The Diversity of Religions: Holy Week from the Eyes of a Non-Christian

In the Philippines, the population comprises of  86% Roman Catholics, 2% Protestants and 4% Muslims.

While some Christians are busy with their own Holy Week preparations, non-Christians spend the holiday doing normal activities just like what Christians do on Ramadan or any other Non-Christian holiday.

Surrounded by Catholics in school, neighborhood and group of friends, 19 year-old half-Filipino, half-Arab Muslim Rania Hattan from Pulilan, Bulacan learned parts of the story of The Bible and the practices Catholics do on Semana Santa.

Eventually, she developed her opinions regarding the celebration. Though, she still has questions that maybe even some Catholics also ask, a lot of questions to be exact.

“Not to be judgemental, pero kasi as far as I know ang Holy Week is for repentance ng sins. This event must revolve on Jesus’ sacrifice and dapat itong week na to inaalay natin ang oras natin para sa kanya. So sa naoobserbahan ko is bakit nags-swimming and outing yung iba? Kung tutusin hindi dapat ganun diba?,”

She said that there is a really big difference between her religion and Catholicism. But out of all those differences, one made her raise an eyebrow.

“This view is not entirely based on my religion but mostly on my belief. Just like in the Bible, Jesus embraced all our sins and faced all sufferings just to save us right, correct me if I’m wrong? So isn’t it ironic na sasaktan mo yung sarili mo to repent your sins? Paano mawawala ang mga kasalan mo through physical pain?,”

Everything, according to her, catches her attention during Holy Week, but she clarified that it is not in a bad way. And it was just that Muslims like her never do such things, excluding the fasting.

Rania also explained that if fasting to Christians is deprivation of pork or meat, Muslims do not just skip meals during the day, they also cut down on vices such as gossiping, sex for married couples during the day, smoking, swearing which is called Haram.

She added the Ramadan and Lent operate in very different theological frameworks but there is still deep resemblance between them especially to the reason why both people of both religions fast.

“The basic teaching in all religions is to develop a relationship with Allah, and fasting is one way of achieving it because when we fast, we are telling God that we appreciate the bounties that he has provided for us like water and food and we also learn what it is like to live without food.  This way we can become more compassionate towards our fellow human beings who might not enjoy the basic necessities of life,”

Even though Rania as a Muslim doesn’t celebrate Easter or any other day in Holy Week just like Christmas, she knows its importance for Christians and respects its differences from her beliefs.

 “Holy week makes me see how people’s religious beliefs are so diverse. Na iba iba ang paniniwala at kagawian ng iba’t ibang mga relihiyon. We sometimes clash due to our principles. But in the end, no matter how different we are, we all come an understanding towards our relationship to God and to our fellow,”

Statistics from Asiasociety.com