Muslim-Christian gap shows even in burial

The body of a suspected Moro rebel slain in Zamboanga City is wrapped in white cloth in preparation for his burial. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY — When Mila Muksan’s two-month old granddaughter died of malnutrition at an evacuation center for victims of the 2013 siege by Moro rebels of the city, her family received a 3-meter long roll of white cloth and P1,000.

Muksan’s family members are practicing Muslims. In Islam, the dead should be wrapped in a white shroud for burial, nothing else.

On the contrary, Marvin de Asis’ family got a total of P6,000 in burial assistance when he died of an unknown illness inside the evacuation center here, about the same time Muksan’s granddaughter died. Members of the De Asis family are Christians.

Ben Ammang, a former evacuation camp manager, said there was indeed a disparity between Muslims and Christians here, citing the amount of burial assistance as an example.

“The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) gives out cloth. If the dead was an adult, they give 5 to 6 meters of cloth. For babies or children, [families receive] about 3 meters. The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development provides P1,000. For Christians, they automatically release P6,000,” Ammang said.

Gamal Hassan, one of those displaced during the 2013 siege, said Muslims spend a lot for the burial of dead kin but the city only provides meager cash assistance.

“We bury our loved ones in Mampang, a government cemetery, but digging is not free. Before we bring the dead for burial, we bathe them and we pay for [this service]. We usually tap an imam (a cleric) and every time he performs this ritual, we give him some cash. We need cash for transportation and we also feed the people,” Hassan said.

Evelyn Las Marias, CSWDO operations officer, confirmed that Christians get more burial aid than Muslims.

But Las Marias said her office is only following what a city ordinance on this type of assistance prescribes.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar said Muslim beneficiaries can also ask for financial assistance, worth P3,000 to P5,000, “according to their needs.”

Ordinance No. 414, passed in 2013, increased the P3,800 burial assistance to Christian indigents to P6,000, broken down as follows: embalming, P2,000; coffin, P3,500; and transportation, P500. The measure said Muslims would get the amount allotted for embalming so they can use this to buy white cloth for the shroud.