Religious Discrimination in Philippines Setting

Discrimination based on Merriam-Webster it’s a practice of unfairly treating a person or group of

people differently from other people or group; Discrimination is one of the many problems we face not
only our country but the world. Now we will tackle about one of its type called Religious Discrimination,
In this topic of ours it will only give you what religious discrimination here in the Philippines, You won’t
have to ask for scientific argument or reasons and a friendly warning as you start to read our research,
We are not here to offend your religion but to give an insight to what is religious discrimination is.

Our known religious discrimination here in the Philippines is none other than Muslim, A religion that
reign in Mindanao and called itself a religion of peace, and it only gotten worse when Isis attacked
Marawi, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t felt the discrimination before Isis, No, We are already
discrimanating them, as we walked through the streets you will hear a kid point and say to a muslim
“Bumbay! , Bumbay!” or even “ 5,6!! , 5,6!!” don’t tell us that you’ve never known those words as we
already know them when we are young, this sentence even prove itself more better when one of our
member said that her parents told her that Muslim will kidnap and sell you, Which states the fact that we
are already teaching children discriminating Muslim not only that but discrimination itself without even
without our knowledge of doing so and perceive it as innocence. At Kyle’s research result it said back in
Zamboanga city ,news broke about a suspected bomber who was then labeled as a “Muslim Type”
making the masses think that Muslim have intention to spread its territory as if Mindanao isn’t enough to
rule over, also one of our member Mariah have similar report except she was there and not a research
but an experience as she saw the discrimination in her own eyes, it was back when she was Grade 10,
just last year and in her fieldtrip as they go to enchanted kingdom there this kid who is muslim and joke
about having a bomb in his bag as the guards search his bag, this caused a bit of trouble since there
was rumor about Isis before, he was left behind and there is a rumor that he didn’t even get to go inside
the enchanted kingdom, rumours are rumours only and yet isn’t where suspicion happen and then
distrust. Back to our topic it seems that Philippines have Islamophobia or some of them; What is
Islamophobia? you may ask, Islamophobia is a Prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a
political force, We can see it clearly as day that we might have Islamophobia indeed and because of this
some muslim had a hard time to get some job or lose them like this particular research that will fit in as
example, A girl had a great upportunity in Manila and yet the discrimination gets to her as she had no
choice but go to another country, This is a sad truth we face, Its not that there is no reason for this but it
was still unjust; what reason you may ask? Well we can’t blame ourselves not to fear them since they
had a control over Mindanao in which a war seem a simple everyday life to them, effecting the
innocence citizen that was caught in the crossfire, They have accessed on guns smuggling, also they
kidnap for ransom and that is the reason. You might think that Government didn’t think of anything to
solve this? Well the government is always been put into the bad light but you know back then
Department of Labor and Employment conducted a routine inspection in the premise of SMC and
discovered that there was underpayment of regular muslim holiday pay to its employees, now imagine
you’re a muslim rushing to work after Eid’l fil’tr which you might say very hectic, SMC did not deny, it
merely contended that its non-muslim employees are not entitled to muslim holiday pay. There should
be no more distinction between Muslims and Non-muslims as regards payment of benefits for Muslim
holiday, wages granted by law to the working man are determined on the basis of the Criteria laid down
by laws and certainly not on the basis of the worker’s faith or religion and soon the Muslim holidays is in
the calendar, The government isn’t that bad and speaking of government in 1987 Constitution of the
Philippines declares the separation of church and state shall be inviolable (Article II Section 6) and No
law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The
free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference,
shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
(Article III, Section 5) and yet this law might be active but it doesn’t stop the discrimination and speaking
of this law it seems some of our political leaders seem to take side with Iglesia ni Cristo, do you
remember the last rally in 2015 by the Iglesia it was said that it was just another squatter mentality since
those political reader don’t want to let go of Iglesia because they are their vast vote farm and this worsen
the discrimination with the Christians and vice versa. Sadly this discrimination isn’t only in Philippines
and its habitants. In Baguio City Jehovah’s Witnesses asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to
intercede on behalf of filipinos who face arrest/ deportation in Russia, hundreds of Jehovah’s witnesses
in Russia are affected by a warning issued by the Russian prosecutor general about what it described as
the Jehovah’s witnesses “extremist activities”, Dean Jacek spokeperson of Jehovah’s witnesses in the
Philippines make a formal protest against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights and the United
Nations Human rights committee, he said “We are not engaged in any extremist activity, We simply want
to freely carry out our worship and bible education work peacefully” and yet Russia recently banned
Jehovah’s witnesses publications including Bibles. To think even another country we face a
discrimination, to think even another country we face a discrimination against us.

This is our topic Religious Discrimination we hope we give the insight you want and someday
used it but remember There is no such religion or major world faith espouses violence, chaos, and
discord because this is contradictory to religion’s reasoning.
 Our thoughts and Opinion:

In Group 1 discussion it seems that our opinion have only one thought and that is we hope to
change it or stop this discrimination.

Kyle said on his opinion because of this discrimination ”we are losing our unity and oneness in the world
we belong.” In which Mark response “because of our different beliefs”

Which is true because of our individual belief or religions belief that we have discrimination as other
people don’t approve of one’s religion or belief. There was even a case where a person force someone
to become an Iglesia ni Cristo so that he won’t lose his job, the guy was forced and go to their assembly
and when he stopped going, he lose his job. as what stated above that a working man criteria laid down
by the law and not on the basis of their religion.

This happen because there is a few people left in Iglesia ni Cristo, In case you don’t know this is from
Guam where Manolo from Iglesia ni Cristo force someone to convert.

You can’t just force someone to change religion to another one immediately and of course not forced,
Think of that someone’s shoes do you think you can look at your own religion differently immediately to
which you have known your whole life and then change because of someone asked or force you to.

That kind of thing will take time, Like my father who is adventist before but he took his time to adjust to
Christianity just to marry my mother.

In this discussion Ian said that by participating in any group that gives us knowledge about their
culture.by influencing other people not to judge people by their belief or standing, we can stop this
discrimination.

Like by participating to a youth encounter or just try to be open minded instead.

Which Ian agreed at and said “it can develop a friendship to them.Good things may only be happen if we
do something that make them up in life....” Commented [1]:

This cause Mark to remember something he read about a believing son and unbelieving father, the
father asked what is the different aspect of god? In which result to us thinking that different aspect of god
is the religion.

Which I think is true since there is a different look of God in religions, because of the change of look,
teachings caused the discrimination and yet look at this way, There is one thing similar to religions that
we became blind about and it was about its moral, I think every story of religion has its good moral.
And then we finally talk about the Islamophobia in Philippines in which I respond as people try to play
God as they hold their guns out and “teach us” religion of peace

You can’t blame the government being scared since it seems they don’t talk civilly. This terror caused
people lives to come short. I’m not saying this as a christian way but as a human being, In Mindanao
someout there already lose a child, a mom, a sis, a bro, a dad or felt sorry for this people who became
so blind that they finally misinterpret what their so called religion of peace is saying.

As Mark’s research said this story isn’t about religion but the lack or even absence of it.

Which is true this isn’t religion anymore just like what stated at the research There is no religion that
empouses violence, chaos and discord because it was contradictory to religion’s reason for being.

As Kyle said All of us must build solidarity, accept each others’s; beliefs, and respect each other, in
order to maintain peace around the world.

But Cj said that darken the atmosphere The political opinion will accept violence if its for the greater
good.

This is a religion!, something that uses good moral and faith, and violence isn’t compatible with those
words.

To think some political leaders side with a religion in which a law clearly states that, and worship without
discrimination or preference.

Didn’t work that well.

Now that I think of it, Some people already teaching their children discrimination especially when it
comes to muslim.

Teaching our child like that not only is a shame on you but you didn’t even let your child to think of its
own and saw his own perspective in which you build up by your beliefs instead.

Religious Discrimination isn’t only big deal to our country but also the world face this as well and other
kinds of discrimination as well. We can’t escape it, as we live in a modern world where judgemental
persons increase and became testy and everyone knows what everyone’s doing.

As to this discrimination you are supposed to fight what you believe in and not only take this and brush it
off but in reality you’re hurt but even though with all that.

There is something bother me.

Imagine a religion where such a human sacrifice is what their god thought he wanted?

Would you still call it a religious discrimination?

This isn’t kind of new since back in tribal age there is what you called a human sacrifice, but to be
honest, no, that isn’t a religious discrimination since its more close to being a cult instead.

You can’t blame them since they didn’t know their doing something bad and only wanting to make their
God happy.

Now its almost the same with Isis, but they knew they’re wrong. But they thought it will be good for their
god.

Well what we conclude is that the Religious Discrimination won’t stop anytime soon, it will continue on if
people still keep being blind about it. We can only hope if we could spread the word more and lose the
fear that settled within us. As this crisis between the Isis will be gone anytime soon.

Sources:

 www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/107084-end-muslim-discrimination
 www.philstat.com/opinion/242761/no-religious-discrimination?nomobile=1
 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/freedom-of-religion-in-the-philippines
 https://globalnation.inquirer.net/152841/pinoy-jehovahs-witnesses-russia-face-deportation
 opinion.inquirer.net/58661/on-being-a-muslim-the-other-side-of-discrimination
 http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2015109/why-the-iglesia-ni-cristo-rally-on-edsa-was-
another-case-of-filipinos-squatter-mentality-prevailing
 Member’s Behavior

My members didn’t take this seriously, they only get to research on this very day August 13
except for Kyle Capistrano who passed 2 days before August 13.

Cjhay Rueda, Kyle Capistrano and Ian Alexander Villanueva, gave out some great opinions but it
seems to go astray to the subject so I take the sentence that will fit with our so-called opinion and
also Mark Lozano and Michael Anthony Casabon said in our group chat that they searched their
opinion, its either they take some like a guide or a full blown opinion of others either way as I said
earlier I only take some sentences.

Cjhay Rueda said that his head hurts and can’t get to go outside today to research more, he only
gave out an opinion, which sours my mood since there is a lot of time to do this before the
selected deadline I made for this ILS which is August 13.

When I asked about Michael Anthony Casabon for his research and Mark Lozano send me a pic
of their conversation which states that Casabon is still playing a game that’s why he will be
making it late. Again there was clearly a time before this August 13.

I ended up changing the outline in opinion which is also for me became a mess.

Mark Lozano send me a wrong research that concerns Americans when I clearly state that it was
in Philippine setting, and his opinion consist of very obvious copy-paste maybe from a forum?

I’ve tried my best to create a great term paper from a limited source and experience.
Conclusion: everyone procastinate
 PHILOSOPHY

“Religious Discrimination

in Philippine Setting”

Passed by Group 1:

Leader: Dagdag, Mariah

Capistrano, Kyle

Rueda, Cjhay

Villanueva, Ian

Lozano, Mark

Casabon, Michael