Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines-Diliman
The UP Board of Regents in its June 10, 2019 meeting has renewed the appointment of Asst. Prof. Macrina A. Morados as Dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies, UP Diliman. This will be Asst. Prof. Morados’s second three-year term as Dean, since her first appointment to the office in 2016.
The UP Institute of Islamic Studies, the UP Asian Center and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in the Philippines held a free batik-making workshop last May 11, 2019, Saturday (9 am–12 noon) at the Asian Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. The activity was participated in by Bahasa Indonesia Level 1 and 2 students and other interested members of the UP community.
Originated from the old practice of tattooing known as batuk to some Austronesian people in Southeast Asia, batik is both an art and a craft, which is becoming more popular and well known in the West as a wonderfully creative medium. The art of decorating cloth in this way, using wax and dye, has been practiced for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there (The Batik Guild, n.d.).
The participants drew pictures on white cloth and traced their outlines with a special instrument called tjanting that thinly-ladled hot liquid wax. The parts covered in wax keep the original white color of the cloth. Thereafter, participants colored their drawings and cloth with dyes that they favored. The batik frames were dried before and after brushing glue over them. Participants then dipped the frames into hot water and dried them for the last time. The batik workshop produced frames of such vibrant colors and interesting designs to the delight of all.
The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Philippines, represented by its Education and Cultural Attaché Dr. Lili Nurlaili and batik instructor Ibu Prita, sponsored the event with free materials and lunch from Warung restaurant. The UP Asian Center hosted the venue of the joint activity while the UP Institute of Islamic Studies provided equipment and materials.
For the past years, the UP Institute of Islamic Studies has hosted a month-long Iftar during Ramadan as part of its community extension services. Iftar is the meal eaten by the observers to break their fast at a specific time after sunset. This year 2019, our iftar activities were held in two locations—UP Diliman and Camp Karingal. In UP Diliman, iftar is held at our new “home” at the 3rd floor of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP), for the benefit of UP Diliman Muslim students, faculty and staff. Outsiders and even non-Muslims have also been welcomed. Close to fifty (50) individuals come for iftar from Monday to Friday. In Camp Karingal, iftar is held in the Female Dormitory in Quezon City. There are at least 60 Muslim women PDL (Persons deprived of liberty) benefiting from the program that is targeted to run for 10 days.
This year, we thank our major sponsors Mahmoud Ismail and Sarah Ibrahim (MISI-Dubai) through Engr. Ismail Mahmoud, the M. Al-Rabah of Kuwait through Engr. Sadoun Alowayesh and his wife Carmela Zainab Hainto, the Australian Muslim Community through Bro. Saleem Habibullah, and the Qatar Embassy in Manila. We likewise thank our other sponsors who provided iftar in the Institute of Islamic Studies like Uni-Harmony, the KHAS restaurant, our alumnus Acmad Macarimbang and his wife Zeny-Linda Nandu, Senior Lecturer Abdulhadi Daguit, Ms. Sadia Sultana (a Bangladeshi expatriate), Mr. & Mrs. Andanar and among others. Engr. Alowayesh and his wife also donated prayer mats (sadjadas) for the new UP IIS musallah area and 160 kilos of dates (tamer) to be shared during Iftar activities.
Besides iftar sharing, tarawi prayers were also organized by the Institute. It is held during weekdays, Mondays to Fridays, at Cariño Hall, 3rd floor, School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP). The Institute is very thankful to Dr. Hussein Lidasan, the new Dean of School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP), and the SURP family for providing space for the Institute’s Ramadan activities.
By: Michael L. Tan
Published by inquirer: https://opinion.inquirer.net
Monday was the start of Ramadan, which non-Muslims usually associate with fasting. The fasting, from sunrise to sunset, is important, but there’s more to Ramadan, including prayers, reflection, charity and sacrifice (for example, refraining from tobacco).
Also included during Ramadan are extra efforts to stay humble and avoid outbursts of anger. One of my Muslim friends told me last year how someone, a Christian, was trying to pick a fight with her and how she had to keep holding herself back, explaining to her protagonist: “I’m Muslim and it’s Ramadan so I will hold my tongue.” That only got her “friend” even angrier, but he backed off in the end.
Ramadan provides us with an opportunity for Christian-Muslim dialogue and understanding. But, unfortunately, we still think of the month as a “Muslim-only” month, with a side benefit of Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, as a national holiday.
Considering that Muslims are now found all throughout the country and, in cities, in fairly large numbers, majority Christians should try to learn more about Ramadan and Islam by talking with Muslim colleagues and by thinking of ways to help Muslims go through the rigors of Ramadan’s observances. This applies not just to offices but to classes as well, and to workshops being held during this month of sacrifice.
The day of the start of Ramadan, we also had our UP Diliman executive committee meeting involving deans and directors, so I took the opportunity to remind them that with Ramadan, we should give special consideration to our Muslims observing the fast. For example, our dorms, which normally do not allow cooking, have been instructed to allow Muslim students to prepare their “suhoor” or predawn meal, which has to be heavy enough to keep them going for the next 12 hours or so.
The Islamic calendar is quite different from our Gregorian calendar, so Ramadan moves each year, becoming earlier on the Western calendar. This year’s Ramadan will be more difficult given that it falls during the very hot and dry month of May—a literal Ramadan, so to speak, since that word is derived from “ramida” or “ar-ramad,” which means scorching heat or dryness.
Since the fasting includes abstaining from water, you can imagine the dangers of dehydration, especially for those who have to take public transportation to and from work.
Also, be on the alert because very devout Muslims will sometimes insist on observing the fast and not even take medicines orally, which can be a problem for those who are on maintenance medicines, for example for high blood pressure or diabetes.
During Ramadan, Muslims might also need to take more breaks not just for the regular five prayers in a day (three of which fall during office hours), but also for extra prayers or reading of the Quran.
Muslims should take extra effort to explain what Ramadan is, and invite non-Muslim friends to join them for iftar, the meal after sunset and the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
Ramadan got me thinking of the progress we’ve made in UP Diliman toward greater inclusivity with Muslims.
We have gained many Muslim alumni across the decades. When the Institute of Islamic Studies has its special celebrations, some of these alumni return, and one thing that struck me was how many of them, including lawyers and physicians, come from Siasi island in the province of Sulu.
One of the most well-known UP Diliman alumni from Siasi is Santanina Tillah Rasul, who was one of the first women senators in the Philippines. She pushed for women’s rights through antidiscrimination measures, including opening the Philippine Military Academy to women.
Our UP Diliman executive committee now has two Muslim deans—Macrina Morado for the Institute of Islamic Studies and Hussein Sinsuat Lidasan for the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Both are experts in their fields: dean Morado in Sharia law, particularly family relations, and dean Lidasan for transport planning.
The Institute of Islamic Studies’ founding dean was Cesar Adib Majul, born to an Ibanag mother and a Syrian father, and who converted to Islam as an adult. Majul trained as a historian, wrote books on Muslims in the Philippines, and was an authority on Apolinario Mabini. He was also dean of the College of Arts and Sciences right before martial law.
The last time I checked, UP Diliman had more than 200 Muslim students, taking different degrees. Many excel in their fields, including, in 2017, Arman Ali Ghodsinia, who delivered the valedictory speech at UP Diliman’s general commencement exercises. He graduated summa cum laude with one of the most difficult degree programs: molecular biology and biotechnology.
To our Muslim readers, Ramadan Mubarak, a blessed Ramadan.
mtan@inquirer.com.ph
Read more: https://opinion.inquirer.net/121221/muslims-and-up#ixzz5pMusltiw
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