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On Dec 18, the group Filipino Freethinkers published the article, “CCF Executive Pastor dresses up as Arabic suicide bomber for Church Christmas party.” (Note: For the record, we got wind of this story because it was shared by Manila tour guide Carlos Celdran.)
The report pointed out that “for their Christmas party this year, Christ’s Commission Fellowship Executive Pastor Ricky Sarthou dressed up in traditional Arabic garments.” Then, it was noted that Sarthou “had a mock explosive device strapped to his chest.”
The report then revealed that the party theme had been “Heroes and Villains.”
The photo that accompanied the article was said to be “a screen-capture of a now-deleted post on Instagram by Ickhoy de Leon, another CCF pastor.”
The group then made this commentary: “While the intentions for dressing up in the costume may have been innocent, what message does it send for a high-ranking official in a Christian church to portray a violent stereotype of another religion?”
Photo: Filipino Freethinkers