Palace urged to hold dialogues on anti-Islam video

Amina Rasul Bernardo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A leader of a Muslim non-government organization on Monday called on Malacanang to consider starting dialogues on the anti-Islam video which has triggered violent protests in several countries.

Amina Rasul Bernardo, co-founder and president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, told Radyo Inquirer 990AM in an interview that while Malacanang has stated that it will not take steps to block the video “The Innocence of Muslims”, it should think of discussing the issue first with the country’s Muslim community.

She said that while blocking material such as controversial films and videos only spurred responses from the offended parties, escalating protests in other countries due to the said video should be considered to provide a venue for peaceful discussions on the issue.

“It is important to have reasonable discussions on the issue. The video will attract more attention if we simply ban it. We should try to increase collaborations in dialogues,” Bernardo said.

“Although the topic is offensive, dialogues can provide us with a venue to resolve the issue. Why should we allow the issue to worsen when there must be a way within the democratic processes?” she asked.

The Muslim community within the country has yet to react to the said video and Bernardo said that various groups may differ in how they see the issue but “if Malacanang wants a strategy to appease (the Muslim community) they should engage them in discussions.”

“Everybody is free to express sentiments but it should not be done in violence which will just divide our communities,” Bernardo said.

For more of the interview, listen to Radyo Inquirer 990AM.