Muslim youth join Educational Tour in Malaysia

Zamboanga City  -  Fifty one youth participants from Lanaodel Sur and Lanao del Norte joined in the four-day educational tour in Malaysia.

Following the successes of the first two Muslim Youth’s Educational Tour to Malaysia, the Armed Forces of the Philippines spearheaded another educational tour with the Muslim youth from May 7 to 10, 2018.

This was facilitated by the Western Mindanao Command, through the Joint Task Force Zampelan, and in coordination with the local government units and the Department of Education-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The educational tour was conducted to develop the culture of peace, harmony, and good governance among the Muslim youth who are exposed to violence and armed conflicts.

The participants paid a courtesy call to the officials of the JabatanKemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) at the Kompleks Islam Putrajaya and to the Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose at the Embassy of the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur on May 7. They also visited the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

21 youth participants hailed from the province of Lanao del Norte and 30 were from Lanaodel Sur.

On May 8, the participants interacted with the students of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia.

They also went on a tour of the museum at the Department of Orang Asli Development and the BatuMalai SriMurugan Temple in Selangor.

The youth paid a courtesy call to the Ministry of Youth and Sports,visited the Putra Mosque, and had a wind shield tour around Putrajaya, Malaysia on May 9.

A tour around Kuala Lumpur City was held on May 10.

“For three years, the government and the armed forces, supported by the various organizations in the Philippines, endeavor to combat violent extremism that affected Muslim children in strife-torn areas by committing to educate, motivate, and provide the latter with vast opportunities to harness their potentials and become leaders in the future,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joel Mamon, the Assistant Chief of Unified Command Staff for Civil-Military Operations of the WestMinCom.

“This educational tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is one way of bridging this goal against child exploitation and of engaging our youth to become advocates of peace rather than victims of armed conflicts in the Philippines,” he added.

Also joining the youth participants were Brigadier General ManoloSamarita, the Deputy Commander for Admin, other AFP personnel, and civilian employees of the Western Mindanao Command; and 10 facilitators from the two provinces.

“The four-day educational tour participated by 51 children from the conflict-affected areas in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte has materialized to educate the Muslim youth with respect to religion and tradition and to build cultural sensitivity and understanding,” said Brigadier General ManoloSamarita, deputy commander for Admin of the WestMinCom.

“The armed forces recognize the pivotal role of the Muslim youth in our campaign against radicalism, and it is befitting that we guide them to become peace catalysts and social actors by letting them experience what it is like to live in a peaceful and progressive Islamic country with citizens that abide by the laws of men and of Allah,” said Major General ArnelDela Vega, the General Officer-in-Charge of the Western Mindanao Command. (Posted by Becky D. de Asis-The Redline News)