Davao City Councilor Halila Y. Sudagar (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—A Moro city councilor here condemned Tuesday the recent US immigration ban on Muslims coming from Muslim majority countries, saying it is a violation of basic human rights.
Speaking at Tuesday’s regular City Council session, Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar, an Indigenous People’s representative from K’lagan tribe, said the move of US President Donald Trump is alarming and offensive.
“In behalf of all Muslims in Davao city who were deeply hurt and affected by the said policy thus I am condemning the said executive order for hurting the Muslims and tarnishing the Islam faith,” she said.
Sudagar explained that Trump’s immigration ban order is targeting “most if not all Muslims are being banned from the US.”
“This act is purely repugnant to the most celebrated democracy supposedly enjoyed by all people around the world regardless of raise, political standpoints and religious beliefs,” she said.
The Moro councilor added that the policy “is apparently an act of discrimination and racism against Muslims under the guise of legitimate terror prevention measure. ”
“It is an insult not only to Muslims affected nearby but to the Muslims all over the world,” she said, cautioning that such policy would cause a rift between Muslims and non-Muslims.
For his part, Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, strongly supported the stance of President Rodrigo Duterte not to interfere with the US immigration ban.
“In order not to be misunderstood, I am with our President to respect whatever is the decision of the US government,” he said.
It can be recalled that Duterte said that he will not interfere with Trump’s executive order as a gesture of respect as Trump did on his campaign on “war on drugs.”
“We will not interfere in your drug war, you’re doing it right. So out of respect for that statement, I can only answer him in the manner that he has told me,” he said.
Duterte has advised all undocumented Filipinos living in the US to get out of the country if President Trump would order them to leave.
“Because if you are caught and you get deported, I will not lift a finger. You know that it is a violation of the law,” the president said. (davaotoday.com)
