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By Julmunir I. Jannaral, Correspondent
COTABATO CITY: The Filipino Muslims on Wednesday expressed joy and
welcome the historic victory of the first American black president,
Barrack Obama, who ran as the standard bearer of Democrat.
Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) Executive
Director Datu Ali Sangki said he expects a more peaceful world with
a Democrat in the White House.
“If I remember right, all American Republican
presidents had in one way or another waged a war against another
country. Thus, with President-elect Obama, we hope he will continue
the Democratic tradition of waging peace around the world,” said
Sangki.
House Deputy Speaker for Min-danao Simeon
Datumanong also congratulated the historic triumph of Obama, who
defeated Republican Sen. John McCain.
Prof. Taha Basman, president of the Center for
Moderate Muslims (CMM), is highly elated with the results of the
American presidential race.
“America showed democracy works very well with
President-elect Obama, who is from a highly discriminated sector of
American society in the past, having won despite barriers of race
and religion,” said Basman, commissioner of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
“The just-ended United States election is a
shining example that every American citizen of any creed or color
has the chance to fulfill his dream. This is a testament to the
American people’s maturity, the US being the show window of a
working democracy,” said Basman.
Sultan Fuad Kiram 1 of the Sultanate of Sulu and
North Borneo said the victory of Obama should be an inspiration for
the Filipino Muslims who are known to be the minority in this
country.
“I would like to congratulate President-elect
Obama and I am optimistic that the US under his administration would
be friendly with the rest of the countries in the whole world
especially Islamic countries,” Kiram said.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) spokesman
Eid Kabalu, who just arrived the other day from an eight-day trip to
Tripoli, Libya, hopes that Obama’s White House rule would inject a
positive impetus to the attainment of peace in Mindanao and the
whole world.
“At any rate and as promised, President-elect
Obama has to reduce US involvement in war, which, in effect, will
make global peace reign under his administration. That is good for
us in Mindanao and the world,” said Kabalu.
Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano, also president
of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila noted that the victory of
Obama indeed made history.
“He made history as the first black
president,” Tamano said. “This would show that the color or the
race is not a hindrance for someone like Obama to occupy the highest
position as president of the most powerful nation in the world, the
United States of America.
Most of all Obama’s victory is not only an
inspiration for us in the opposition but also among Filipino Muslims
like us who are considered minority in this country.
“I see no reason that the next president of
the Philippines could not come from the opposition, in the same
manner that it would not be remote that one day the Philippines
would elect into office its first Muslim President,” said Tamano,
who has the distinction of being the first Muslim president of
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
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