Bridging the divide

ONE hundred sixty-five leaders from the United States and 37 Islamic countries and communities gathered in Doha, Qatar, last Sunday to Tuesday for the US-Islamic World Forum. Organized by the influential Brookings Institution and supported by the Qatari government, we discussed many issues that threaten our human security: cartoons, Hamas, terrorism.  Funny what elements go into the pot that make the stew boil over.  But then the mixture had been on a constant simmer for a long time.

I was invited to speak on the Philippine and Southeast Asian simmering pot of internal conflicts that threaten international security.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar set the tone: “The time has come for us to take a collective effort toward enabling an environment of understanding and peaceful coexistence, despite our diversities and differences.”  He quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who called for more “bridge builders” to close the chasm that divide the West from the Muslim world.

How do we begin?  My children, when they were little, loved to build bridges with Lego, a Danish product. I suppose we begin by allowing our children, boys and girls, to continue building bridges with Lego, even if it is from Denmark.  Even if the ill-advised Danish media (and a fence-sitting Danish government) contributed to the simmering pot by allowing crass commercial interests (disguised as freedom of expression) to override common sense.

Common sense is a good system for making strong bridges.  One does not build a superstructure over a little creek.  Thus, one does not bring in a super military infrastructure to run after a few Abu Sayyaf.  One does not bludgeon or hose down people who congregate to exercise their right for peaceful assembly.  One does not hijack the celebration of EDSA 1 and People Power.  One does not declare a state of emergency to bulldoze peaceful opposition.

My children asked why the Arroyo regime refused to allow the usual EDSA 1 celebration.  I could not offer a logical explanation.  My 16-year-old son, Peppy, wanted to go to the EDSA celebration.  He wanted to be part of a historic event celebrating the power of the people, even if it was only a memorial.

Peppy, together with his sister, Mini, and brother, Ibba, campaigned all over the Philippines in 2004.  They were amazed at the outpouring of support for FPJ everywhere they went.  Although I lost, none of my children considered their time wasted.  They valued the time and effort they had invested in the campaign: they learned a valuable lesson in participatory democracy. Idealists, they believed that the voice of the people would be heard through their votes. They could not understand—and still won’t accept—the Comelec decision that made Mrs. Arroyo president.  They believe that the voice of the people has been muzzled. Thus my children will be at the celebrations of People Power.

What has this got to do with bridging divides?

Many factors divide us. In this country, discrimination and injustice divide Muslims and Christians.  Discrimination and injustice divide rich and poor, men and women, cities and countryside.  Discrimination divides Imperial Manila from Mindanao, Bicol and all the provinces not represented in the narrow corridor of power, which is Malacañang.

EDSA 1 drew hundreds of thousands of people: Christians and Muslims; Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Mindanaoans, Visayans; men and women; rich and poor; city folk and country folk.  For a brief historical moment, they became the bridge over everything that divided us.  My children want to be part of that bridge.