The Miriam College community gathered at the ESI conference room last July 17 to join their sisters and brothers from Marawi in praying for peace in the troubled city.  Muslim peace advocate Marj Salandanan shared her reflections on the war, while Imam Akmad Wahab, national coordinator of the Imam Council of the Philippines, led those present in reciting a prayer in the Muslim tradition.

Miriam College, for its part, prayed for the safety and protection of the people of Marawi. “We believe in a merciful, caring, and just God that delivers protection and help…that through prayer, we can be in solidarity with the victims…,” administrators, faculty, students , and Muslim guests recited in unison.

The fighting in Marawi has been going on for nearly two months and has caused suffering and displacement among the city’s residents.

The gathering ended with the message of encouragement from Jasmin Nario Galace, Center for Peace Education (CPE) executive director, calling on everyone to continue interfaith dialogue efforts, to ease tensions between Muslim and Christian communities because of the crisis in Marawi.

She also announced the launch of a second drive for the Marawi evacuees who are now in the hundreds of thousands. The drive was initiated by the Miriam Advocacy Center.

The co-organizers of the event were the CPE, Miriam Identity, Spirituality and Mission Office, and the HEU Campus Ministry Office and Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.