Around sixty (60) Muslim Religious Leaders (MRLs) from the Municipalities of Parang, Buldon, Barira, Matanog, and Kapatagan – also known as Iranon Corridor—signed a Community Declaration on Child Protection on August 19, 2024 at Jamiat Iranon, Bayanga Norte, Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte. These Muslim Religious Leaders affirmed their unwavering commitment to the protection of children in their locality from all forms of abuse, exploitation, neglect, violence, and harmful practices, including but not limited to corporal punishment, recruitment to armed groups, bullying, child labor, and early marriage.
The declaration stresses that, as custodians of moral and ethical values, MRLs recognize the paramount importance of safeguarding the rights and well-being of every child, as mandated by our faith, and the principles of justice and compassion inherent in Islam.
Islam unequivocally condemns any form of injustice or harm towards children. The Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasize the dignity, respect, and protection owed to all children. Our collective duty is to ensure that these divine instructions are upheld within our communities.
The MRLs pledged to educate their communities on the rights of children as enshrined in Islamic teachings and international conventions through sermons, lectures, and community engagements, raising awareness about the detrimental effects of child abuse, exploitation, neglect, violence, and harmful traditional practices, commit to advocating for and supporting policies and initiatives aimed at protecting children’s rights, collaborate with governmental and non-governmental organizations to implement programs that provide safe environments for children, utilize their positions to foster a culture of respect, love, and protection for children, guide parents and guardians to fulfill their responsibilities and ensure children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, encourage and facilitate the reporting of any suspected cases of child abuse or exploitation, and commit to intervening promptly and appropriately, in collaboration with relevant authorities, to ensure the safety and protection of affected children.
The community declaration was made during the 1-day Provincial Consultation with Muslim Religious Leaders on Child Protection that
aimed to update partner Muslim Religious Leaders on the current CHILD PROTECTION situation of children in the BARMM, to raise awareness of Muslim Religious Leaders on the developed child protection sermons, to increase recognition of MRLs’ roles in combating violence against children and to obtain the commitment of Muslim Religious Leaders in campaigning to end violence against children.
Present during the consultation was Matanog Mayor, Hon. Zohria Bansil-Guro, together with her Vice-Mayor, Sanaira Imam-Ali, and Municipal OIC-Chief of Police PLT—Junior Abbas, who supported the activity and rendered a message.
This consultation was made possible by the Jamiat Iranon headed by its President Sheikh Abdulgani Pakir, Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’-BARMM, Hay-ato Ulama Al-Muslimin in the Philippines, Committee on Da’wah and Masajid Affairs, and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) with support from the UNICEF-Mindanao Field Office, under the program Strengthening Engagement with Muslim Religious Leaders for the Promotion of Child Rights and Islam. Series of consultations with Muslim Religious Leaders were also conducted in the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
By: MOHAMAD OMAR
Project Officer
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