September 20, 2009By Berteni "Toto" Causing

A NOTE TO SIR EDRIS TAMANO:

It seems to be unintended that all your original friends' names start with Ed (Edgar Mausisa and Edgar Tigulo). Of course, although you chose who should be your friends I am certain that your first criterion was not that the person should have a name that has the first two letters as yours.

Nevertheless, I owe almost all what I am from MSU, Marawi City that hosts it and, of course, the Maranaos there. Imagine if Maranaos would not welcome us Christians then I could have not existed as what I am for my parents had no ability to send any of their kids to college. I came there as a state scholar but I chose to be an MSU full scholar.

There, I had developed close affinity to my Maranao classmates, roommates and friends. One of them was Mr. Ayo Gunting, that dazzling guy who you could mistake for a happy-go-lucky student back then but the hidden truth is he was a scholar like me. Ayo was closer to my sister Lyndale, who was fond of joining beauty contests with Ayo as one of her supporters. Due to that friendly attitude, I was egged to run for the presidency of the College of Engineering with the majority of my campaigners consisting of Maranao college mates. We lacked steam and I lost to another Maranao friend: now Engr. Basher Didaagun.

When I was there at the MSU campus, I did not take the opportunity of reading Koran. For how would I when I had--and have--not even read the Christian Bible?

So that all that composed my being a Catholic for religion were words coming not from the Holy Book, not from our church for seldom I hear masses, but from the fact that I was christened a Catholic, raised with the thought in my mind considering me as a Catholic, the loose knowledge of my parents about the Bible, the discussions occurring sometimes amongst the rest in the community, and ordinary talks at the sala or over the dining table. Summing up the reason is: I grew up in a community were Catholics were--and are--dominant. Ironically, I heard more words about the Bible from Protestants.

When I grew old enough I tried reading some of the Books in the Bible, particularly the Book of Genesis; but to be honest to God I easily got bored. This is the reason that when it comes to the topic about God, my sack cannot stand.

I have also harbored that yearning to read an English Koran for me to be able to understand even some about Islam. But I am afraid I would also get bored.

I learned about the word Ramadhan for the first time when I was in first year at MSU. But I have never learned what is it all about and why it should be observed by the Muslims. I got some learning about it only until I read that short but passionate writings of Sir Ash Tamano (I do not know how related you are to him). I was touched by my reading that I said to myself: “Aha, Islam must have been a beautiful religion.” Quickly, it came to my mind: “If I could choose religion when I was born, I could have chosen Islam.” I reacted spontaneously, so I wrote that blog, and this is it.

I recall that I was repulsive to Muslims and Islam from the time I was an elementary pupil until I finished high school. I blame that to my ignorance about your people and religion, coupled with the bad domestic talks happening in Christian homes that started with an unfounded premise that Muslims can never be trusted (although I believe the same thing has also been happening in every Muslim home). Actually, the Christian parents even are ignorant about you, Maranaos, Maguindanaos and Tausugs and how you worship.

Compounding that idea is the argument I heard often from many Catholics and Protestants saying that only Christians can be saved to Heaven and people of other religion, like Muslims, believe in pagans as god. Well, I do not know how to deal with this other than not minding it.

So that my thought is now straying. What if our pubic elementary and high schools included a curriculum aimed at educating the young Christians with the good things about Muslims, Islam and the Filipinos who embrace the religion? Will this alter the pictures of Muslim Filipinos in the domestic homes of the Christians? Would I have acted differently if I was already armed with the correct knowledge about Maranaos, Maguindanaos and Tausugs?

Honestly, until I was admitted at the MSU College of Engineering, I never knew about the people called Maranaos. My incorrect impression was that Muslims refer to Maguindanaos only because it was only them whom I saw as a young boy in South Cotabato. So we can see here how ignorance breeds distrust.

Adding poison to my mind then, as well as the Christians of my age, is the fact that I was already a discerning young boy to experience evacuation due to attacks from the “Blackshirts.” For having this sad experience from Maguindanao Muslims, I thought all along Muslims were “bad guys.”

Rest assured, however, that those bad impressions to my innocence had already disappeared when I studied at MSU Marawi.

If I were to analyze now how to plant new seeds of peace between Muslims and Christians in our places, there is no other way but education. And to educate, we must start at the school kids. This, because I subscribe to the idea of “starting ’em young.”

The Christian schools for children must include subjects about the goodness of people who pray not like them. In the same manner, Muslim public schools must have subjects telling knowledge about the goodness among Christians. So that I could only imagine the result if we just tell stories limited only to the good sides.

In closing this, I take the opportunity to personally express my thanks to you who came ahead of me to this Greatest Institution perched atop a hill of Marawi.

Were it not for the wonderful and inspiring feats you seniors registered, we the junior alumni could have come to pass as ordinary graduates of ordinary schools that try to exist in the name of existence only. We could have not been given a chance to show our worth if the resume we presented did not reflect the name: "Mindanao State University." And the reason why there is good name in it is: You, Sir Ed and the rest of those ahead of me.

Again, Happy Eid.


Toto Causing