FILE PHOTO: Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines —Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman is working to ensure that all public and private facilities in his province have designated spaces where Muslims can pray.
On Wednesday, Hataman filed House Bill No. 7117, which would mandate the installation of a place of worship for Muslims in all public buildings, transportation hubs, hospitals, military bases, and other facilities where people of the Muslim faith may be present.
The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, which would be responsible for enforcing the rule, is also authorized to increase the number of prayer rooms if the need arises.
“The Philippines’ Muslim population, whose numbers range anywhere from over 6 million to as high as 12 million depending on the source of data, form a huge and significant part of our citizenry,” the lawmaker said.
He then noted: “It is therefore imperative for the free exercise of their Islamic faith that prayer rooms be also made available to them in government institutions and private establishments intended for public use.”
In a separate statement, Hataman said it remains a challenge for the Muslim population, not just in Mindanao but across the entire country, to find a place for worship in public spaces since they need to pray at least five times a day.
READ: 82% of Muslim adults pray the Salah multiple times a day
“Ang pagdarasal ay mahalaga sa lahat ng relihiyon. Sa aming mga Muslim, ginagawa namin ito limang beses sa isang araw, nasaan man kami abutan. Kaya mahalaga na laging may lugar kung saan pwedeng magdasal ang mga kapatid nating Muslim,” he added.
(Praying is important for all regions. We Muslims pray five times a day, wherever we may be. That’s why our Muslim brothers and sisters need to have a reserved place of worship anywhere.)
While Hataman pointed out that some establishments already have allotted prayer rooms for Muslims, he pushed for more of them to have such worship spaces.
“Imbes na limitahan natin ang mga lugar na maaaring puntahan ng ating kapatid na Muslim, gawin nating mas accessible ang pagdarasal bilang bahagi ng kalayaan sa pagpapahayag ng aming pananampalataya,” he said.
(Instead of limiting the places our Muslim brothers and sisters can go to, let’s make prayer more accessible for them as we uphold the freedom of religious expression.)