Muslims fight for mosque in Greenhills

Some 2,500 Filipino Muslims whose families sell pearls, cell phones, bags, and shoes at the popular Greenhills shopping centre in suburban San Juan, said they will fight for the establishment of a mosque. There were reports that residents in the posh Greenhills have formed a coalition to protest the plan.

"Of course we're happy to have the 400 square metre prayer area that was assigned to us," said Saralyn Lantud, owner of a shop of pearls and other semi precious stones at the Greenhills commercial centre.

"It was a gift to us by the Ortigas & Co. which handles the commercial centre here," said Lantud.

"Why should there be a protest rally? Why should the residents complain? We never complained about the establishment of Catholic Churches in the southern Philippine," said Saralyn's husband Manny, also a shop owner.

"We are fuelling the merchandise industry here," he said, adding that the establishment of a prayer area for them was a "symbol of the generosity of the heads of the Greenhills commercial centre".

Yusoph Sacar, head of the Greenhills Muslims Traders Association, said: "The management of the commercial centre saw that for the past 11 years we did nothing wrong at the small prayer area that was originally assigned to us at the parking area. They saw that we were productive, that was why they decided to give us a bigger air conditioned prayer area."

They were surprised at the reactions of many people when the plan was announced.

"We are doing good business here. We have become a tourist spot, a major destination for tourists from the US, Europe, and for returning Filipinos. Getting a prayer area should not be denied us," said Sacar.

There are about 800 Filipino-Muslim traders out of 3,000 traders at the Greenhills commercial centre. They sell jewellery and smuggled, if not stolen, cell phones. They also sell fake branded shoes and dresses. The traders and their family members total about 2,500.

The association of Muslim traders held an emergency meeting on Monday after they read an opinion piece by Max Soliven. He was against the idea and he rallied protesters to air their views loudly.

"His fears are without basis. We are not a source of crime. We don't stay here. We only come here to sell our products and we pray five times a day," argued Sacar. On August 13, the Ortigas & Co. announced that they are building a P 8 million mosque in the Greenhills shopping centre.

Many of the traders at Greenhills shopping centre are from Manila's Quiapo district where former First Lady Imelda Marcos established a golden mosque.

"It has become a safe zone for drug smugglers, arms merchants, and an enclave from where street-crime predatore sally forth," Soliven complained.

"We will not respond to his criticism," said Sacar, with dignity. Now, everyone is waiting for fireworks from many camps until the mosque is inaugurated in mid-November.