Practical Mediation

We live in a nation where various religions live together, However the majority of the

religion in the Philippines is Roman Catholic. There is a huge population gap between
Christians and Muslims. The recent tragic events in Marawi, made a misunderstanding between
these religions that is present up to this day. As Catholics, it is important for us to be aware and
considerate of the beliefs and cultures of Muslims by gaining full understanding. In particular,
the specific standards that women Muslims follow and what Catholics should and should not do
in order to give respect, given the differences that these two religions have.

The following things to consider about Muslim Women:

 For Muslim women, their body is sacred, for which no other individual should see their
body up to their chin to their lower ankle.
 It is mandatory for a woman Muslim to wear hijab every day so that they look beautiful
and respectful
 They also are prohibited to wear perfumes where they are inclined to make sins for
wearing perfume and it’s only allowed to wear perfume to their husbands
 Muslim women are specifically not supposed to have sex outside marriage. It is
considered to be lustful for them.
 Muslim women should wear hijab where either her husband can see them or for some
purposes, they should remove it, it is optional.
 A man should give Dowry (parental property, gifts, or money) to his bride/bride family at
marriage or in advance is a must for the man to give. Dowry compares with the
associated bride price and dower definitions.
Muslims respects Christians equally. These things should be considered for unity and peace of
different religions. It is part of their beliefs, culture and human rights. These things should never
be discriminated against yet, the discriminations are still present, we should educate those people
about the beliefs of women Muslims.

In Galatians 3:28, it is said that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” We have different religion,
beliefs and practices but that doesn’t mean a certain religion is dominant than a certain religion.
In God’s eyes we are all equal and no one should step on someone’s religion, beliefs and
practices. In the end, the goal of every religion is to praise and worship God.

Reflection:

The difference in Religion should not be the restriction on have a relationship with
anyone. The difference in Religion should teach us how to respect. We have different Religion,
practices and beliefs that is important to an individual. Imagine making fun of an individual who
is wearing a hijab, an individual crying while praising and worshiping God, an individual making
weird things because of their practices. We shall show respect because every beliefs and
practices are sacred to an individual. It is not about the “norms” we view in our everyday life. It
is not about the present Religion we are in. It is about our end goal with our walk with God. We
have differences in every aspect of our lives but let us all show respect in every people we see in
our everyday lives. Everything is sacred because it is made by God.