Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations: Articles and Photos

Unpublished paper, November 2011

AN OVERVIEW. This paper will focus on al-Farabi’s political philosophy. This will address specifically his thoughts on the following issues: First, the qualities for the ruler; second, the difference between Excellent City and Ignorant City; and last is his concept on how to attain happiness.

During al-Farabi’s time, a perfect city was a vision a...

Unpublished paper,  September 2011

Madrasah educational system is now been a component of the Philippine national educational system, similar to the Christian and Chinese school systems.[1] It has been prescribed by the Department of Education or DepEd under itsOrder No. 51, s. 2004, and adopted as a national standard curriculum by the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or ARMM through RG Executive Order No. 13-A,...

Published at the Turkish Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (October - December 2011 issue)

I just came back from Turkey and Istanbul is the world. Compared to New York City, Washington DC and Boston, Istanbul is way far richer than these cities especially when it comes to culture and hospitality. I love the combination of everything Ottoman, everything Byzantine and everything Constantinople, everything Asian and everything European, it is simp...

Religion and Peacebuilding: Interview with Roger Baumann, (recent graduate of Harvard Divinity School with a Master’s Degree in Religion), Social Media Coordinator for Public Conversations Project, interviewed by atm, March 2011

“To promote cross-cultural understanding, we have to ackn...

The role of Muslim woman in advocating women rights and youth activism: Interview with Heba Youssef, (candidate, MA Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Chaplaincy, Hartford Seminary), Chaplain at Fairfield University, Interviewed by Acmad Toquero Macarimbang, February 2011

"...live each moment with a sense of purpose... I urge you ...

Learning Christian-Muslim Relations: Interview with David L. Johnston, PhD (Fuller Theological Seminary),adjunct professor in the Religious Studies Department, University of Pennsylvania

"I love the way Muslim daily life is punctuated by prayer with specific rituals and liturgies, much like the traditional churches of the Middle East that predated Islam.....we Christians should be more mindful of God's presence...

Muslims in SEA:The Challenge of Culture Diversity and Nation-Building: Interview with Imtiyaz Yusuf, PhD (Temple University), Malaysia Chair of Islam in Southeast Asia, Georgetown University, Inteviewed by atm

“The recognition of culture diversity or a multi-cultural citizenship is a solution. In the age of globalization, all countries ar...

Published at the Muslim Institute London (2010), and at Counter Currents India (2010)

Democracy is believed to be a modern phenomenon in governance. The word “democracy” is not directly stated in the Bible and Qur'an, but there are narratives and interpretations that are substantially relating to the notion of modern democracy. This paper will present theological reasons why both religions are compatible with democratic forms of governance and how these grounds a...

Submitted to Prof. Yehezkel Landau, Dialogue in a World of Difference class, Fall 2009

Michael Walzer begins his thesis in ‘Moral Minimalism’ by presenting the marchers in Prague arguing that anyone can easily join a group calling for ‘justice and truth’ without going deeply into the particularity of their universal call. This presentation offers a clear view of compatibility between thickness and thinness. Referring to the marchers, Walzer supported ...

Submitted to Prof. Mahmoud Ayoub, Major Themes of the Bible and Qur'an class, Fall 2009

This paper is limited only to the disobedience of Iblis to Allah, and the comparison between interpretations from Qur’anic and Sufi thoughts about his refusal to follow Allah’s command. I will not take into account the origin and nature of Satan as an evil power in the world. I will present Qur’anic verses on this particular subject matter and present arguments in regard...

Submitted to Prof. Macrina Morados, Muslims and its Institutions in the Philippines, 2008

To a very great degree, the United States foreign policy is complicated especially addressing issues on Mindanao conflict. President George W. Bush popularized bilateral military ties with the Philippine government only after the September 11 attack. The US concerned was the possibility that Mindanao could become a training ground and sanctuary for international terrorists. This ...

Published at the Religion Artcile Library, Hawaii (2009)

Marcia Hermansen stated on her article, that the Islamic concept of time is marked by a similar concept of ex nihilo creation, and the destruction of the present world. The latter description is being clarified by Fazlur Rahman on his book that Qur’an actually talks about transformation and not destruction. This means, the creation of new forms of life and new levels of being. In the concept of returning to God, ...

Published at the Religion Artcile Library, Hawaii (2009)

Reuven Firestone wrote that Judaism and Christianity have no problem identifying the intended victim. Isaac is the progenitor of the Jewish people. In Christianity, Isaac is the prefiguration of the Jesus’ crucifixion. The problem of identifying who between Isaac and Ishmael is the problem in Islam, and he gave two reasons for this. First, the Qur’an does not specify who was attempted to sacrifice. Second, ...

Published at the Religion Article Library, Hawaii (2009)

The Redemption and Fall by Trevor Hart is about Christian perspectives on sin and salvation, and presented this perspective through metaphors that are faithful developments of apostolic tradition on life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But, the author main point was Christian salvation is not really a metaphor but a personal history of Jesus that the apostles refer as the Christ. He presented the three metaphors in a...