As the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan started on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte called on the Muslim Filipinos to pray for peace, solidarity, and understanding.
He said he was joining “the Muslim Filipino community here in the Philippines and across the globe in celebrating their faith in Allah.
“As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, may this period of fasting remind everyone of the values of sacrifice, patience, humility and obedience to the teachings of the Holy Month of Ramadan,” President Duterte said.
He made his statement even as the mufti of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao announced the start of Ramadan.
READ: Muslims mark fasting month of Ramadan
“By the authority vested in me as the mufti of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, I hereby declare that the fasting on the month of Ramadan for the year 2019 will start on Monday, May 6, 2019,” Mufti Abu Huraira Udasan repeatedly announced on Saturday night.
Muslims fast for at least 14 hours daily on Ramadan from mid-dawn to sunset, abstaining from food and drink after the suhur as the early dawn meal is called.
Duterte said let the observance be a “solemn opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness for the sins we have committed and to be thankful for all the blessings we have received in the past year.
“I trust that you will offer sincere prayers for peace, solidarity, and understanding among our people and all of humanity.”
Despite differences in religion, cultural tradition, and political belief, Duterte assured the public that his administration would “strive to unite all Filipinos.”
“Together, let us create the change that we have been aspiring for”•the social and moral transformation that is real and meaningful and the lasting progress that will uplift the lives of our kababayans. I wish you an inspiring and blessed Ramadan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace was one with the “Muslim-Filipino brethren and sisters here and abroad in this time of spiritual cleansing, growth, and thanksgiving to Allah.”
He said the public should observe the solemn occasion as not only a manifestation of the great Islamic faith but as a time for reflection for unity and cultural diversity as a society.
“Ramadan for Muslim Filipinos is a time to make sacrifices as they journey towards spiritual purification through prayer, fasting, and contemplation,” he said.
“Together, let us join hands in building a nation grounded on love, respect, inclusivity, and mutual understanding. We are all our brothers’ keeper.”
In the Muslim calendar, Ramadan is the most important month of the year for nearly 1.5-billion Muslims worldwide.
During this observance, Muslims practice the ritual of dawn-to-dusk fasting, abstaining from eating and drinking during daylight hours in a fast called sawm.
