Mindanao: Muslims as witnesses in Christian marriages
Mindanao (AsiaNews) – In a country affected by so much sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims, the number of Muslims acting as witnesses at Catholic weddings is growing, sign that inter-faith dialogue can bear fruit.
“It is more and more common to see Muslims stand as witnesses and helping Catholics in pre-nuptial preparations,” Fr Reynaldo Mission from General Santos City told AsiaNews.
Many Catholics and Muslims reciprocate as sponsors at Catholic or Muslim weddings because they were classmates at school or in college and grew up to form friendships, said Fr Juan de la Cruz of North Cotabato. “In Bongao,” for instance, “Tawi-Tawi kids from the neighbourhood used to play together inside the parish compound. The fact that they were Muslims and Christians did not matter to them,” Father Juan explained.
“I’d like to think that there are universal values that bind us all,” he said; something that “we should promote [. . .] to create a harmonious society rather than construct walls that divide our human family.”
The priest said that a bridesmaid in a recent Catholic wedding was a high school classmate of the bride at the Notre Dame School in Pikit. A second bridesmaid was the her colleague at the Land Transportation Office in Kidapawan City whilst the third one was the daughter of the Muslim couple.
The school in Pikit is part of a private network, the Notre Dame Schools, which are run by priests and religious congregations, but which accept Muslim students as well. Hence, they employ Muslims to teach Islamic subjects to their Muslim pupils as a way of showing respect for religious diversity on campus.
“Muslims friends who teach at Christian-run schools believe that Muslims acting as bridesmaids in a Christian wedding indicate that dialogue after all is about respect for the other’s belief,” said Fr. Mission.
Mindanao is a predominantly a Muslim-populated island in the southern Philippines, where for last four decades there has been a very active Muslim insurgency. Muslims from the region have been demanding autonomy from the government.
Christian bishops, Muslims clergy and scholars from the region have been making a concerted effort to promote inter-faith dialogue and the peace process in the region.
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