Muslims help rebuild Catholic church in Zamboanga

[rug]

Christ the King Chapel in Zamboanga. Photo from http://asiafoundation.org

By Julie S. Alipala
Inquirer
Mindanao 6:47 pm | Saturday, December 14th, 2013

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Christian residents of this city’s Santa Catalina district found nothing unusual about Muslims bearing carpenters’ tools — until they realized the Muslims had volunteered to help rebuild a Catholic chapel.

“We thought they were just looking for damaged mosques to rebuild,” said Jimmy Villaflores, Santa Catalina barangay (village) head.

But to the surprise of the mostly Christian residents, the Muslims, a number of them residents Zamboanga City who returned home from abroad recently, announced they had come to Santa Catalina to rebuild the Christ the King chapel.

Built in the early 1980′s, the chapel on Martha Drive was razed by one of many fires t6hat broke out during a three-week battle between government forces and a band of Moro National Liberation Front guerrillas loyal to MNLF founder Nur Misuari last September.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/546373/muslims-help-rebuild-catholic-church-in-zamboanga

[IrishAyes]

1. I knew Muslims in NYC and L.A.

Somehow I never could understand anyone's irrational fear of them. They want the same out of life as anyone else. A good Muslim is a good person, plain and simple. The center they wanted to build in NYC was intended as a community-wide gathering place, with everyone welcome to all areas except those specifically set aside for worship. Every group has special religious rules, and they have the same right to theirs as we do to ours. If people just had a chance and a desire to get better acquainted, they'd have a lot happier and more peaceful life.

[rug]

2. Without the demonizing and bigotry we have to accept we are all the same.

It's hard to act superior if that happens.