Revisiting the concept of social integration and its implications for national unity: the experience of Muslims in the Philippines
This paper highlights the experience of Muslims in the Philippines towards the integration of their ancestral territorial roots, language and customs and traditions. It is often viewed that education provides a distinctive pattern of transmitting cultural values and norms to its young and potenti...
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/75252/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/75252/1/75252_Certificate%20of%20attendance.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/75252/2/75252_Revisiting%20the%20concept%20of%20social%20integratio.pdf |
| Summary: | This paper highlights the experience of Muslims in the Philippines towards the
integration of their ancestral territorial roots, language and customs and traditions. It is
often viewed that education provides a distinctive pattern of transmitting cultural values
and norms to its young and potential members. However, because of the prevalence of
secularism in the Philippines, economics, law, cultural and educational reform have been
constantly revised and changed following the popular trends coming from the West. It is
indeed unfortunate that the framework of the government policies for social integration
and development were crafted in accordance with the interests of the ruling elites in the
country. In addition, the government approach for national integration via education
reform has lost its identity, which has resulted in the widening of socio-economic and
cultural gap between Christian majority and Muslim minority societies. The study aims at
re-examining the strengths and flaws of government agendas for social integration,
particularly in dealing with the legal, economic and educational reform in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Although the philosophy of Islamic
knowledge, Islamic worldview and epistemology are not well spell out in the government
policies and laws for the integration of Muslims in the national body politics, the study
seeks to explore how the gradual restoration of tawhidic epistemology and integration of
knowledge could serve the interest of intercultural discourse and national unity. In
addition, the study seeks to discuss the possible areas for the integration project by
which, the popularization of Shari’ah and its maqasid dimension will put Muslim
communities in new positive light in the eyes of humanity. As such, the unresolved root of
conflict emanating from the intellectual segregation will be addressed. The result of the
study would serve as a framework for policy makers since it examines the challenges on
how to generate experts on integration of knowledge as a new strategy for transforming
higher institutions of learning in the Muslim areas as a leading universities and private
colleges in the country. What obstructed the growth and development of Muslim society
are the general lack of freedom and the decades of interference in academic and
scholarly institutions on the part of the government and security forces. Leaving aside
the many issues in understanding the politics of integration as experienced by Muslims in
the Philippines, the following recommendations can be tentatively made in the present
study: first and foremost, which is the most delicate in a Muslim minority setting, is the
need for the systematic development of a holistic understanding of the various branches
of knowledge, from which, tawhidic worldview and epistemology are duly recognized as
relevant for the realization of integration through education, such move should not be
seen as dichotomous modes of existence but as seamless continuum in the history of
education in the Philippines. Secondly, to achieve the desired objective of the integration
can be spearheaded by Muslim government agencies and organizations in order to build
bridges and channels of academic, scientific and technical cooperation with other
systems and educational institutions at the regional and global level. Thirdly, the human
nature and philosophy of integration of knowledge should serve the interest of the entire
mankind |
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