CEBU CITY, Cebu - Over 30 Islamic scholars or ulama, converged in this city Tuesday through the auspices of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) to tackle major issues, involving Filipino-Muslims and efforts to uplift their lives and contribute to nation-building. The issues include halal trade activities and the reproductive health bill. NCMF Secretary Bai Omera D. Dianalan Lucman told the Manila Bulletin that the ulama (singular, aleem) are a major sector of every Muslim community or society. ''They are very much respected and have the influence, even the power, to convince their people to follow them. But the NCMF has noticed that this potent ulama sector has largely been untapped to its fullest potential as agents of social change,'' said Lucman. As the premier Muslim government agency in the country, she said the NCMF will try to change the current situation by mustering the role of the ulama in tackling and addressing, initially, five major issues and concerns facing Muslims and their communities. With this end in view, she said the NCMF has organized and is hosting the National Ulama Consultative Conference (NUCC) themed ''The Ulama as Unifying Force and Agents of Social Change,'' which started yesterday and will run until Thursday, Feb.10 at the Cebu Midtown Hotel. Lucman's point man for the event, NCMF Director Camad Edres, and NCMF-the Visayas Acting Regional Director Malo B. Manonggiring have been in the thick of preparations in the last few weeks for the landmark ulama event. ''We want to help the national government and the Aquino administration by tapping the cooperation and efforts of the ulama to improve Muslim communities and uplift our people's economic status,'' said Lucman. She said the Muslim communities need to have a consensus on the declaration of the start and end of Ramadan, Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha holidays through a nationwide moonsighting to be followed by all. They would also like to see the development of a single nationally-accepted Philippine Halal Standard and Guidelines; development and harmonization of the madaris (Islamic education) curriculum; and guidelines for re-establishing Zakat (Islam's obligatory charity) as a tool against poverty and on the raging reproductive health issue, especially family planning.
''This is our way of bringing down to the grassroots the national government's thrust concerning the tapping of the various sectors of the Filipino society to help in nation-building, fostering peace and harmony, and in alleviating poverty, among others,'' said Lucman. She said the role of the ulama has largely still been untapped, particularly where it concerns upliftment of the lives of their people. ''Through the holding of a series of conference, we hope to make the ulama more active and make them feel they are needed by the millions of Muslims in the country,'' said the top NCMF official. ''They are very well-respected and followed in every Muslim community so the NMCF would like to galvanize their (ulama and Islamic clerics) support in the Government's various programs,'' Lucman said.
