MANILA, October 25, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today urged all Filipinos to share in the celebration of Eidul Adha or the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice.
“Tomorrow (Oct. 26), the whole Filipino nation will join our Muslim brethren in commemorating the Eidul Adha, by virtue of Republic Act 9849. As we observe this special Muslim occasion, we must also understand its significance to the Islamic Faith so that we can create a better understanding with our Muslim brothers and sisters,” said Legarda.
“I have always hoped that in a Catholic-dominated nation such as ours, we can go beyond familiarity of Muslim religious holidays and move towards deeper respect and understanding among us Filipinos regardless of faith or religious belief,” she stressed.
The Eidul Adha signifies the end of the Islamic Pilgrimage to Mecca wherein Muslims pay homage to the Prophet Ibrahim’s supreme act of sacrifice. Ibrahim’s love and obedience to Allah was put to a test when he was asked to offer his beloved son, Ishmael. Ibrahim willingly surrendered to the perceived commandment and Allah was pleased. When Ibrahim was about to sacrifice Ishmael, a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead.
“This story is the same with that of the Christian story about Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to God. Now that the whole nation will be commemorating Eidul Adha, we begin to create interfaith harmony among Filipinos. Greater awareness of each other’s celebrations and traditions will help bring to the fore the significance of healthy and constructive discussions among faiths in the Philippines,” Legarda said.
“I wish to reiterate my full support for government efforts to further strengthen Christian-Muslim unity. Interfaith dialogue is crucial to attaining lasting peace and harmony in Philippine society in the years ahead,” she added.
Legarda is the author of R.A. 9849 which declared the tenth day of the month of Zhul Hijja as a national holiday to commemorate the Eidul Adha.
Last month, Legarda filed a bill declaring the first week of February as “World Interfaith Harmony Week” in the Philippines, which aims to build genuine understanding among people of different faiths and belief systems.
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