In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The holy month of Ramadan is a time for us to renew our commitment to the faith. It is a time for solidarity, reinforced by the fast we share with the Muslim ummah.
Our shared struggle as Muslims in the Bangsamoro, however, goes beyond the fast.
Around this time last year, our Muslim brothers and sisters in Marawi City were faced with a great tragedy, one that has brought pain and grief not only into the great city, but into our hearts as well.
But it is also through this shared struggle that we continue to rediscover the depth of our love for our brothers and sisters, as we constantly share a collective strength that can only come from a steadfast faith in Allah himself.
As we observe the most holy month of Ramadan, may we find time to pray for the lives of thousands who have been affected by conflict – both past and present – as we continue to pray for peace and justice in our homeland.
May we remember that Allah desires ease and not hardship for us all, and may we always treat our brothers and sisters with kindness and mercy, guided by the intention of helping to bring at least a semblance of the ease Allah desires for us.
May we always remember our brothers and sisters who were displaced from Marawi, not only in prayer but in action. May we continue in striving to know their suffering by heart, and to relieve them of their great burden.
May we take this time to recognize our responsibility to each other as Muslims, and to remember what it means to work in solidarity towards a renewal of our commitment to our faith, towards rebuilding a city and its spirit, and responding to the continued call for peace in our communities.