ZAMBOANGA CITY — It is estimated that about 40 percent of the over 1 million population of Zamboanga City are Muslims, many of whom emigrated to the city due to chronic peace and order problems or were attracted by the socio-economic opportunities not available in the nearby native provinces.
Unlike their more liberal-minded Christian neighbors, most Muslim parents apparently desire that their children acquire early solid religious trainings, that’s why madrasahs (or madaris) are found in most villages possessing a large number Muslim residents.
In contrast, very few Catholic parishes conduct catechism instruction to the youths, except perhaps by the few parochial schools.
Aside from the madrasahs, there are a few Islamic schools in the region that offer religious instruction in addition to standard academic programs prescribed by the Department of Education.
One of them is the Islamic Institute of the Philippines, located in Zamboanga’s downtown barangay Rio Hondo.
The school was founded in 1990, according to school administrator and vice president Dr. Hadjad Tahil Jamiri.
The institute is a private school registered with DepEd.
Jamiri said the school has about 1,000 students enrolled in kindergarten, elementary and secondary courses — that are in K-12.
“This school is dedicated to teach Muslim youths how to follow and serve Allah, Prophet Mohammad, and their leaders so they grow up to be productive and peace-loving citizens,” Jamiri said.
Indeed, its mission, emblazoned on a wall, declares: “The Islamic Institute of the Philippines is a supervised Department of Education School in the sphere of private education mandated to inculcate educate in Islamic essence amalgamated in the academic program of the Philippine education curricula designed to develop mentally, morally and spiritually individual in order to develop educative leader with trait of excellence to carry out better services for country and people”.
The school teaches Arabic language as well as Islamic lessons including culture and traditions, the sayings and practices of Prophet Mohammad, and history that covers the beginning of mankind, which dates back to Adam in the context of religious evolution, according to Jamiri.
“Students learn about the fundamental connections between Islam and Christian faiths, which lead to interreligious dialogue and peace-building,” Jamiri, an active peace advocate, added.
Since most students are Tausugs and kindred tribes, the main medium of instruction is the Tausug language, reinforced by Pilipino.
They are also taught all the academic subjects required by DepEd.
Jamiri said the school charges low tuition fees, and many students are government scholars.
Many of its 49 teachers are graduates of the Western Mindanao State University’s College of Asian and Islamic Studies.
Together, they are mandated to fulfill the school’s vision, which aims to “develop Islamized educated Muslim professional and leader in the spirit of partaking genuine Islamic righteousness, God-fearing to spend the remaining of his life as law-abiding citizen with rational understanding to co-exist with non-Muslim attributable towards peace, welfare of the nations of the world.” (Rey-Luis Banagudos/PNA)
