Ambassadors Salem Adam (Libya), Jalal Kalantari (Iran), Munir Uz-Zaman (Bangladesh) and Iftikhar Hussain Kazmi (Pakistan) wondered why madaris in the Philippines is separate from the mainstream educational system.
They said madrasah’s merging with regular curriculum would mean government can monitor what is being taught and prevent Muslim children from being indoctrinated with hatred and hostility.
The four envoys from the OIC were in Davao City en route to Manila after a pre-Ramadan fraternal visit to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Saturday. They were accompanied by ARMM Gov. Parouk S. Hussin.
Hussin said the concerns of the envoys are now being addressed by the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, adding the ARMM is starting to mainstream madrasah.
City Administrator Wendel Avisado presented to the envoys Sunday Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s Madrasah Comprehensive Development and Promotion Program for his over 80,000 Muslim constituents.
Avisado said madaris’ separation from regular education is due to its non-inclusion in the regular curriculum, but Duterte is doing his best to provide Islamic education for his constituents.
Adam, Kalantari, Uz-Zaman, and Kazmi deplored that madaris (plural of madrasah)graduates can not land jobs because they were not able to study the sciences, mathematics, information technology, and other subjects in the regular curriculum.
They said incorporating Philippine Islamic education into the national curriculum would give Muslim graduates the chance to land employment, at the same time knowledgeable on Islam without becoming fundamentalist and extemist.
"We are facing fundamentalism and extremism, which are being indoctrinated in our children by some groups. Islamic education should be a national one...separating one (religious) group from another is not good," said Adam, asking Hussin to work together with the national government to mainstream Islamic education.
"My children are studying in Philippine (regular) schools," said the Libyan envoy to show he has no bias against Philippine education.
Inquiring why madrasah is separate and done in Davao City only on Saturday and Sunday, Iran’s Kalantari said combining it with regular education will save money, pointing out in his country Islamic education is taught alongside the sciences, mathematics, modern technology, etc.
My children knows Islam, they know their duties as Muslim, but I want them to learn modern technology...so they can help uplift society," said Kalantari.
Uz-Zaman said religious education must not be stopped, but to cope with modern-day realities, science and technology should not be left out.
"Education is the key element," said the Bangladeshi envoy, pointing out Prophet Mohammad (SAW)’s Hadith that said "Seek knowledge even in China" although there was no Qur’anic education there at that time.
"Today, we are suffering from a very bad of image of Islam...war monger, terrorist, anti-peace. This is not true. Islam is peace, brotherhood, and harmony. We are not at war with other religions," said Kazmi.
The Pakistani envoy lauded Davao City’s support for madrasah, saying "some of us in our own way can also provide assistance. Davao City is doing a good work."
