WAMY - Philippines

By Acza Alim (WAMY Scholar), Jamiatol Imam Student (Jakarta, Indonesia)

What is the true essence of fasting during the month Ramadan?

It is the avoidance of doing anything that could destroy the true meaning of fasting...like eating, drinking, doing sexual intercourse and making bad deeds.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one way of expressing our belief to the Almighty Allah.

It is one of the pillars of Islam that is obliged for every Muslim to follow.

WAMY Arabic Teachers' Conference

WAMY Philippines successfully hosted the Annual WAMY Arabic Teachers' Conference, held last  august 12, 2009 at MASS SPEC - Cagayan de Oro City.

Our invited speakers discussed the following topics to achieve the objectives of the conference: Islamic work strategies, the programs of WAMY in the region, methods of islamic teachings, preparing a lesson plan etc.

In the  conference, the organizer conducted also  workshop on a study based on the actual situation of da'wah work in different regions in order to take an appropriate action on problems and issues in the muslim communities.

My Mother Only had one eye…I hated her… she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell… anything for the money we needed,she cooked for students & teachers to support the family,she was such an embarrassment.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me?! I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, “EEEE, your mom only has one eye!” I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. So I confronted her that day and said, ” If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?!!!” My mother remained silent…I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings…I wanted out of her house..I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I’d wanted to say all this time. Maybe it was because my mom hadn’t punished me, but I didn’t think that I had hurt her feelings very badly. That night… I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty.

Ma'mor Hassanoddin, WAMY South East Asian head and member Indonesian House of Representatives, has recently visited  Cagayan de Oro, Philippine last July 25, 2009.

Mamor's Visit in the WAMY-Philippine Office in Cagayan de Oro was a significant. It was his first time to visit the newly opened office in Cagayan de Oro and WAMY-Philippine Staff were honored to host him.

His schedule also included a project visitation in Balulang, Cagayan de Oro City.

On several occasions during his Philippine visit, he mentioned how he values his experience in WAMY. He said he enjoyed meeting with the WAMY-Philiipine staff who came out to the airport to welcome him.

The most important part of the Mamor's visit  was his substantive meetings with WAMY-Phil Staff. In these important sessions, he discussed the WAMY programs.   
All in all, the 3-days visit was successful. Alhamdulillah

I am happy to congratulate all the 100 students from different Philippine universities and colleges who were approved to avail of our study- financial assistance from high school to post graduate and the 47 arabic teachers from different muslim areas in the Philippines who were also approved to avail of our teachers-financial assistance. 

It’s a great pleasure for me to announce this in our first launched newsletter. Your hard work have earned you the privilege of availing this assistance. With hundreds of our fellow muslims without access to the said financial assistance, more hard work lies ahead for all of you. I hope that the assistance will prove to be a stepping stone for you to become truly instrumental in the development of our society.