Philippines: Muslim Religious Leaders In Mindanao Receive Death Threats
By UCA News
Muslim religious leaders in Mindanao have claimed they have been receiving death threats.
“We have received threats through text messages and through social media,” said Sheik Sadiq Usman, a member of the Ulama Alliance.
The threats began coming from “young Muslim radicals propagating extremism” around the time of the shooting of a visiting Saudi cleric and diplomat in Zamboanga City, Usman told ucanews.com.
Ayed Al-Qarni, a well-known Muslim lecturer, and Sheikh Turki Assaegh, religious attache at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Manila, survived the assassination attempt on March 1.
At least 5,000 Muslims staged a protest rally in Marawi City on March 10 to condemn the attack on Al-Qarni and Assaeg.
“The government should give serious attention to the issue,” said Dr. Guimba Poingan, a Muslim academic, speaking of the shootings and death threats.
“The government should do its best to conduct an immediate investigation,” he said, adding that the attempts on the lives of Muslim leaders “might put a barrier” to the peace process.
