Hosting Afghan refugees

The close ties between the Philippines and the United States was once again demonstrated in the recent decision of the government to temporarily host Afghans who fled when the radical Taliban took control of their country. It took more than two years for our government to act on the US request. We wrote earlier about the pitiful condition of the Afghans, who are Muslims who fled for their lives because of their collaboration with the US government and who refused to accept the kind of Islam the Taliban are evangelizing through terror and violence.

In my past article about the issue, I said the “Taliban are the genre of Muslims who are chained to fanaticism, radicalism and violence as ways to proselytize their strict interpretation of Islam, much like Al Bagdhadi’s ISIS and Bin Laden’s al Qaeda. They are stubbornly conservative, refusing progressive ideas and modernity.

“Recall that, historically, we Filipinos have played host to foreigners who needed assistance. After the Holocaust, when Hitler was running insanely after the Jews, then President Manuel Quezon allowed them shelter in the Philippines. Some stayed for good. In the city of Iligan, I remember fondly the Sheker family now deeply rooted in the city and have grown exponentially to be most influential in politics and business because of their financial success. I daresay they contributed to the growth of the city and they are deeply embedded in the local society in which they live and are treated like native Iliganon.

“We likewise opened our homes to the Vietnamese boat people who escaped from their repressive government after the fall of Saigon in 1975. You see them well settled in their chosen communities, like the ones who settled in Palawan and easily integrated with the locals.”

That early, I predicted that it would not be surprising if the Philippine government would allow the temporary stay of the Afghan refugees for humanitarian reasons and in deference to the strong ties between our country and the US.

We haven’t seen the executive agreement between the Philippines and the US. News reports, however, said the Afghans will stay for only a limited duration until their visa applications to the US, where they will be settled, are completed. Furthermore, only a limited number of Afghan-applicants will be allowed entry to the Philippines. The US government will foot the bill for their stay — for their food, accommodations, medical care, security and transportation, and other related expenses. Their movements while here will be restricted for security reasons.

The issue, however, had triggered opposing stands by our national leaders. While Senators Francis Tolentino and Robinhood Padilla welcomed them in the name of the “nation’s values of compassion, solidarity and international cooperation, others don’t agree. Senator Imee Marcos substantially said that we have enough problems on our hands and we should not add more to them. Vice President Sarah Duterte likewise invoked “possible security threats and violations of the country’s sovereignty as reasons for her opposition.”

Filipino Muslims welcomed the decision of the government to allow them temporary shelter. They could see that the Muslim Afghans would only be transiting because after the processing and vetting by the US they will have to leave our country. Enough safeguards have been provided in the agreement that will protect our country’s interest. The Philippines being a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, including the 1954 UN Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, it is obligated to respect these agreements.

On top of these reasons is the Filipino Muslims membership in the universal brotherhood of Muslims under the concept of “ummah Islamiya” which obligates a Muslim to lend a helping hand to another in need of it.

The BARMM government in a public statement said it “stands in full support of the... agreement... to ensure the efficient and successful implementation of this initiative.”

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