ILOILO CITY, Philippines, August 16, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Filipinos who reverted to Islam have decided to form a Council of Elders to guide them and raise their concerns and problems with the government.

"We have decided to come up with the Balik Islam Council of Elders," Ahmed Ricalde, spokesperson of Muslim reverts known in the Philippines as Balik Islam, told IslamOnline.net.

The council, to be composed of 30 or more members, would guide the whole Filipino Balik Islam community in addressing issues and concerns that are affecting or would affect them.

"We would bring to their attention issues that have to be addressed. We believe that through their guidance, wisdom and enlightened understanding, we would be able to effectively and efficiently address the issues confronting us," said Ricalde.

It would also represent the community, estimated at some 200,000 in the whole Philippines, in talking to the Philippine government officials if necessary.

The decision was made by more than 100 leaders of Balik Islam Filipinos during a consultative meeting held Saturday, August 13, in Taguig City in Metro Manila.

The meeting’s conveners, who are professionals, elected Ricalde, the chairperson of Billah Islam, a group of Balik Islam who are into community organizing and rural development, which led in organizing the meeting, spokesperson of the new body.

Besides the council, Ricalde said, they also agreed to strengthen their education campaign to make more Filipinos understand that Balik Islam and all Muslims believe in peaceful coexistence.

Ricalde said Saturday's consultative meeting was one of a series to be held around the country to protect the Muslim reverts from discrimination and human rights violations while fostering unity among themselves.

"We wanted to know our strengths and weaknesses as believers of Islam as well as the opportunities and threats we are faced with. We hope to turn our weaknesses into strengths. For example, we agree that we, Balik Islam, are not united. We want to turn this around," he explained.

Their concerted action, Ricalde added, was borne of the continuing threat the Balik Islam community is facing amid the "consistent human rights violations" committed by the Philippine government.

The "summary killings of activists and the continuous scapegoating and human rights violations committed against us, Muslims, unjustly branded as ‘terrorists,’ and the war policy that has been maintained to address the struggle for self-determination of our brother people in Mindanao, are certainly an unmistakable testimony" of the threat against the Balik Islam, he pointed out.

Ricalde explained: "It is in this context that Muslims, particularly Balik Islam, have to take a stake in this change or just be fence-sitters waiting who will manipulate them again. It is in this perception that we must act or we have to be contented to let someone act and state our yearning that do not really represent us."

While vehemently condemning terrorism, the Muslim reverts leaders objected to any association between Islam and terrorism.

"Again, we denounce terrorism. We do not condone the killing of innocent men, women and children," said Ricalde.

"We cannot accept that Islam is associated with terrorism. We cannot accept that we are blamed for terrorism," he added emphatically.

The Philippine National Police has tagged many of the Balik Islam as terrorists.

Some were even arrested after the police raided a mosque early this year in Manila, where the police claimed to have recovered bomb paraphernalia.