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Carrying On |
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His advocacy of bridging the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims started a couple of decades ago when Prof. Taha Basman first got involved in interfaith activities. The venue was provided by the establishment of the National Recovery Program, under the administration of President Fidel Ramos. Leaders of various churches and other religious groups were called upon to carry out the task of implementing programs geared towards addressing the peace and order problem in the country including that in Mindanao. The idea was - the Filipinos, being a religious lot, tend to listen more to their spiritual leaders than to their local political ones.
The primary objectives focused more on rendering services to the communities caught in the middle of conflict. Medical missions, putting up Zones of Peace (ZOPAD), laying down water systems, and extending relief operations and livelihood trainings were only a few of the activities the group executed. For the Muslims, more particularly, one of the most popular projects was the designation of prayer areas in hospitals, malls, airports and other public places which is especially useful and relevant because of their religious obligation of performing five daily prayers.
When Pres. Ramos’ term expired, the members of the group, realizing the effectiveness of the program, decided to continue meeting and implementing more activities, this time, using their own resources. These members went back to their respective groups and started executing their own projects for their own communities.
Prof. Basman, for his part and in behalf of the Muslims, came up with a newsletter that helped in the dissemination of information on Islam and the Muslims worldwide. A weekly radio program was also aired to serve the purpose of drumming up interest among its Muslim listeners to actively participate in discussing relevant and appealing issues. In these activities, “Unity and Peaceful Co-existence” was the battle cry for attaining peace in all fronts.
For a while thereafter, there was a lull in the conduct of such activities.
In 2003, however, the revival of similar activities became possible with the organization of the Center for Moderate Muslims (CMM). CMM sprang from the ideas conceptualized during the International Islamic Conference held in Jakarta, Indonesia which was attended by influential Muslim leaders from different parts of the world. The participants were encouraged to simultaneously establish their counterpart groups, thus the commencement of the operations of CMM in the Philippines. With the able leadership of Prof. Basman, the interfaith activities already started expanded to embrace more beneficiaries and to include other programs such as computer literacy, madrasah, imam training, womens’ seminars, Qur’an reading, youth seminars, livelihood, relief operation, and scholarship programs.
These are implemented not only in Metro Manila but also in other major cities in Visayas and Mindanao making its family of recipients grow in number. The once passive and idle Muslims in the community have soon become concerned in improving themselves owing to their involvement in CMM activities. CMM made sure that there are programs available for each member of the family: the small kids have a day care program and madrasah; the youth can take part in computer literacy, sports, scholarship and madrasah programs; the ladies have livelihood programs and Islamic seminars; while the men may participate in imam training and livelihood programs; for others still, there is Qur’an reading (tartil) and many more.
Apart from the skills they learn, participants also get a sense of belongingness and a sense of responsibility and unity with their fellowmen, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The regular Islamic Values Education, present in all programs, makes them God-fearing and peaceful members of the community. An atmosphere of hope pervades every session of such programs as participants prepare themselves physically and spiritually before attending each session, always looking forward to be with their new found family.
Implementing all these programs entailed hard work on Prof. Basman’s part, as he meticulously made sure that each facet is done effectively and efficiently, with the welfare of the beneficiaries foremost in his mind. Not surprisingly, many were demoralized with his demise. But we feel that carrying on with what he has started, amid the demoralization and grieving, is incumbent upon all of us at CMM and its network of supporters and benefactors. The name, confidence and trust that he built over the years should not be wasted.
Let us keep the fire burning! And, as he clearly stated at the conclusion of the Third International Conference of Muslim Leaders last January 11, 2009:
“…Thank you very much and I hope that… our work for Islam will continue… ”
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Food for Thought
“…..The gap set up between the Muslims (Islam) and the rest of the world can be removed only by an open-minded approach to the Qur’an, Islam, and the Muslim situation. For a number of historical reasons, contact between the West and the Islamic World is increasing. The relationship must grow on a foundation of knowledge and objective understanding. In this period, bias and ignorance deserve to be seen more as a challenge to be overcome than obstacles to be helplessly lamented!...”
- from the files of
Comm. Taha M. Basman
on Interfaith Dialogue
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