PARANG, Maguindanao – Close to 100 Christians and Muslims – civilians and military – “spilled” blood here Saturday, but for a good cause, where the collected blood will be donated to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).

Undersecretary Datu Zamzamin Lumenda Ampatuan of the Department of Energy (DoE) told the Manila Bulletin yesterday that the bloodletting campaign was to commemorate Ashoura, the 10th of Muharram in the Islamic year Hijrah 1431.

Based on the Islamic calendar of the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA), Amun Jadid, the Islamic New Year (Muharram 1, 1431), coincided with December 18, 2009.

Ampatuan said the “spilling” of blood was done in partnership with the Philippine Army’s 603rd Brigade under Col. Ernesto Aradanas, the local government of Parang with help from the Cotabato City Tourism Council chaired by Bai Sandra Sema – the First Lady of Cotabato City, and ADAM or Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak Maharlika party-list.

“The blood donation to Red Cross was organized as a symbolic gesture to make the spilling of human blood a worthy thing,” said Ampatuan.

He said the Army’s 603rd Brigade as well as the other partners readily accepted the invitation to join the humanitarian activity.

Aradanas pointed out that “it is good to give out something of our self and donating blood is a way to give something of our self.”

Ampatuan, also one of the blood donors, said he gave his blood accompanied with a prayer that “there should be no more wasteful spilling of blood that peace will reign in the land.”

For her part, Bai Sema, welcomed being part of the activity, saying she supported the worthy cause of blood donation to promote the beauty inherent in all human beings.

While Parang Mayor Talib Abo thanked the organizers for making his municipality the venue for the event.

Ampatuan said the commemoration of Ashoura honors the martyrdom of Amer Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Allaihi Wassalam, which took place some 1,350 years ago in the plains of Karbala in Iraq.

Many Shi’ite Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and other parts of the world will commemorate Hussein’s martyrdom on December 27.