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A sad but hopeful Ramadan in Iligan City

Patrick Quintos, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/05/27/earlyramadan.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Muslim faithful stay at the Usman Mosque after their early morning prayer as they start the holy month of Ramadan. <cite>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>ILIGAN CITY - The celebration of Ramadan in this city was supposed to be happy: smiling faces everywhere, neighbors inviting each other to eat regardless of religion, mosques teeming with the faithful, sad thoughts far away.</p><p>But with the ongoing conflict in neighboring Marawi City, residents here could not help but feel the pain of their fellow Mindanaons forced to flee their homes and now spending Ramadan away from their beloved hometown.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung mga na-displace, di maganda &#x27;yung pakiramdam nila. Siyempre kung baligtarin natin, tayo ang napunta sa ibang lugar na &#x27;di natin kagustuhan, napakasakit nun,&quot; Muhammad Ali Adi told ABS-CBN News just after their early morning prayer at their mosque.</p><p>Adi said a lot of Muslims who fled Marawi City came to pray with them in the mosque early Saturday. While some tried to stay strong, many could not help but cry, he said, thinking of their situation.</p><p>&quot;Maraming umiiyak. Kasi nung umalis sila, &#x27;yung mga kagamitan nila naiwan, napakasakit din sa kanila,&quot; he said.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/05/27/adi.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Muhammad Ali Adi and Muhammad Fais are praying that the conflict in Marawi ends soon. <cite>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>Mahid Muner, who prays at the same mosque, also noticed the sadness of Muslims here, considering it is the start of the month of Ramadan.</p><p>&quot;Ang Ramadan kasi kailangan masayahin ka. &#x27;Yan ang...sa 12 months, &#x27;yan ang single [month] na Ramadan,&quot; he said.</p><p>Muner said he had been talking to some residents in this city who opened their homes to relatives from Marawi. Many feel bad for their brothers and sisters affected by the war, he said.</p><p>&quot;Dito kapag Ramadan, tinatanong ka, &#x27;Kainan mamaya? O maganda, pumunta ka sa amin!,&#x27;&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;E ngayon, &#x27;Kumusta ka? &#x27;Eto, mahirap, malungkot dahil ang pamilya namin nawalan ng tirahan&#x27;,&#x27;&quot; he added.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/05/27/mosque.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">The Masjid Sultan Omar Dianalan Mosque also welcomed evacuees of Marawi who wanted to pray at the start of Ramadan. <cite>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>Aldone Macaraya, who prays at another mosque nearby, said he has at least 10 relatives from Marawi staying in his house.</p><p>They are still traumatized by the sudden attack of terrorists in their hometown, he said.</p><p>&quot;Walang ibang magkuwento sa kanila kasi &#x27;yung iba tulala pa sa pangyayari. &#x27;Di sila makapaniwala na ganito ang mangyayari,&quot; he said.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/05/27/muner.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Mahid Muner reflects after early morning prayer as the holy month of Ramadan begins. <cite>Patrick Quintos, ABS-CBN News</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>The least that he could do, said Adi, is to give them hope by praying for them during Ramadan.</p><p>&quot;Tiis na lang muna tayo. Wala pa tayong magagawa kundi manalangin. Saka &#x27;yung mga kapatid naman natin, mga nagpe-pray, &#x27;yun ang pinapanalangin nila- na mawala na &#x27;yung kaguluhan dito sa atin,&quot; he said.</p><p>Muner, meanwhile, condemned the attackers in Marawi, who he said are engaging in acts against the teachings of Islam.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yan, jihad? Hindi &#x27;yan jihad. Ang tunay na jihad, galing &#x27;yan sa puso. Hindi &#x27;yan galing sa kamay. Hindi &#x27;yan, galing sa utak &#x27;yan,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Ang jini-jihad mo ay ang kalooban mo...Magsimba ka, magdasal ka. Simple lang,&quot; he added.</p><p>Macaraya also said that the true teaching of Islam is peace, not only for Muslims but for the whole of mankind.</p><p>&quot;Ang alam kong sinasabi ng ating mga practitioner, ang Islam ay kapayapaan, hindi panggulo. Hindi ko alam anong klaseng paniniwala yan.&quot;</p><p>Since Tuesday, government forces have been conducting bomb runs in the besieged city of Marawi to flush out members of local terror groups Maute and Abu Sayyaf, who clashed with government troops.<br/> <br/>The siege began as troops pursued Isnilon Hapilon, a suspected leader of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia.</p><p>President Rodrigo Duterte has placed Mindanao under martial law, saying the terror groups were out to create an <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/26/17/duterte-maute-group-abu-sayyaf-want-to-establish-islamic-province-in-mindanao" target="_blank">islamic province</a> in Mindanao.</p>

<p>ILIGAN CITY - The celebration of Ramadan in this city was supposed to be happy -- smiling faces everywhere, neighbors inviting each other to eat with them regardless of religion, mosques teeming with faithful free from sadness.</p>

ILIGAN CITY - The celebration of Ramadan in this city was supposed to be happy -- smiling faces everywhere, neighbors inviting each other to eat with them regardless of religion, mosques teeming with faithful free from sadness.

A sad but hopeful Ramadan in Iligan City

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A sad but hopeful Ramadan in Iligan City

Patrick Quintos,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 27, 2017 10:17 AM PHT

Read More:

Marawi City

Iligan City

Maute group

Abu Sayyaf

terrorist

ramadan

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