored for his courageous sense of justice and fairness towards the Filipino Muslims as manifested by his noble advocacy of promoting the rightful recognition of the indigenous heritage and societal contributions of Filipino Muslims in the country.

He had filed bills that sought the Lapu-Lapu holiday and addition of the ninth ray of the sun in the flag, which he courageously defended and pursued despite criticisms from other sectors. The senator also fought to place the 40-foot Lapu-Lapu statue, a gift from the Koreans, in Bagumbayan or Luneta to in recognition of Lapu-Lapu's role as the first Asian to beat the colonial invaders.

Moreover, the senator spearheaded projects aimed to develop Mindanao . One of these projects is the Fruits of Hope, which provided better profits for fruit farmers of Sulu, Basilan, North Cotabato and other parts of Mindanao when their harvest were flown to Manila where they were picked up by two supermarket chains.

Gordon also filed Senate Bill 3260 or the Act creating the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA). He explained that the MEDA would be the implementing agency for Mindanao-specific inter-regional and Mindanao-wide programs and projects, including Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects.

The senator also pushed for the automation of the August 2008 election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which was the first peaceful, speedy and orderly elections in ARMM where there were no election protests arising from the exercise.

Furthermore, Gordon is pushing for the establishment of an Islamic Cultural Museum within Intramuros that would showcase the rich history and culture of Filipino Muslims in the country.