Imams, Catholic bishops condemn deadly Sunday mass bombing

MANILA, Philippines — Both Muslim and Catholic religious leaders have denounced the deadly explosion that took place during Sunday mass in a university gymnasium in Marawi City.  

In separate statements, the United Imams of the Philippines and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) decried the act of violence that the police estimate has claimed at least four lives and left dozens more injured.

The Muslim religious leaders called the bombing attack at Mindanao State University (MSU) a violation of “all human and Islamic norms” and cited verses in the Quran that forbid “all forms of attacks on innocents.”

“In Islam, the only wars that are permitted are between armies and they should engage on battlefields and engage nobly. The Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Do not kill women or children or non-combatants and do not kill old people or religious people,’ and he mentioned priests, nuns and rabbis,” the United Imams of the Philippines said.

The Filipino imams added that violence against innocent civilians “constitutes a form of injustice that cannot be tolerated by Islam, which views them as gross crimes and sinful acts.”

“Any attack on innocent people is unlawful and contrary to shari'a (Islamic law). Muslims must safeguard the lives, honor and property of civilians and non-combatants. Attacking them contradicts shari'a,” the United Imams of the Philippines added.

Similarly, the CBCP expressed grief over the deadly attack that targeted the Catholic faithful, pointing out that those behind the act had chosen to do so on the first Sunday of Advent (December 3).

“Surely, the killers who precipitated such a horrendous act of violence have their loved ones too. What would it take to get them to see in the families of their victims their own families?” CBCP President Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said.

“Such violence should not only be denounced; it should also be renounced as a way of seeking redress by every peace-loving Filipino,” he added.

David also cited the statement of MSU decrying the attack, which it described as “an assault on our core values and our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive community for all.” 

“We could not agree more. With them,