Religious leaders in Philippines defend Turkish NGOs being linked to terrorism


Date posted: July 18, 2017

MARLLY ROME BONDOC

De La Salle Philippines president Bro. Armin Luistro and leaders of religious groups on Tuesday expressed support to two non-government organizations being linked to terrorist organizations, noting the NGOs’ track records in peace-building.

“I have never had any reason to link their operations here with alleged terror groups locally as this would seem totally in conflict with their on-going advocacies and programs on peace-building,” said Luistro, a former Education secretary, in a statement.

He was referring to Integrative Center for Alternative Development Foundation, Inc. (ICAD) and Pacific Dialogue Foundation, Inc. (PDF), which run the Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School in Zamboanga City and the Fountain International School in San Juan City, both of which were linked by Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Esra Cankorur to the Fethullah Gulen Movement, a supposed terrorist organization.

Legit foundations

Luistro, in his statement, said he had experienced “working closely” with ICAD and PDF through various partnerships with De La Salle University under his term as De La Salle president from 2004 to 2010.

“Our projects then were aimed at building a culture of dialogue and tolerance especially for young people who may otherwise grow up in an environment of prejudice and bigotry,” he said.

Luistro said that he “never had any doubt that both ICAD and PDF are legitimate foundations that share our Filipino values of peace through education and a deep respect for our common humanity despite differences in cultures, beliefs and traditions.”

“Both ICAD and PDF have been working quietly in their own way to build such an environment through their educational programs here in the Philippines,” he added, as he expressed admiration toward the “culturally-sensitive programs” of the schools being linked to terrorism.

Love and compassion, not terrorism

Carlos Reyes, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue, for his part, said they have been collaborating with ICAD and PDF for years and have “experienced nothing from them but gentleness and attention and they were very open.”

“They have various programs that promote education,” Reyes said.

This was echoed by Shariah lawyer Harun Ali, secretary general of the Imam Council of the Philippines.

“This institution does not teach terrorism nor extremism because it promotes love, harmony, and compassion to every citizen in this country and also to foreigners,” Ali said.

“We witnessed that they are not involved with any illegal activities nor supporting any activities that [could be considered as contradicting] international law. So in behalf of the Imam Council of the Philippines, this institution is a law abiding institution here in the Philippines and they are entitled to enjoy our due process of law,” he added.

The military earlier said it is verifying Cankorur’s claim regarding the supposed supporters of the Fethullah Gulen Movement in the Philippines. 

Source: GMA News Online , July 18, 2017


Related News

I came to Nigeria with just a piece of luggage –Turkish International Colleges foundation coordinator

When Behlul Basaran arrived Nigeria in 2000 from Turkey, he was armed with a single piece of luggage, an enthusiastic spirit and hope. Inside his luggage was his letter of scholarship for a university education from the Hizmet Movement, which had started building a relationship and foundation for quality education with Nigeria.

Becoming a Dialogue Movement: What Can Dialogue Learn from Other Movements?

Frances Sleap Tue, 01 May 2012 Local intercultural dialogue efforts may have a real impact on the quality of the relationships of those involved. But how can dialogue have a larger-scale, more pervasive effect on our society? In a 2010 Dialogue Society discussion, Revd Donald Reeves suggested that dialogue needs to become a movement. Dr […]

Festival atmosphere in Kimse Yok Mu town

Aid efforts to heal the wounds after the flood leaving million Pakistanis homeless in 2010 have been continuing ever since the disaster. In the Ikbaliye town established in Muzaffargarh by Kimse Yok Mu for 296 homeless flood victims, everyone of all ages are happy today.

‘Gülen movement challenges culture of competition’

TÜRKMEN TERZI, ANKARA The Gülen movement, a religious-based social movement with millions of followers in Turkey, is challenging the increasingly competitive philosophy based on marginalizing and outdoing others and offering new ways of looking at cooperation and working together, says Michael Samuel, dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in […]

AKP: What is next?

Neither Erdoğan nor his bureaucrats could convince the public that their plan was educational, and not an attempt to punish the Hizmet movement. Gül, Arınç and several of Erdoğan’s ministers couldn’t stop Erdoğan, who started a war against the Hizmet movement and even directly attacked Fethullah Gülen by taking remarks Gülen made about the headscarf ban 15 years ago completely out of context.

Black Sunday: The day Turkey detained its prominent journalists

The government-orchestrated crackdown on independent critical media outlets in Turkey took a turn for the worse on Sunday with dawn raids on Turkey’s largest newspaper Zaman and popular national TV network Samanyolu TV that led to the detention of top managers at the media outlets.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

US says first batch of docs does not constitute extradition request for Gülen

Lambsdorff: Turkish press intimidated, under pressure

13 criteria Erdogan regime uses to determine Gulen supporters are terrorists

600 complaints filed alleging slander, libel against Gülen

American pastor jailed over Gülen links asks Trump to fight for his release

Turkish charities extend helping hand during Eid al-Adha

Albanian Speaker of the Parliament: Schools of “Gulen” Movement will not be closed

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News