QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 16 June) — Eidu l-adha or Day of Sacrifice is a day of victory for Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his son Prophet Ishmael (as).
Hajj or pilgrimage is the most enduring legacy they ever bequeathed to mankind. It would be just and fitting that the ummah or the whole Muslim community must always be grateful to the two great Prophets of Islam, their kith and kin in Arabia, Yemen, and Palestine. The ummah must be of succor, too, toward their descendants.
Parenthetically, it is a breath of fresh air that signs of reform are underway in the hajj administration and financial management in the Philippines.
The newly-appointed secretary of the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos has shown exceptional leadership and integrity. Even at this early, he is bent on addressing the perennial problems on Philippine hajj remitting already 7,500 pesos per pilgrim equivalent to around 37M pesos before the Day of Arafah commences.
An official of said office explained with amazement the rarity of this remittance — impressing that the same reduced payments due to change of accommodations in Mecca or Mina must have occurred in past hajj but they were not remitted back to the pilgrims. Why? There is no need to express the obvious given the long list of anomalies that plagued the said office. The last time we heard of remittance given back to the pilgrims was some years ago.
NCMF and the people running it is the face of Muslims in the Philippines. It should address problems of Muslims in the country and not become the source of disgust by the government and their fellow Muslims every hajj time. The Commission and the conduct of annual hajj and other programs and services must be truly reformed and must be freed from corruption, tribalism, and patronage. After a comprehensive reform is done, NCMF must adopt truly genuine, efficient and sustainable Quality Assurance Standard to make itself worthy and respectable again.
More importantly, the reason why we should be grateful and prayerful and be in a solidarity mode as well is because of the unparalleled and unwavering sacrifice of the descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (as) in Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza smacks at everyone’s face amid the West’s pontification of international law and right-based order among states, nations and peoples while presented with a gory display of brute force and savagery in Palestine. Despite endless support and access to war machines, modern taghut cannot defeat the Palestinians as the latter’s cause is becoming identified with humanity. The rise of global humanism for Palestine is the consequence in the breakdown of international order that has become increasingly anarchical and exceedingly hypocritical.
As Arab governments and monarchies become increasingly silent and content in closing their eyes and swallowing their pride and humiliation with their inability to take even a single step in thwarting Israel’s aggression and genocide in Gaza, creative engagement has been lodged on the shoulders of mass protest movements around world including student sit-ins and demonstrations in universities in America, Europe, Australia, and other countries.
Where more than 2M pilgrims perform their hajj in Mecca with many relishing their travels and accommodations in luxurious hotels, with only 1,239 kms in distance and barely two-hour drive away are the Palestinians in Gaza who are subjected to daily beatings of genocide including the recent massacre in Nuseirat in Rafah.
Indeed, the ummah suffers with a serious challenge.
[MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. This article is the preface of Eidu l-adha Khutbah delivered at Ang Bahay ng Alumni Building, UP Diliman, on 16 June 2024. It is published as “Message from the Office of the Dean,” Sahiyfah Newsletter, June 2024. Julkipli Wadi is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines].