ZAMBOANGA CITY—The barrier that religion sometimes put up to divide people has disappeared in the scene of devastation that Supertyphoon “Yolanda” left in the Visayas and drove Muslim humanitarian workers to tears.
“I felt so sad to see how disaster destroyed the lives of Filipino people in Leyte and Cebu,” said Mohammad Safaruddin Jhinku, head of the training department of Global Peace Mission Malaysia.
“Tears fell from my eyes,” he said.
Jhinku and his group had joined a mission to Leyte, mounted by the Turkish welfare and solidarity association, Deniz Feneri Dernegi, which was initially intended to find out if there were Muslim victims who needed help.
The group ended up giving food aid to people regardless of religion, he said.
Rameer Tawasil, of the Golden Crescent Consortium, said the devastation was so immense and he was “grateful that Muslims around the world shared resources not just to help Muslim Filipinos but all Filipino [victims].”
Ali Karayilan and Suleyman Enes Kiliç, of Deniz Feneri Dernegi, said their hearts bled when they saw people in areas who have yet to get help.
“No relief or help was extended until we came,” Kiliç said.
Karayilan said they managed to locate some Muslim Filipinos affected by the disaster particularly in the areas of Bantayan and Bogo in Cebu City.
He said the Muslim typhoon victims sought refuge in mosques.
Karayilan admitted that the food they brought would last for only 15 days but that these could help the victims survive until food aid from other groups reach them.
Kiliç said some Muslim families had left Tacloban following Yolanda’s destruction, which was the reason his group met only nine of the families.
Commissioner Edil Baddiri, of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, said based on commission records, there were 434 Muslim Filipino families in Leyte and 69 in Tacloban City alone.
“There are those who are still missing,” he said.
Muslims in Basilan worked with Christians to send a relief mission to Leyte, according to Col. Carlito Galvez of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade.
Galvez said Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad and Dr. Albukair Tarason, of the local
Ulama association, were the driving forces behind the effort, in coordination with the Basilan provincial government. Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao