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By EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
BAHAY ALUMNI, UP DILIMAN CAMPUS (SDN) — Ambassador Niyazi Evren Akyol, Türkiye’s top diplomat in the Philippines, on Monday, February 20, appealed to Filipinos to pray for his people after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake smashed through his country.
The Türkish diplomat made his appeal at the 48th National Qur’an Reading Competition (NQRC) organized by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos through its Bureau of Muslim Cultural Affairs (NCMF-BMCA) here in the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Campus, Quezon City, Metro Manila.
Padilla urges fellow Muslims to work for peace, be just, fair, and respectful
In the same event, Senator Robin “Abdul Aziz” F. Padilla, the guest speaker, donated Php100,000 for the winners of the Islamic competition. The Muslim senator hastened to emphasize that his donation is not government money, but from his salary. Philippine senators have a basic salary of Php90,000, not counting allowances that could run into more or less Php4 million.
Related: NCMF and 48th NQRC: 19 Male & 17 Female Participants Competing on February 20 in UP Diliman
For the six winners of the annual NQRC, the NCMF provides cash prize amounting to Php120,000 — Php25,000 for each of the male and female champions; Php20,000 for second placers each; and Php15,000 for the third placers.
With Padilla’s donation, this year’s prize reaches Php220,000, apportioned as: Php50,000 each for male and female champions; Php35,000 for Second Placers; and Php25,000 for Third Placers. A BMCA staff showed SDN — SciTech and Digital News the bundles of money the senator donated for the NQRC winners. In cold cash.
Aside from the cash prize, trophy and plaque, the champions are sent to compete in international Qur’an reading contests, in Malaysia, Brunei, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, and others.
It can be recalled that on February 6, the massive earthquake hit parts of Türkiye and Syria, with the death count now over 45,000 people, countless injured, and thousands of buildings and houses destroyed in the two countries, with the former suffering over 40,000 fatalities.
At the opening of the 48th NQRC, where some diplomats from member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) attended, Akyol appealed for prayers for his people, especially victims of the highly destructive earthquake.
The Philippines, giving back for Türkiye’s assistance when Super Typhoon Yolanda barreled through the Visayas in 2013, sent a team of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel from the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) as they joined an international effort to search and rescue victims under the rubble of collapsed buildings and houses.
As he appealed for prayers, in a tone tinged with sadness, Akyol, referencing the 48th NQRC’s team, “Illuminating Humanity”, said Muslims should live by example the virtues in the Qur’an. Apparently, in short, he meant of enjoining good and prohibiting evil. As well as being an example of what a true Muslim is and ought to be — God-fearing, does not hurt others, and does not get what does not belong to him or her, and respectful towards people of other religions.
NCMF head calls for new global org for peace
On his part, NCMF Secretary/CEO Guiling “Gene” A. Mamondiong said that in his recent trips to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia he was able to meet with officials of the OIC based in Jeddah, the gateway to the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah.
He said that in his meetings he suggested to the OIC the formation of what he described as a Global Peace Organization to work for world peace.
“Over 100,000 people are dying every year across the world,” he said, “from conflicts.” Thus, the vital importance of establishing such an organization. “Every person should be a peacemaker,” Mamondiong said.
For context, the OIC is the organization of 57 Muslim and Arab and some non-Muslim countries that was established in September 1969 in reaction to an attempted burning of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in the Middle East. The mosque is Islam’s third holiest shrine; coming after Masjidil Haram (Grand Mosque) in Makkah, and Masjidil Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque in the city of Madinah, both in Saudi Arabia. (✓)