As we are all aware, Mindanao, that island in the Southern Philippines oftentimes referred to as the land of the promise, has been a melting pot of political unrest and religious animosity. The centuries of colonial invasion and religious wars fought between the natives of Mindanao and the foreign invaders had developed a culture of resistance among the Muslims which, up to this day, has to be transformed into a culture of peace and understanding. The religious animosity that characterizes that atmosphere in Mindanao is further aggravated by the political ambitions of leaders who want to perpetuate themselves in power and who use the issues of religious differences in attaining that purpose.
While there were attempts in the past in making the two religious groups in Mindanao open their hearts to an atmosphere of understanding and -peace through dialogue, it is in recent years that a concerted effort is being undertaken at the higher levels of the Christian bishops and the Muslim ulama (religious leader). The idea cropped up during the negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on the establishment of the Special Zone of Peace and Development. There were opposing voices in Christian dominated areas on the pretext that such would be disadvantageous and prejudicial to non-Muslims. When the issue was about to reach uncontrollable bounds, the Muslim religious leaders led by Dr. Mahid M. Mutilan, the President of the Ulama League of the Philippines (and incidentally, the Governor of Lanao del Sur) and the Catholic Bishops led by Archbishop Fernando Capalla initiated a dialogue between their groups to tackle the issue. This was in November 1996. That initial meeting gave birth to the Bishop- Ulama Forum that regularly meets in February, May, August and November. The basic purpose of the dialogue is the creation of an atmosphere of peace and understanding among Muslims and Christians. It is believed that if leaders of both groups can create peace among themselves, then their congregations can also follow. Also included now in the Forum are religious leaders from the National Council of Churches of the Philippines based in Mindanao.