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This was the consensus of nearly200 ulama—or Muslim religiousscholars and leaders—who gatheredfrom all over the country to discussthe feasibility of establishing a na-tional organization during the FirstNational Summit of Ulama in thePhilippines, held January 28 to 30at the Bayview Park Hotel in Manila.

While a number of ulama groupsalready exist, there has been no na-tional organization that includes allthe major groups, similar to net-works that exist in Muslim coun-tries. The lack of unity among theulama is generally attributed to trib-alism, political differences and lackof institutional support.

A 2006 Social Weather Stationsurvey indicated that Muslims fol-low their ulama more than Catho-lics follow their priest.

“It is important that we harnessthis potential so that Muslim reli-gious leaders can have moreimpact in improving both thespiritual and existential lives ofour people,” former SenatorSantanina Rasul said.

National ulamaorganization“This summit is the culmination offive regional consultative workshopsheld in Zamboanga City, CotabatoCity, Cagayan de Oro City andMetro Manila,” said Dr. HamidBarra, the project director.

The summit in Manila was partof a three-year “Empowering theUlama” project of the PhilippineCouncil for Islam and Democracy,supported by the British Embassyand the Royal Embassy of TheNetherlands.

During the workshops, ulama

O N E M E S S A G E , O N E U M M A H

A MORE empowered Muslim religioussector is a key to attaining peace inthe country.

Geert Wilders (right), leader of the far-right Dutch parliamentary party Party forFreedom (PVV), smiles next to Defense Minister Henk Kamp prior to a parliamentarydebate about the invasion of Iraq in The Hague. Wilders directed the controversial anti-Islam film called Fitna (Ordeal), which will be aired on television in The Netherlands inMarch. The film accuses the Koran of inciting people to murder provoked reactions withsome of the Muslim communities. (See related story page D3). AFP PHOTO

»FILM FUROR

■ Some 200 ulamaconvened at ahistoric summit inManila that tackledissues aboutbringing lastingpeace to Mindanao.At the gathering,former SenatorSantanina Rasul(left photo)emphasizedharnessing theinfluence ofreligious leaders inhelping improvethe lives ofFilipinos.

participants agreed that there is aneed to unite the Muslim religiousscholars of the country, that suchunity is crucial for the promotionof peace and development in theMuslim areas. The ulama agreed toestablish a national federation thatwill involve the various ulamagroups already in existence. An ad-hoc committee was proposed to pre-pare a draft structure and bylawsthat will embody the ideas of theparticipants.

United ulamaThe two-day summit featured lec-tures from highly respected Muslimscholars from here and abroad: in-cluding Muhammadiyah Chair Dr.HM Din Syamsuddin, NahdlatulUlama’s Dr. Masykuri Abdillah, Prof.Haji Maarouf Bin Haji Salleh of Sin-gapore’s Center for ContemporaryIslamic Studies and Dr. MuneerFareed of the Islamic Society ofNorth America.

Syamsuddin, head of the influ-ential Muhammadiyah with a mem-bership of 35 million, argued thatIslam, contrary to misconception, isa religion of progress and dyna-mism. He stressed that Islam can beemployed to become competitive intoday’s world as Islam must be in-creasingly seen as a problem-solverof the issues confronting the Mus-lims in the modern world.

Fareed, secretary-general of theIslamic Society of North America,largest Muslim organization inthe United States and Canada,appealed to the participants tobring back the legacy of the ulamaby providing leadership to theirimpoverished communities. It isonly through enlightened leader-

ship, he said, that extremism canbe countered.

Abdillah, vice-chairman ofNadhlatul Ulama, the largest Muslimorganization in the world, explainedthat in Indonesia, most ulama sup-port democracy as a political systemimplemented in the Muslim state,because it is compatible with Islamicdoctrines and principles such as jus-tice, peace, equality, brotherhood,pluralism, trust and accountabilityand tolerance.

Salleh, meanwhile, shared theexperiences of the Muslims in Sin-gapore who are considered a minor-ity community (15 percent of thepopulation) in a Chinese-dominantand Buddhist-majority setting. Headded that the Muslims in Singa-pore have adopted a “non-confron-tational approach” to governmentand the majority. This, Salleh said,has successfully led to a delicate

balance of social cohesiveness andnational integration, which areparamount in nation building.

Mutilan testimonialThe summit also featured a posthu-mous award to the late Dr. MahidMutilan, who died in a vehicularaccident in December. Mutilan, co-founder of the influential Bishops-Ulama Conference, is widely recog-nized as a pioneer in pushing for theempowerment of the ulama.

The award given by theMagbassa Kita Foundation Inc.and the Philippine Council forIslam and Democracy paid tributeto “his life-long dedication topeace through interfaith dialog,empowerment of the ulama andmadrasah education.”

The award, accepted by hiswidow, Aleema Khadija Mutilan,cited Mutilan as a “reasoned voiceof tolerance, moderation anddemocracy.”

Archbishop Fernando Capallaand Bishop Hilario Gomez Jr.,Mutilan’s co-convenor of theBishops-Ulama Conference,together with Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr.and former Senator Rasul paidtribute to the late Muslim leader.

Capalla, in a statement read dur-ing the dinner, paid tribute toMutilan’s “open and broadmindedapproach to us Catholic and Prot-estant bishops in Mindanao, [whichresulted in] a significant improve-ment in the relationships betweenChristians and Muslims.”

Gomez called Mutilan “a man ofpeace.” He added that “it is surpris-ing to have such a great Muslimleader who, like that proverbialvoice in the wilderness, preachedthe message of salaam and shalomor peace in the midst of decades-oldconflict in Mindanao.”

Rasul emphasized the contribu-

THE road toward the presidency of the coun-try’s largest university in Mindanao for Dr.Macapado Muslim was riddled with poli-tics and intrigue.

The post eluded Muslim although he wasthe top choice of the Search Committeetasked to select the president of MindanaoState University System (MSUS).

In 2005, a Malacañang-authorized searchcommittee, chaired by former Commis-sioner Christina Padolina of the Commis-sion on Higher Education, recommendedMuslim to succeed Dr. Camar Umpa. Butnational police general Ricardo de Leon wasunexpectedly appointed by President GloriaArroyo as transition president.

The reason given for his appointment wasto restore peace and order in the university.Malacañang’s appointment of de Leon asacting president was widely criticized. DeLeon, who did not have the qualificationsrequired, was not one of the 21 nomineesscreened by the search committee.

After two and a half years, Muslim wasfinally appointed and installed on January31. During the turnover ceremony at theMain Campus in Marawi City, he graciouslyacknowledged the positive contributions ofde Leon in improving the Marawi Campusand his resource generation initiatives.

Muslim appealed for support among theadministrators and the faculty, 3,100 ofwhom are serving in 10 campuses inMindanao. Mindanao State has about53,000 students, making it the third-largest

Muslim vows to care of Christian, Muslim students as MSU head

WASHINGTON: A huge survey of theworld’s Muslims released earlier this weekchallenges Western notions that equateIslam with radicalism and violence.

The survey, conducted by the Galluppolling agency over six years and threecontinents, seeks to dispel the belief held bysome in the West that Islam itself is thedriving force of radicalism.

It shows that the overwhelmingmajority of Muslims condemned theattacks against the United States onSeptember 11, 2001 and other subsequentterrorist attacks, the authors of the studysaid in Washington on Tuesday.

“Samuel Harris said in the WashingtonTimes [in 2004]: ‘It is time we admitted thatwe are not at war with terrorism. We are atwar with Islam,’” Dalia Mogahed, co-authorof the book Who Speaks for Islam, whichgrew out of the study, told a newsconference here.

“The argument Mr. Harris makes is thatreligion in the primary driver” of radicalismand violence, she said.

“Religion is an important part of lifefor the overwhelming majority ofMuslims, and if it were indeed the driverfor radicalization, this would be aserious issue.”

But the study, which Gallup sayssurveyed a sample equivalent to 90 percentof the world’s Muslims, showed thatwidespread religiosity “does not translateinto widespread support for terrorism,” saidMogahed, director of the Gallup Center forMuslim Studies.

About 93 percent of the world’s 1.3billion Muslims are moderates and only 7percent are politically radical, according tothe poll, based on more than 50,000interviews.

In majority Muslim countries, over-whelming majorities said religion was avery important part of their lives—99percent in Indonesia, 98 percent in Egypt,

Major surveychallengesWesternperceptionsabout Islam

state university in the country.Muslim said he envisions a university

“that is more vibrant not only in instruc-tion but also in research and extension[or] community service; MSU that isstronger not only in terms of the value ofacademic excellence but also in terms ofsocietal relevance and affirmative actionfor the Muslims and other ethnicminorities in ‘Minsupala’ [Mindanao,

Sulu and Palawan]; MSU that operates andgrows synergistically, with its componentcampuses growing in their respectiveregion-specific concerns and areas of com-parative strength and advantage, andsharing with each other their capabilitiescompetitive in the 21st century; and MSUunder a leadership enjoying high levels ofrespectability and credibility.”

Muslim, a native of Marawi City, is an

alumnus of the Mindanao State. He receivedhis master’s in public administration fromthe University of the Philippines. He ob-tained his master’s and doctorate in politi-cal science from the University of Hawaii asan East-West Center scholar. Muslim was achancellor of Mindanao State in GeneralSantos City for 11 years and was a concur-rent member of the MSU Board of Regents.

He told an audience at Mindanao State,“As your new president, I will be your car-ing, highly accessible, responsible and ef-fective big brother, not only to the Muslimstudents of MSU but also to the Christianand Lumad students.”

The soft-spoken Muslim specializedon mult icultural ism. His landmarkpublication is The Moro Armed Strugglein th e Ph i l i p p ine s : The Nonv i o l en tAutonomy Alternative . He also wroteTowards a Nonkilling Society in the Phil-ippines: The Need for MulticulturalistGovernance, Sustaining the Constituencyfo r Moro Au tonomy , ACCORD: AnInternational Journal of Peace Initiatives,and The GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement: APre l im ina r y As s e s smen t o f i t sImplementation, for the Philippine Jour-nal of Public Administration.

Mindanao State University was estab-lished in Marawi City on September 1, 1961.It is the only university in the Philippineswith a special mandate to integrate the cul-tural communities, specially the Muslimsinto the mainstream Philippine society.

■ Dr. Macapado Muslim

➤ PeaceD2

➤ IslamD2

Tamano’s appointment to PLMmarks first for Filipino Muslims

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➤ PLMD2

“THE ink of a scholar is holier than theblood of a martyr. I cannot think of any-thing more emphatic than this to showwhat a high virtue education is in the Is-lamic faith.”

Thus, Adel Tamano began his inaugu-ral speech as the 17th President of thePamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila(PLM).

Manila City Mayor Fred Lim madehistory—the appointment of the Harvard-educated Tamano makes him the firstMuslim president of a university outsideMuslim Mindanao. Wearing a black togabefore thousands of students at the PLMauditorium on January 31, Tamano ac-knowledged the irony of his appointment

to head a university within Intramuros.“The walls of Intramuros were precisely

made to keep someone like me, a Moro, aswell the other marginalized and oppressedpeople of that time outside, while those inpower—the Spaniards and their minions—enjoyed the safety, the power, and theluxury of the walled city. Intramuros was,at that time, a symbol of oppression, dis-crimination, and persecution,” he said.

The youngest university president in thecountry today, the 37-year-old is the sonof the late Senator Mamintal Tamano andBai Zorayda Abbas Tamano. A brilliantand eloquent lawyer like his father, thePLM president was the first Filipino

Historic ulama summit talks about peace

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Religious leaders work to demystify ‘halal’Philippines to launchfirst guideline book formaking halal food

■ Aleem Jamaal Munib speaks during the Club 888 media forum at theMarco Polo Hotel in Davao City last month. He said a Muslim who eatssomething that is not halal commits a sin in the eyes of God.

BY FORT O. NICOLAS CORRESPONDENT

DAVAOCITY:What’s the

fuss about “halal”food?

In Islam, a faithful is required tomake sure that no unclean substancegets inside the body. Hence, Muslimsfollow a certain process to ascertainthat their foods are clean or “halal,”an Arabic term that means “permissi-ble according to the Koran,” the Is-lamic version of the Christian Bible.

Animals, like cows and goats, mustbe slaughtered, and its blood spilledfor them to be considered halal, ac-cording to Aleem Jamaal Munib, ex-ecutive director of Madrasah and chair-man of the Philippine Halal Accredi-tation Board (PHAB) in Region 11.

The only food that cannot becleaned no matter what process it isput through is pork, which is de-clared irreversibly “haram” or forbid-den since Islamic beliefs pinpointedthe pig as the dirtiest animal thatGod ever created.

But even chickens that scavengedfood need to be quarantined for threedays and given clean feeds before Mus-lims can eat them.

“Certainly, a Muslim who happensto eat something that is “haram” doesnot commit a crime in this country and

will not be jailed or penalized,” Munibsaid during a media forum in Januaryin Marco Polo in Davao City. “But hecommits a sin in the eyes of God.”

Munib complained of restaurantsand food chains that pass them-selves off as “halal-certified” butactually are not just to attract Mus-lim customers, who, in the process,commit a sin without knowing it by

eating “haram” foods.Some manufacturers of canned

goods brazenly declare their products“halal” when these had not been cer-tified nor monitored by authorities.

But the Islamic leader expressedhopes this will all change after March13, 2008. On this date, some 100“Ulama” or Muslim leaders are set tomeet President Gloria Arroyo in

Malacañang to ask her to recognize thePhilippine Halal Accreditation Boardas an official partner of the Depart-ment of Trade and Industry that willmonitor and curb the abuses some es-tablishments commit against this holyIslamic practice.

The accreditation board is a pri-vate group, but Munib said theTrade department has given its as-surance that it will endorse the or-ganization to the President.

Once given the official clout, thePhilippine Halal Accreditation Boardcan immediately set up standards andguidelines not only to police theabuses but also pave the way for thePhilippines to get a piece of the ac-tion in the global halal industryworth $600 billion.

“Remember that we are the onlybird flu-free country in SoutheastAsia,” Munib said. “Imagine if we canget even just one percent of the glo-bal market.”

The market for halal food even inthe region alone is vast, he discloses,as Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia arethe biggest halal consumers in South-east Asia.

“But the problem is that these coun-tries would only import through a gov-ernment-to-government arrange-ment,” Munib explained. “Unlessthere is an official “halal” accreditationbody, they would not get these goodsfrom the Philippines.”

“Hopefully, all these problems willbe solved after March 13,” he said.

THE Philippines will launch its first guideline book on making halal food inaccordance with international standard, in order to promote the country’sfood industry, the official Philippine News Agency quoted AgricultureSecretary Arthur Yap as saying recently.

Yap said there is a huge international market for halal food, so thecountry must promote the production of the food for both home andforeign consumers, said the report.

The fundamental concept and practices of halal, which means “lawful” or“permissible” as a broad term used to describe how a Muslim must conducthis life, are embodied in the Muslim holy book Koran, Hadith, the Shariahlaw, as well as other Islamic jurisprudence, according to the report.

The requirements for halal products across the globe are estimated to bemore than $200 billion annually.

Yap said the guidelines will provide food processors, traders, exportersand marketing logistic operators with the necessary information inpreparing, packing, labeling and handling of halal foods.

Hence, people can rely on halal certification as a seal of food safety andquality assurance, he said.

Muslim religious scholars and leaders in the Philippines have alsoformed a board that will accredit halal certifiers to ensure the strictimplementation of the Philippine General Guidelines on halal Food,according to the report.

The Philippines has 10 million Muslims, most of them living in Manilaand Mindanao. XINHUA

■ When lawyer Adel Tamano was namedpresident of PLM, he became the firstFilipino Muslim to head a university outsideof ARMM. PHOTO BY SARAH ENCABO

Tamano’s appointment to PLMmarks first for Filipino Muslims

■ PLM FROM D1

Western views wrong on Islam■ ISLAM FROM D1

95 percent in Pakistan.But only 7 percent of the billion

Muslims surveyed—the radicals—condoned the attacks on the UnitedStates in 2001, the poll showed.

Moderate Muslims interviewed forthe poll condemned the 9/11 attackson New York and Washingtonbecause innocent lives were lost andcivilians killed.

“Some actually cited religiousjustifications for why they were against9/11, going as far as to quote from theKoran—for example, the verse thatsays taking one innocent life is likekilling all humanity,” she said.

Meanwhile, radical Muslims gavepolitical, not religious, reasons forcondoning the attacks, the poll showed.

The survey shows radicals to beneither more religious than theirmoderate counterparts, nor products ofabject poverty or refugee camps.

“The radicals are better educated,have better jobs, and are morehopeful with regard to the futurethan mainstream Muslims,” JohnEsposito, who co-authored WhoSpeaks for Islam, said.

“Ironically, they believe in democ-racy even more than many of themainstream moderates do, but they’remore cynical about whether they’llever get it,” said Esposito, a professor ofIslamic studies at GeorgetownUniversity in Washington.

Gallup launched the study following 9/11, after which US President George W.

Bush asked in a speech, which is quoted inthe book: “Why do they hate us?”

“They hate. . . a democraticallyelected government,” Bush offered as areason.

“They hate our freedoms—ourfreedom of religion, our freedom ofspeech, our freedom to vote andassemble and disagree with eachother.”

But the poll, which gives ordinaryMuslims a voice in the global debatethat they have been drawn into by 9/11, showed that most Muslims—including radicals—admire the Westfor its democracy, freedoms andtechnological prowess.

What they do not want is to haveWestern ways forced on them, it said.

“Muslims want self-determination,but not an American-imposed anddefined democracy. They don’t wantsecularism or theocracy. What themajority wants is democracy withreligious values,” said Esposito.

The poll has given voice to Islam’ssilent majority, said Mogahed.

“A billion Muslims should be theones that we look to, to understandwhat they believe, rather than avocal minority,” she told AgenceFrance-Presse.

Muslims in 40 countries in Africa,Asia, Europe and the Middle East wereinterviewed for the survey, which ispart of Gallup’s World Poll that aims tointerview 95 percent of the world’spopulation. AFP

Historic ulama summit talks about peace■ PEACE FROM D1

tions of Mutilan to Islamic educa-tion as an instrument for peace. “Hewas a champion of peace. . . his ac-complishment with the Islamic edu-cation system is a great achievement,and my hope is that his work willserve to inspire others who comeafter him,” she said.

During the opening ceremonies,Dutch Ambassador Robert GerardBrinks stressed the importance oftolerance. “Freedom of expression,tolerance and a willingness tomake concessions formed and still

forms the basis of our society thatrecognizes the necessity of oppos-ing viewpoints as much as theneed to deal with them in apragmatic fashion.”

“It makes no difference whetheryou call it tolerance, commonsense, pragmatism, a lack of ideal-ism, a refusal to mount the barri-cades, indifference, or even com-mercial spirit, as long as the major-ity continues to benefit from whatcan best be called ‘pragmatic toler-ance,’ which allows all of us to live

in freedom,” the envoy said.The outputs of the summit were

presented during closing ceremo-nies attended by the participantsand guests including British Ambas-sador Peter Beckingham. He con-gratulated the participants for theirhistoric summit.

Beckingham said the ties betweenthe United Kingdom and the Mus-lims in the Philippines, dating backto the agreement between the Sul-tanate of Sulu and the British EastIndia Company, predates Philippine

relations with any other Westerngovernment.

Rasul supported the calls made bysome participants to have continueddialogues, and small workinggroups “to constantly bring out intothe open the many problems andchallenges that the ulama face.”

She told participants during theclosing banquet ceremonies thatthe ulama’s mission “is not justpreaching the true message of Is-lam, but also the development ofyour communities.”

Notwelcome

Members of theumbrella

organization, RanaoCrescent Against

Balikatan Exercises(RACABE), march inMarawi recently. They

headed toward thepublic plaza,

Banggolo in the townproper, to protest thepresence of American

troops in the city.

Muslim student given a scholarship toattend the Harvard College of Law. Hemade history for Filipinos when he waselected as the graduation speaker.

Even then, he focused on education andits effect on multi-culturalism.

“For someone like myself, a FilipinoMuslim, studying at Harvard was an unbe-lievable opportunity,” he said. “In the pre-dominantly Muslim areas of the Philip-pines, out of 10 grade-school students, onlytwo will be able to complete high school.Those in the developing world know,firsthand, that education is a truly preciouscommodity.”

Today, Tamano worries about under-investment in education, with a nationalshortage of 43,000 classrooms.

“We spend in the Philippines only about$650 per student, while in Thailand theyspend about three times that much. In Ma-laysia they spend a hundred times more perchild than we do in the Philippines,”Tamano said.

The young Tamano obtained a Master’sDegree in Public Administration from

the University of the Philippines. He wasa professor of law at the Ateneo de Ma-nila University, Far Eastern University,City University of Manila and MindanaoState University.

Tamano’s investiture was attended by op-position leaders led by Senate PresidentManuel Villar Jr. Senators Mar Roxas 2nd,Alan Peter Cayetano, Benigno “Nonoy”Aquino 3rd, Jinggoy Estrada and NenePimentel joined Mayor Lim and San Juan CityMayor JV Ejercito at the PLM investiture.

Tamano was prominently featured in me-dia last year as the spokesman of the UnitedOpposition. The Philippine Star in May 2007reported, “Opposition spokesman AdelTamano has endeared himself to media andis now the subject of talk that he could bethe top-notcher of the next senatorial elec-tions. Tamano’s cool demeanor and his fa-cility at expounding the Opposition’s po-sition in a simple, concise and credible waymake him a natural winner before the pub-lic eye.”

Columnist Ellen Tordesillas of Malayawrote in August 2007 that Tamano’s “goodlooks and intelligent statements lent cred-ibility to the opposition’s campaign muchto the dismay of Gloria Arroyo’s Team Unitypropagandists.”

AMINA RASUL AND SAMIRA GUTOC

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KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian minister warned thatinvestors might be deterred if a fundamentalistIslamic party retains control of its stronghold innorthern Kelantan state.

“Foreign investors study the capability of thestate government first before making their in-vestments,” Deputy Finance Minister AwangAdek Hussin told the Bernama news agencyWednesday, as campaigning heats up ahead ofMarch 8 elections.

Awang Adek said controversial commentsfrom party leaders—including that ugly womenshould be given priority in government jobs be-cause pretty women can find rich husbands—were not business-friendly.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lastyear launched a $33.5-billion development planfor Malaysia’s poor eastern states, includingKelantan, the only state run by the hard-line Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS).

The East Coast Economic Corridor project,drawn up by the national oil company Petro-nas, is aimed at developing the rural Malay heart-land states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang andthe district of Mersing in Johor state.

Awang Adek said the PAS state governmentmight not be able to attract all the promised in-vestment under the plan, and that it was not ableto afford its election pledges.

“They can make so many promises that theyare not capable of delivering. The people will bethe real losers,” he said.

PAS holds only a wafer-thin majority inKelantan, a state considered a key battlegroundin the polls. AFP

Malaysian govtworried aboutKelantan state

BRUSSELS: Two Dutch cabinet ministers haveheld a meeting with Dutch right-wing lawmakerGeert Wilders to dissuade him from releasing hisfilm critical of Islam, Radio Netherlandsreported Wednesday.

Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin andForeign Minister Maxime Verhagen met Wilders onbehalf of the Dutch Cabinet. They warned him thathe could face prosecution for bringing out the film,the report said.

The Dutch government is concerned that thefilm, due to be released in March, will damage thereputation of The Netherlands and will haveconsequences for Dutch businesses abroad.

Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam, anti-immigrationFreedom Party (PVV) which has nine seats in the lowerhouse of Dutch parliament, described the meeting asan attempt at intimidation, Radio Netherlands said.

Wilders, who calls for the banning of the Koranin The Netherlands, said his 15-minute movie willshow images of atrocities allegedly inspired bythe Koran verses.

He said he will try to show the film via anofficial broadcaster. Meanwhile, he has set up aseparate website where the film will be shown inany event. Wilders also plans to put the film onthe YouTube website.

Amsterdam’s Public Prosecutor has for sometime been investigating the possibility of takingthe lawmaker to court because of his inflamma-tory public statements. XINHUA

Dutch Cabinetagainst airinganti-Koran film

ANKARA: Turkish President Abdullah Gul re-cently approved constitutional amendmentsthat allow Islamic head scarves at universities.

The Law No. 5735 envisages amendmentsin Articles 10 on equality and Articles 42 onright to education of the Constitution.

Under the first amendment, last sentenceof Article 10 says, “State organs and admin-istrative authorities shall act in compliancewith the principle of equality before the lawin all their proceedings and in benefiting

from all public services.”The second amendment in article 42 on

“Right and Duty of Training and Education”adds a paragraph that “no one can be de-prived of his/her right to higher educationfor reasons not openly mentioned by laws.The limits of the use of this right will bedetermined by law.”

On February 9, the Turkish parliamentvoted 411-103 in a final vote and approvedthe constitutional amendments aiming to

lift a ban on female students wearing Islamicheadscarves at universities.

The ruling Justice and Development Party(AKP) and the conservative NationalistMovement Party (MHP) that supports thechanges have the required two-thirds ma-jority in the parliament.

The headscarf reform drew fierce opposi-tion from the secular establishment in thepredominantly Muslim but secular Turkeywhich has long forbidden Islamic head-

scarves at universities.The main opposition Republican People’s

Party (CHP) did not have enough seats tohold off the measure but said it would ap-peal to the Constitutional Court to try tocancel it.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, theAKP and the MHP have agreed that scarvesshould be tied loosely with a knot beneaththe chin, leaving the face exposed.

XINHUA

Turkey’s president OK’s amendment lifting ban on head scarves in universities

»feature

■ Naseer Ahmad, initiator of the“Peace Village,” poses in front of thelocal mosque in Vaughan in Decemberlast year. The homes come withseparate living rooms for men andwomen. Streets are named Bashir,Zafrulla Khan and Abdus Salam. Andevery house has a view of themosque, visible from miles around.This is Peace Village, a residentialhousing development in a Torontosuburb that caters to Muslims—butis open to anyone. AFP PHOTO

VAUGHAN,Canada: Thehomes come

with separate livingrooms for men andwomen. Streets arenamed Bashir, ZafrullaKhan, and AbdusSalam. And everyhouse has a view of themosque, visible frommiles around.

This is Peace Village, a residential hous-ing development in a Toronto suburb thatcaters to Muslims—but is open to anyone.

It grew around a small mosque thatsprouted in the early 1990s in a cornfieldalong a desolate highway in this nonde-script suburb of Toronto, Canada’s larg-

est metropolis with five million residents,where one in two people are immigrants.

Built by a handful of devout Ahma-diyya Muslims—a sect founded at the endof the 19th century in what is now Paki-stan, but considered heretics by some—the mosque is today the centerpiece of thisemerging neighborhood.

Initially, “the main motivation was tobring worshippers close to the mosque,”developer Naseer Ahmad told AgenceFrance-Presse. Born in Pakistan, the 54-year-old immigrated to Canada in 1976.

From each residence, homeowners havea clear view of the central mosque. Eachhome has a double garage and a greenlawn to trim in summer.

Officially started in 1998, the village isnow home to more than 260 upper-mid-dle class families.

The area streets borrow names from Pa-kistan’s official language, Urdu, or honorfamous Pakistan nationals such as 1979Nobel laureate Abdus Salam.

Every kitchen is equipped with an ex-tra powerful ventilation system to helpclear the air when preparing extra spicyor smoky ethnic dishes.

And homes are designed with two liv-ing rooms—one for men, and anotherfor women.

Adil Malik, a businessman, has livedwith his wife in Peace Village since 2001.

“My children are growing up here. It isreally positive for them,” Malik said of histhree sons.

“I have seen other kids [grow up here].Now they are teenagers and they are veryproductive members of society . . . goingto university,” he said.

“We look at it in the point of view that itis a community that supports each other.”

A house here costs about $500,000 (Ca-nadian, US or 345,000 euros) and strongdemand has forced developers to add asecond phase, now under construction.

“It have given true meaning to [Cana-da’s] multiculturalism concept,” said thedeveloper Ahmad, photographs of him-self with leading Canadian politicians lit-tering his office.

But even if it was conceived for Muslims,Peace Village is open to anyone, he said.

To date, only Muslims have boughthomes here, leading some to accuseAhmad of having created a Muslim ghettoor a segregated community within a vastlymulticultural society.

“It is a very good neighborhood,” he in-sisted, not a place where poor immigrantsare forced to live in squalor.

“There were some fears at the beginning”of it becoming a Muslim ghetto, he said. “Butthe time has proven that it has not become aghetto. The property values are very high.There is no violence and the streets are clean.”

Patricia Wood, an associate professor atYork University who has researchedmulticulturalism and immigration, alsodefended the housing development, not-ing that while some aspects of the projectmay seem new, the creation of ethnic orreligious-based neighborhoods “is actu-ally a very old practice” on this continent.

“If you look at the history of NorthAmerica, some of the earliest settlementshave specific groups coming and establish-ing their own communities with their ownbuildings and their own institutions invery close proximity to one another.”

There are very few immigrant groupsthat did not create their own neigh-borhoods within larger cities, and histori-cally it has been good for them and soci-ety at large, she said.

Wood concedes that some people mayhave some difficulty with the concept,which can also be seen in an all-Catholicvillage in Florida called Ave Maria.

Some people have “a more generalizedfear of the Muslim community” since theattacks of September 11, 2001, that killedalmost 3,000 people in New York, Penn-sylvania and Washington, she said.

Whether it be the Muslim Peace Village,or Vancouver’s century-old Chinatown,“there is so much mutual support in thesecommunities that would not necessarilybe available in Canadian society.”

“It’s been a very important part of suc-cessful migration in Canada and theUnited States,” she said. AFP

Welcome to Peace Village,Canada’s Muslim community

Republic of the PhilippinesDEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS & HIGHWAYS

Region IIIAURORA DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE

Baler, AuroraTELEPHONE / TELEFAX # 042-209-4235

CEL. # 09206702248

February 27, 2007

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID

The DPWH-Aurora District Engineering Office, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC),invites contractors to apply for eligibility and, if found eligible, to bid for the following contract:

Contract I.D. : 08CN0025Contract Name: Improvement/Concreting of Dingalan National RoadContract Location: Dingalan, AuroraBrief Description: Conc. of nat’l. road w/ embankment, const. of lined canal w/ pipe

Culverts & installation of metal beam guardrailApproved Budget for the Contract (ABC) : Php 19,100,000.00Contract Duration:. 200Cost of Plans/Proposals: Php 10,000.00

The BAC will conduct this public bidding in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its ImplementingRules and Regulations Part A.

To be eligible to bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) and mustmeet the following major criteria: (a) prior registration with the DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or75% Filipino-owned partnership/corporation with PCAB license applicable to the type and costof this contract, (c) completion of a similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC, and (d) NetFinancial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment/cash depositcertificate for at least 10% of the ABC. The DPWH will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteriain the eligibility check, preliminary examination of bids, evaluation of bids, postqualification,and award.

Unregistered contractors, however, may submit their LOIs simultaneously with their applicationsfor registration, to the DPWH-ADEO before the deadline set below for the receipt of LOIs. TheDPWH Central BAC-TWG will first process the contractor’s applications for registration and issuethe Contractor’s Certificate of Registration (CRC) before processing their LOIs. The DPWH CentralBAC-TWG will process only those with complete registration requirements.

The significant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below:

Receipt of LOIs from Prospective Bidders March 06, 2008 (until 4:00 p.m. only)Issuance of Results of Eligibility Check March 13, 2008Issuance of Bidding Documents March 14, 2008Pre-Bid Conference March 14, 2008Receipt of Bids Not later than 10:00 a.m. on Mar. 18, 2008Opening of Bids March 18, 2008, 10:01 a.m.

Prospective bidders may download the Registration and LOI Forms from the DPWH websitewww.dpwh.gov.ph. The BAC will issue hard copies of LOI Forms at DPWH-Baler, Aurora, uponpayment of a non-refundable fee of Php 300.00.

Prospective bidders that will download the LOI forms shall pay the same amount upon submissionof their LOIs. Prospective bidders shall submit their accomplished LOIs and obtain the resultsof the eligibility check at the same address.

Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents (BDs), if available, from theDPWH website. The BAC will also issue hard copies of the BDs at the same address to eligiblebidders upon payment of a non-refundable fee of “Please see above”. Eligible bidders that willdownload the BDs from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees upon the submission of theirbids.

The DPWH-ADEO reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and to annul the bidding processanytime before Contract award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidders.

Approved by:

ANGEL C. BELTRAN, JR.OIC-Asst. District Engineer

BAC ChairmanMT – Feb. 29, 2008

Republic of the PhilippinesDepartment of Public Works and Highways

Cordillera Administrative RegionOFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER

Bangued, Abra

February 22, 2008

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BIDThe Government of the Republic of the Philippines, thru the Department of

Public Works & Highways (DPWH) Bangued, Abra invites potential Bidders toapply for eligibility and, if subsequently found eligible, to bid for:

Contract ID : 08PA0011Name of Project : Concreting of La Paz-Lagayan RoadLocation : La Paz, AbraBrief Description : ConcretingMajor items of Work : Item 311, 505 & Spl. IApproved Budget for the Contract (ABC): P7,704,984.63Duration : 200 C.D.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures asspecified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations-A (IRR-A) of RepublicAct No. 9184 (R. A. 9184), otherwise known as the Government ProcurementReform Act. All particulars relative to Eligibility, Bid Bond, Performance Bond,Pre-Bid Conference, Bid Evaluation and Award of Contract shall be governed bythe provisions of this Act.

Only contractors duly registered with the DPWH may be allowed to participatein the eligibility screening. Unregistered contractors must register in the CentralOffice, Bids and Awards Committee-Technical Working Group (BAC-TWG), 5/FBonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila prior to the deadline for submission of Expressionof Interest. Interested contractors shall submit their duly accomplished Expressionof Interest Statements upon presentation of their original Contractor RegistrationCertificate (CRC) in person or through their Authorized Representative as reflectedin their CRC to the Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) DPWH-AbraEngineering District, Bangued, Abra not later than 5:00P.M. of March 13, 2008.

Bid Documents will be available to eligible contractors for issuance until 5:00PM on March 19, 2008 at the BAC/Secretariat DPWH, Abra Engineering District,Bangued, Abra upon payment of a non-refundable amount of P6,500.00.

Eligible contractors shall submit their duly accomplished Price Proposals (1st

envelope-Technical Proposal and 2nd Envelope-Financial Proposal) to the Chairman,Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), DPWH, Abra Engineering Office, Bangued,Abra, not later than 10:00AM on April 1, 2008. Opening of bids is at 2:00 PM ofthe same date.

The DPWH-Abra Engineering District, Bangued, Abra reserves the right to acceptor reject any Bid, and to annul the bidding process and reject all Bids at anytime prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affectedBidder or Bidders.

(SGD.) SANDY B. BENEDITODistrict Engineer

BAC ChairmanRizal St., DPWH-Bangued, Abra

Tel No. 074 752-7734

MT - Feb. 29 & Mar. 10, 2008

Republic of the PhilippinesDEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS

Office of the District EngineerQuirino District Engineering Office

Cabarroguis, Quirino

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID

The Department of Public Works and Highways – Quirino District Engineering Office, Cabarroguis,Quirino, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors to apply and, if foundeligible, to bid for the following contract:

1. a. Contract I.D. : 08BK0047b. Name of Project : Repair/Improvement Reblocking along Jct.

Mangandingay-Saguday Road, (Km. 336+000 toKm. 346+000 with Exceptions)

c. Location : Cabarroguis, Diffun & Saguday, Quirinod. Brief Description : RRP-Roads-Rehabilitation-PCCPe. Major Items of Work : Repair/Improvement along Jct. Mangandingay-

Saguday Road, (Km. 336+000 to Km. 346+000with Exceptions)

f. ABC : P14,370,917.15g. Duration : 180 C.D.h. Cost of Bid Documents : P5,000.00

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) will conduct the public bidding in accordance with R.A.9184 and its Implementing Rules and regulations-A (IRR-A).

To be eligible to bid for this contract a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) and meetthe following major criteria:

a.) Registration with the DPWHb.) Filipino Citizen or 75% Filipino owned partnership/corporation with PCAB License applicable

to the type and cost of this contractc.) Completion of similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC, andd.) Net financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit commitment/cash deposit

certificate at least equal to 10% of ABC.

The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the Eligibility Check Preliminary Examinationof Bids Evaluation of Bids Post qualification and Award.

An unregistered contractor may submit its LOI simultaneously with its application for registrationto the DPWH before the deadline set below for the receipt of LOI’s. The DPWh-Central BAC-TechnicalWorking Group/Secretariat will first process the contractor’s application for registration and issueits Contractor’s Registration Certificate (CRC) before processing its LOI.

The times and deadlines set for the major procurement activities shown below:1. Receipt of LOI’s from Prospective Bidders - not later than 10:00A.M.

March 5, 20082. Issuance of Bidding Documents - March 17, 2008 up to 2:00 P.M. only3. Pre-bid Conference - March 19, 2008 @ 2:00 P.M.4. Receipt of Bids - not later than 10:00A.M.

March 25, 20085. Opening of Bids - @ 2:00 P.M.

March 25, 2008

Prospective bidders may obtain Bidding Documents (BDs) from the DPWH – Quirino DistrictEngineering Office BAC Secretariat, Cabarroguis, Quirino, upon receiving their Eligibility Check fromDPWH – BAC-TWG, Central Office, Manila and upon payment of a non-refundable amount statedabove.

The DPWH – Quirino District Engineering Office, Cabarroguis, Quirino reserves the right to acceptor reject any Bids, and to annul the bidding process and reject all Bids at any time prior to contractaward without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Bidder or Bidders.

Approved:

(SGD.) IRENEO S. GALLATODistrict EngineerDWH – Quirino District EngineeringOfficeCabarroguis, QuirinoCP # 09155489211

MT – Feb. 25, 2008