Reflections on the Bangsa Moro

In my post The Bangsa Moro is an International Concern, a reader, DATUAN SOLAIMAN PANOLIMBA (datuan.panolimba@yahoo.com) wrote a rather long "comment". Because of its length, I am instead publishing it in this post.

=================================

ARMED STRUGGLE OF THE BANGSAMORO MUSLIMS IN THE PHILIPPINES:

Written by: DATUAN SOLAIMAN PANOLIMBA-
North Cotabato, Philippines

Bismillaher Rahmaner Raheem. Asalamo Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuho.

The Bangsamoro Muslims of Mindanao and its islands have fought the longest and bloodiest struggle in the entire history of mankind in the world which extends to about four hundred eighty seven (487) years already up to this writing. First, the Bangsamoro people fought, without let up, against the Spanish colonial power for 377 years from 1521 to 1898. Second, they fought a bloody war against the American imperialist from 1898 up to 1946.And third, they are still fighting against the Philippine neo-colonial power from 1946 up to the present.

In fact the present JIHAD FIY SABILILLAH waged by the Bangsamoro people is a continuation of the struggle which had been fought by their ancestors and forebears demanding for freedom and independence. The 487-year war which has been fought by the Bangsamoro is replete with historical facts.

“But what is surprising is despite of the long period of war being fought for; the Bangsamoro people are still engaged in a war for freedom and independence. The struggle which has been fought by the Bangsamoro in four hundred eighty seven years (487) had extensively covered by the Muslim historians and authors in their books such as Dr. Cesar Adib Majul in his “Muslims in the Philippines, 1973, Manila, Philippines, ” Dr. Alunan C. Glang in “Muslim Secession or Integration, 1969, Quezon City, Philippines, ” and Salah Jubair in “Bangsamoro: A Nation Under Endless Tyranny, 1997, Lahore, Pakistan.”

THE FIRST MORO WAR:

After securing the friendship with Rajah Humabon of Cebu, Ferdinand Magellan, who led the Spanish colonial adventure in the Far East, invaded the small kingdom of Mactan in 1521. The island was then ruled by Rajah Lapu-Lapu who did not want to be a friend of foreign colonizer.

It can be noted, therefore, that Visayas before was believed under the influence if not one of the principalities controlled by the Moro Sultanate of Sulu or Maguindanao at that early period of time. See Map of Moro Sultanate, principalities and areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao at the time of the arrival of Spaniards in 1521. (Source: London Library and Museum). Unfortunately, Magellan died in action on April 27, 1521 that drove the Spaniards back to the West and by such incident, they had narrated their fiasco under the hands of the native inhabitants.

Thus, Lapu_Lapu stood as the first native chieftain who fought against foreign attempt to colonize the Moro homeland.
The Spanish dream had yet started so that in 1522, with Captain Sebastian Del Cano at the head of the Spanish survivors, Spain became the first circumnavigator of the globe as declared.

SPAIN’S AGGRESSION:

Crown Prince Felipe, known as King Philip II of Spain, directed Captain Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the viceroy of Mexico, to go to the Philippine island and to make it a permanent Spanish colony. He landed at Cebu where he had established the first Spanish settlement in 1565. In 1569, he proceeded to Panay where a second Spanish settlement was created.

After quelling some minor resistances staged by the native inhabitants, he sent Captain Martin de Goiti to Luzon, particularly in Manila where a well-fortified Moro principality was located. It was ruled by Rajah Solaiman and assisted by Rajah Matanda. Tondo then was ruled by Rajah Lakandula. Records has showed that these Manila chieftains where of Bornean origin. In fact, their relationship with the Sultan of Borneo was categorized as very closed to each other.

Rajah Solaiman who led the fight for freedom and independence, declared to the foreign aggressors the following words: ” WE WISH TO BE THEN FRIENDS OF ALL NATIONS. BUT THEY MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT TOLERATE ANY ABUSE. ON THE CONTRARY, WE WILL REPAY WITH DEATH THE LEAST THING THAT TOUCHES OUR HONOR.”Unfortunately, on June 3, 1571, Rajah Solaiman perished at the historic Battle of Bangkusay, a place off the coast of Tondo, but he left with a patriotic landmark in his defense of freedom and independence of the country. The next to fall, despite of a fierce defense by the native inhabitants, was the Muslim principality of Mindoro in 1574.

Then came the short-lived Magat Salamat Uprising in 1587. Emerging victorious over the pockets of resistance were the Spanish conquistadors. So that within a span of 11years, they were able to overlord the territory of Luzon and Visayas. Legaspi, who was appointed as the first Governor-General, had made Manila as the seat of Spanish colony in Luzon and Visayas, which was collectively called as “Filipinas” or “Philippine Islands” eventually.

“Salah Jubair succinctly wrote “it is necessary to clarify, contrary to popular perception, two important points in history: Firstly, the first group of people whom the Spaniards in 1570 called “Moros” were those in Manila and environs and not the Islamized natives in Mindanao and Sulu and secondly, the first Moro-Spanish War was not fought in Mindanao and Sulu but right in what is Metropolitan Manila.

“THE MORO-SPANISH WAR:

The 377 year of Moro-Spanish War represents an uninterrupted bloody war which had been fought by the Moros against the Spaniard’s attempt to subjugate them as a people. At first, the Spaniards thought that Borneo was more of a threat to the Manila colony than the Muslims of Mindanao and Sulu. So they invaded Borneo in 1578. However, after their Bornean expedition, the Spaniards had turned their eyes on the Moros in the South, particularly, Sulu which they were suspecting of having an alliance with the Borneans.

The Spanish colony towards the Moros was basically spelled out in the instructions of Governor-General Francisco de Sande to Captain Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa in May of 1578. Figueroa was officially commissioned to subdue the Moro Sultanate of Mindanao and Sulu.

It was clear then from the instructions given to him, Spain sought to achieve two things with respect to the Moros of Mindanao namely: 1. Get them to acknowledge Spanish sovereignty over their territory. 2. Promote trade with them, limiting their trade to the Philippine islands and exploring natural resources of Moro land with a view to their commercial exploitations. 3. Bring an end to Moro “piracy” against Spanish shipping, and an end to Moro raids on the Christianized settlements of the Visayas and Southern Luzon. 4. Hispanize and Christianize the Moros, along the same lines followed with respect to other lowland Filipino (Indio) groups.

According to Dr Peter G. Gowing, the last line Spanish policy was the reason if not the root of the Moro’s fierce resistance to the Spaniards and their Christianized Filipino allies. Capt. Figueroa was instructed to order the Moro chief not to admit any more “preachers of the doctrine of Mahomet since it is evil and false, and that of the Christianity alone is good.” Ad-dressing himself to the “Lord of Mindanao, ” the instruction includes: “You shall tell him that our object is that he be converted to Christianity and that he must allow us freely to preach the law of the Christians, and the natives must be allowed to go and hear the preaching and to be converted, without receiving any harm from the chiefs.

“Furthermore, Figueroa was instructed to ascertain who the preachers of Islam were so that they can be arrested and brought them before the Governor-general. He was also commanded to destroy any Masjeed he founded “where that accursed doctrine has been preached and you shall order that it be not be rebuilt. “As he was instructed to meet force with force and to punish the Moros as he deemed best “taking special care not to trust them…..,” the Moros responded to such designs with violence and warfare. In 1596, during the initial Spanish campaign in Buhayan (Buayan) in the heart of Mindanao, Figueroa met his disastrous defeat.

The erstwhile Spanish conquistador suffered death at the hands of the Moro warriors led by Datu Ubal (Mangubal in Moro tradition). The initial Spanish campaign in Mindanao had ignited and caused the series of bloody encounters between the Moros and the Spaniards, in which,it was carried up to the coming of the Americans in 1899.

MORO WARS:

In retaliation to the Spanish cruelty, the Moros had carried out the war to the Spanish settlements in Luzon and Visayas. In 1599 led by Datu Sirongan and Datu Salikula of Mindanao, the Moros raided the northern islands and return home with rich war booty including several captives. The Moro actions had created fear and anxiety among the Spanish and Filipino settlements in Luzon and Visayas.

In succeeding years, the Moro buccaneers harassed Spanish shipping, and so were dubbed “pirates”. But to the Moros they believed they were fighting a war in defense of freedom and independence. Thus, Sultan Kudarat I, after his ascension to power to the Sultanate of Mindanao in 1619, declared a Jihad against Spain whom he had emboldened more than ever the Moros to fight for home, country and Islam. Their expeditions carried Jihad to the coasts of Visayas and Luzon.

From then on, the Moro war vessels periodically raided, killed and plunders Spanish settlements. Thus, it was dubbed really a bloody war. The Spaniards counter move was seen in their series of punitive expeditions against the Moros. The expeditions were made up of Spanish-led Christian Filipino forces. Which eventually, the Spaniards had succeeded to establish forts in Moro homeland, however, their colonies were only confined inside their fortified garrisons. They failed to subdue the Moros who were periodically attacking their forts.

From the 18th up to the 19th centuries of Spanish successive engagement in the “Moro Wars”, it was never followed by effective and permanent occupation of the Bangsamoro ancestral homeland. The American historian Dr. Najeeb Saleeby rightly observed that “the Moros fought for home and country, for freedom to pursue their religion and way of life, and for liberty to rove the seas whichever they would.” For over 300years, they had made a shamble of Spain’s Moro policy.

Even with the importation of Spanish war vessels in the middle of the 19th century did not stop the Moro raids of Spanish and Filipino settlements of Visayas and Luzon. Despite of being guerilla fighters, the Moro exacted a heavy toll of casualties, however, when entrenched in their ‘cota’ (fort) they simply could not be rooted out.

When situation demanded they would have readily killed their wounded and gave no quarter to the Spanish and Christian Filipino enemy. They fought ferociously, and their usual tactic was to wear down the attackers, obliging them eventually to withdraw. At the close of the 19th century, the Spanish colonial power in Luzon and Visayas was threatened by the Filipino Revolution of 1896 and the coming of the American colonial power in 1898.

Subsequently, the Treaty of Paris was concluded on December 10, 1898 between the United States of America and Spain wherein the latter had ceded to the Americans her former colony in Mexico, Honolulu and the Philippine Islands with the amount of $20 million. With this treaty, the Spaniards abandoned their colony in the north by virtue of the Treaty of Paris. So that the Moros of the south remained a free and independent people. Thus, they were not subjugated by their conquistadors.

AMERICAN AGGRESSION:

The Bangsamoro people of Mindanao were already enjoying freedom and independence when the Filipinos declared a revolution against Spain in 1896. When the Americans arrived in the Philippine islands in 1898, the Philippine Revolution was already in progress in Luzon and Visayas. The so called “Spanish-American war” was also nearing its end.

For instance, Commodore George Dewey, commanding the American naval flotilla, defeated the Spanish Pacific Squadron during “Battle of Manila Bay” on May 1, 1898. Subsequently, the United States of America assumed the authority in the Philippine Islands by virtue of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. But the Filipinos, who declared the independence of the First Philippine Republic on June 1, 1898, had to fight a new imperialist power.

Maverick as it was, the Americans sought the forging of the Bates-Kiram Agreement on August 20, 1899 with a view to neutralizing the Moros of the south while they were still engaging the forces of President Emilio Aguinaldo in the north.

After three years of Filipino-American war, the Americans were able to crush the Philippine revolution and declared a general amnesty in 1902. The Americans, after having a unilateral abrogation of the Bates-Kiram Agreement, had now turn their eyes to the Moros of Mindanao.

In May 1899, the first US Army contingent landed in Jolo, Sulu. The US troops had also occupied Zamboanga on November 16 and followed the Cotabato areas in December. This began the American occupation of Mindanao which ended in May 1920 when the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was abolished as a government unit.

MORO-AMERICAN WAR:

For all practical reasons, the American occupation of the Moro land was a direct affront to the freedom and independence of the Moros. The lesson from the Spanish policy of subjugation was still fresh in the minds and hearts of the Moros. With the Americans, the Moros have had similar views, as a threat, and a change of colonial master which had the same intention with that of their predecessor, that is, to subjugate them as a people.

Thus trouble had erupted as early as May 1899. But this time, the next generation of Moros took the cudgel. Soon various confrontations flared up in Mindanao and Sulu. This led J. Ralston Hayden, an American writer, to note that “never during the entire continental expansion of the United States had armed encounters been as frequent and serious as that between the Moros and American troops.”

The Moros’ determination to defend their religion and country had prompted the American colonizers to comment that “THE ONLY GOOD MORO IS A DEAD MORO.” Record has showed that there were at least 20,000 Moros who were killed in action from 1899 to 1916. From 1904 to 1906 alone, the Moros suffered about 3,000 killed as against 70 Americans.

Large-scale engagements were recorded between the American troops and the Moro warriors in several parts of Mindanao and Sulu from 1902 to 1935. The most serious were those staged by Panglima Hassan, Datu Ali, Datu Ampuan
Agaus and Jikiri.

Shortly after the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth Government on November 15, 1935 with Manuel L. Quezon as the first President, the Moros had viewed it as the transfer of colonial government to a new master. It could be noted, therefore, that Mindanao and Sulu were forcefully annexed to the Commonwealth government. Again, the Moros rose in arms in defense of their freedom and independence.

The most serious armed rebellion that took place in Mindanao was happened in June 1936. It was spearheaded by Hadji Abdulhamid Bungabong of Unayan, Lanao del Sur and lasted for several years. The Moros fought gallantry and heroically in a series of wars called “COTA WARS”. The grievances were contained in a petition letter sent to the President of the United States of America. The issues presented were:

1. Moros had become second class citizens.

2. The Moro Province be segregated once independence is given to the Filipinos.

3. Acquisition of lands in the Moro Province be reserved for the Moros.

4. Islam must not be curtailed in any manner.

    

The uprising lasted until the dawning of the Japanese interregnums in 1941. The Moros were once again caught in the crossfire between two colonial masters. But now between the Americans and the Japanese which saw its peak from 1942 to 1945.

PARLIAMENTARY STRUGGLE:

In 1946 it saw the final annexation of the Moro land to the new Philippine Republic. Historians, in the likes of Salah Jubair, have succinctly observed that “The U.S. colonial government and the succeeding Filipino neo - colonial power have utterly failed to stamp out Moro resistance. But they have succeeded in rendering the Moro traditional power structure effete and almost obsolete.”

“The main casualties were the sultans and datus, whose authority had been squelched to the extent, that they had become mere symbols of the past and mute relics of history,” he pointed out. “The sultan-people direct dealing, ” he continued “has been almost severed and , to get rid of the evils of dual rule, meaning sultan and government ruling simultaneously, the Commonwealth government directed all state-installed officials in 1936 to take over the roles so far exercised by the sultans and datus.”

Elaborating that the disintegration of the traditional socio-political order and the ever-tightening imposition of the secular-materialistic concept of life bequeathed by the Americans, Salah Jubair said that it has created an extensively difficult situation for the Moros. Consequently, those who were won over to the American side, freely or under duress, were the ones who with their pens, slogans and orations adopted and pursued the parliamentary or unarmed way of struggle.

These crops of Moro intellectuals asked the United States government to separate the Moro Province, either as colony or as independent state. Singly or in chorus, they unanimously refused to join the Filipinos in their demand for independence. It was true that they did not succeed, neither did they achieve anything of consequence in terms of the real liberation of the Moros-that obviously, was already fore doomed from the start.

But there is no gain slaying the fact that they did their best in their own way. Yet, on the other hand, by following the unarmed way of struggle, they were deeply entangled into the Americans cobweb and continued to become subservient to the whims and caprices of the new colonial masters.

Failing to achieve their aspiration to be free and independent during the American colonial days, the Moro parliamentary struggle dragged to the post-war Philippine administrations. Couple with some isolated disturbances, armed clashes between Moro warriors and government troops were reported in various parts of Mindanao.

The off-and-on armed skirmishes continued to plague the countryside in open defiance of government authorities. Whatever it may said about the post-war pocket uprisings in Mindanao and Sulu, it could be attributed to the fact that the Moros have never abandoned their desire to be free and independent from the clutches of neo-colonialism in their sacred and ancestral homeland. Nurtured by socio-cultural discrimination, the most known of these uprisings were those led by Kamlon Hajji, Abdulmajid Panondiongan, Tawantawan and Hadjal Uh. It took billions of pesos from the national coffers in quelling these insurrections.

Such that amid cries of national neglect and apathy, Congressman Ombra Amilbangsa of Sulu Province had gone to extent of sponsoring a bill in Philippine Congress in 1961 which sought to declare the independence of the Province of Sulu from the Philippine Republic. The Moro solon was disgusted by the chronic ills and inequities prevalent in the Philippine society where the Moros were the direct victims. His bill did not merit the attention of his colleagues in Congress and his move was simply dismissed as a “drama” or “attention-calling.”

MORO STRUGGLE CONTINUED:

In 1968, the then Governor Datu Udtog Matalam of the empire Cotabato Province created the Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM) seeking the separation of Mindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawitawi and Palawan from the Republic of the Philippines and to establish an Islamic State in the sacred and ancestral homeland of the Bangsamoro people. But the dream and aspiration of the grand old man of Cotabato failed.

Finally in 1972, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and its military wings, the Bangsamoro Army led by Prof. Nur Misuari went public declaring armed struggle as its principal instrument in the formation of a Bangsamoro Republik encompassing Mindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawitawi and Palawan. It sought to liberate Moro people and homeland from Philippine colonialism.

The reverberating sounds of the firearms and mortars of the Bangsamoro Revolution
led by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) pressured the Philippine government under the then dictator President Ferdinand Marcos to entered into an agreement with the MNLF leadership in December 23, 1976. The agreement was known as “Tripoli Agreement of 1976.” It sought to establish an autonomous government for Muslims in South of the Philippines under its sovereignty and territorial integrity. But Pres. Marcos grossly violated the letter and spirit of the entire agreement.

When President Corazon (Cory) Aquino catapulted to the Philippine presidency in 1986 because of the Peoples Power Revolution against Pres. Marcos, she created the Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), but still failed to finally solved the Bangsamoro problem in Mindanao and its islands.

Until in 1992, when President Fidel V. Ramos became president of the Philippines after President Cory Aquino, his government negotiated with the MNLF leadership which resulted to the creation of Southern Philippine Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) on September 2, 1996. But still the Bangsamoro dream of freedom and independence became more obscure. It was because of the fact that all agreements entered by and between the MNLF and GRP are only a showpiece of the Philippine government in order to smokescreen the oppression, colonization, exploitation and extermination of the Bangsamoro people. This regional set-up of government is nothing but an adjunct of the Filipino colonial government. It is being used by the Philippine government to further fortify the Filipino colonialism over the Bangsamoro people and their ancestral homeland.

So that when the MNLF leadership compromised the liberty and independence of the Bangsamoro people in December 1976, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), chaired by the late Ameril Mujahideen Ustadz Salamat Hashim went public assuming and leading the JIHAD FEY SABILILLAH of the Bangsamoro people for final liberation, freedom and independence, nsALLAH SUBHANAHO WA’TAALA.

Late Ustadz Salamat Hashim, then Ameril Mujahideen and Chairman, Central Committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said and we quote, “Any solution less than full independence of the Bangsamoro people will not work. Past experiences since the be-
ginning of the annexation of the Bangsamoro homeland to the Philippines in 1935, have proven that the Bangsamoro Muslims could not live a normal life under a corrupt and secular government and that the two nations, the Bangsamoros and the Filipinos, could not get along with each other because of their distinct religions, customs and traditions. It will be for the best interests of the Bangsamoros and the Filipinos if both are free” and quote.

Wasalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuho.

For the fourth consecutive day, Israel attacked Gaza with missiles from its fighter jets killing hundreds of Palestinians and wounding thousands.

Israel claims that they are doing so in retaliation for the World War II – vintage rockets fired by the Palestinians into Israel proper. From the hundreds of rockets fired, less than 5 were killed in Israel.

The Israelis, in their infamous double talk, claims they are not fighting the Palestinians but merely the Hamas party. But the Palestinians voted the Hamas into power in a clean, democratic election.

WHERE ARE THE ARABS?

How can the rich Arabs, especially the Gulf Arabs, sleep in their huge soft beds and downy pillows knowing fully well that their brothers in Gaza are being slaughtered by the Israelis.

The people in Gaza are prisoners in their own land. They could not cross the borders. And worse, for almost two years now, they could hardly get any food and basic necessities because of the Israeli blockade. They have been under siege for so long. The international humanitarian organizations have been calling the world’s attention to the plight of the people in Gaza to no avail.

Hamas is justified in sending their antiquated rockets to Israel, if only to attract the world’s attention.

ISRAEL’S ENEMY IS NOT HAMAS

When Egypt’s Anwar Sadat signed the peace treaty with Israel’s Menahem Begin, it was a great betrayal of the Arab people. After Egypt, Israel made peace with Jordan and other Arab states. The poor Palestinian Arabs were left to fend for themselves.

But the Palestine problem is not just a Palestinian problem. It is an Arab problem. There is no such thing as a Palestinian nation or Jordanian nation or Kuwaiti or Saudi nation. These are just socio-demographic constructions of the West. There is only the Arab nation, which is a part of the Muslim Nation or Ummah.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait and the Americans were calling for Iraqis to return to the border, former British Prime Minister Edward Heath asked, ‘Which border?’. He explained that he was one of those who created those ‘borders’.

The Divide-and-Conquer strategy has been used very wisely by the Israelis. They make peace with some Arabs while making war with others (Lebanon, Palestine). In their usual duplicitous way, Israel attacked Gaza while pretending to negotiate a peace pact with Syria. As the Foreign Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan said, “"To make war on the Israeli-Palestinian track and at the same time make peace on the Israeli-Syrian track — these two cannot go together." (Israel bombs Gaza in ‘all-out war’ on Hamas)

TIME FOR ARABS TO ACT

With America and Europe in the midst of recession, the Arabs, especially the oil-rich ones, are in a very powerful position. In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War (the 4^th Arab-Israeli war), the Arabs used their oil as weapons. They announced that they were not selling oil to any country supporting Israel (like the US and the Philippines).

Today, they can still use the same weapon plus one more. They have the money – trillions of dollars in reserves. They can remove their massive investments in the West. They can stop trading with countries supporting Israel. They can even stop employing people from countries supporting Israel.

The rich Arab leaders must act soon before their citizens will throw them out of their mansions. These Muslim leaders must be reminded of what Abu Bakr, the first caliph of Islam said in his inaugural speech. The Caliph declared:

“Behold me charged with the cares of government. I am not the best among you; I need all of your advice and all of your help. If I do well, support me; if I err, counsel me. To speak the truth to one who is commissioned to rule is allegiance, to conceal it is treason.

In my sight, the powerful and the weak are alike, and to both I wish to render justice.

As I obey Allah and His Prophet, obey me. If I neglect the Laws of God and of the Prophet, I have no more right to your obedience.”

It is high time for the Muslim peoples of the world to tell their leaders to stop playing footsies with the leaders of the West and help their own people, especially the weak and the oppressed like the poor Palestinians who have been suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune since the birth of the nation-state called Israel.

According to news reports, Saudi King Abdullah declared in a speech in Mina, Saudi Arabia during the Eid al-Adha: “ Today we are in need of dialogue within the Muslim Ummah itself…sedition, ignorance, and fanaticism constitute obstacles that are threatening the hopes of Muslims.”

According to As-sharq Al-awsat, “King Abdulaziz, stressed that terrorism, which is threatening the entire world, and which is being attributed to Muslims alone, ‘is caused by extremists who represent no one but themselves even if they put on an Islamic character. Islam is innocent of their acts.’”

ISLAM IS INNOCENT BUT THE ARAB KINGS AND SHEIKHS ARE NOT

Of course Islam is innocent. But the Saudi King and his royal cohorts in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf are not. They are GUILTY of bowing down to the whims and caprices of George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Gordon, Merkel and Olmert and the other leaders of the Western world. They are guilty of not protesting, and even supporting the killing of millions of Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, including in Mindanao, in the name of “the War on Terror”.

If indeed  the "extremists who represent no one but themselves", then why do millions of Muslims in the world have to suffer? For a handful of Saudi Arabs who ALLEGEDLY "attacked" America in 9/11, why do whole populations in Afghanistan and Iraq have to suffer? Why should Muslims all over the world be held suspect and their human rights trampled upon in the name of "Security"?

These nouveau riche Arabs who now call themselves kings and princes simply amass wealth for their personal gains, give no assistance to hundreds of millions of Muslims in the world who are steeped in poverty or are living under an oppressive majority or are under constant suspicion of being “terrorists”.

These Arab rulers continue to shore up the flagging economy of the West by massive investments in the US and Europe. They hardly invest in fellow Muslim countries like Pakistan and Indonesia or even in fellow Arab but poor countries like Egypt and Tunisia.

WAR ON TERROR IS WAR ON ISLAM

There is no mistaking about it; the War on Terror is a War on Islam. George W. Bush called it a CRUSADE. But the Saudi King and his clan, including his relatives the Bin Ladens (they are related by affinity) and the ruling clans in the Gulf countries already chose which side they belong. They chose the side of George W. Bush and his sidekick, Tony Blair. The Saudi King, therefore, has no business in calling for a “Dialogue within the Ummah”.

Because of their huge money reserves, these Gulf Arab rulers are very powerful. In today’s financial crisis, they could make or break Western economies. But instead of using their power to promote Muslim interests and the human rights of Muslims all over the world, they keep quiet and let the West’s financial brokers do what they want with their (Arab oil) money.

Perhaps it would be more proper for the Saudi King to first call a Dialogue within his extended clan, which would include Osama Bin Laden himself. After that, he could call a Dialogue with other Arab Gulf countries’ rulers and preferably do some soul-searching.

They should ask themselves, are they still part of the Ummah?

The detractors of the MILF-GRP agreement on Ancestral Domain led by the Ilaga Manny Pinol and his fellow Ilonggos Drilon and Roxas have succeeded in setting the agenda for the Media. With the media blitz against the MOA and the MILF, the great majority of the Christian populace has revealed their anti-Moro, anti-Muslim sentiments.

I have just received a text message that says fliers are being circulated in Iligan saying “Islam is Evil”. The mayor of the city is allegedly arming the Christian civilians. I presume that Pinol already has his private army in North Cotabato. So it seems we will be going back the way of the 70s, the start of the Bangsa Moro revolution.

I thought that with the deaths of my brother Jun Abbas (the ‘brain’ of the revolution) and Hashem Salamat (the ‘spirit’) and the political death of Nur Misuari (the figurehead), the Bangsa Moro revolution is dead. Even the intellectual godfather of the revolution – C. Adib Majul – died in the same year as Jun Abbas and Hashem Salamat. The fathers of the revolution – Rashid Lucman, Salipada Pendatun and Udtog Matalam – are long dead. But it looks like the Ilonggo leaders want to revive the revolution.

LIBERATION FRONT OR NOT?

Is the MILF a liberation front or not? Then why are the government and other Christian leaders insisting that MILF should follow the Philippine Constitution? Why are they saying that MILF should just be content on peace negotiations even if the agreement that had been negotiated for years between them and the government is unilaterally thrown into the dustbin? Why are they saying that MILF should disarm first without pre-conditions? Why is the government filing legal charges against MILF people? The fact that MILF is a rebel group means that the government needs no warrants to arrest or even kill them. Rebellion, as President Arroyo used to say, is a continuing offense.

The government keeps on issuing arrest warrants for the MILF leadership – from the top to the field commanders. Yet they never were able to arrest them.

This time, the government should make true its promise to capture Commanders Bravo and Kato and their lieutenants. Otherwise, the government should just shut up. They have not even captured MNLF’s Jabir Malik or the rag tag Abu Sayyaf Group.

If the MILF would disarm, would anybody still want to negotiate with them? Of course not, their members could just be mowed down by the military.

WHOSE LIBERATION?

One Moro congressman condemned the MILF commanders for attacking civilian Christians. He said that as a liberation group, MILF should be fighting for the liberation of poor Christian civilians, too. Huh?

I thought that the MILF and MNLF are fighting for the liberation of the Moros, for the liberation of their lands and resources. Weren’t most of the Christians in Mindanao the instruments for grabbing the lands of the Moros?

When the Filipino government passed the Colonization of Mindanao Act, the Homestead Laws and had policies like Land for the Landless (read: Moro Lands for Landless Christians), Moro lands were given to Christian settlers. The whole Moroland became public domain and was parceled out to every Tomas, Carding and Harry. Moros who are not used to titling their lands became landless, squatters in their own homeland.

My father who became a member of the Philippine Bar in 1935 (the very first Moro lawyer) and eventually became fiscal and CFI judge never bothered to title his lands. It is simply not Moro custom to title one’s lands. Of course, some Moros followed the Christians and titled as many lands as they could.

And for these so-called hapless civilians, the military have resurrected the notorious ILAGAS and turned CVOs (civilian volunteers organizations) into para-military units. Mr. Congressman, do these civilians need liberation by the MILF?

See Deveza: Sanctioned Madness?

There is Philippine Law and there is International Law. When the MNLF signed agreements with the Philippine government, these agreements were deemed by most people as international documents as evidenced by the international witnesses. The agreements were signed under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

But when these agreements were supposed to be implemented, the Philippine government considered these documents as under the jurisdiction of Philippine municipal laws and subsequently amended or virtually repealed them.

When the government initialed the MOA with the MILF, the Filipino critics claim that it is unconstitutional. Was not the MOA an international agreement? It was about to be formally signed in Malaysia with international witnesses.

How can the Moros get justice under Philippine laws when these laws were the ones that deprived them of their lands, resources and opportunities for a better life?

IS THE PHILIPPINE NATION-STATE SACROSANCT?

In the past few decades, the world saw the dismemberment of nation-states like the former superpower USSR and Yugoslavia. There are so many new nation-states “born” in the past few decades like Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia, Eritrea, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, etc. The closest to the Philippines is East Timor and the latest new country is Kosovo. South Ossetia and Abkhazia might be next in line.

So what makes the Philippines so special?

What happened to the rights of the Moros as the indigenous peoples of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan? Oh yes, contrary to the claims of the Christians, we are indigenous to these parts. We did not come from Arabia and settled in Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan. Our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, ad infinitum live or lived and died or were buried in Moroland.

In an international conference in Davao two days ago, a Christian professor claimed that the Moros are not indigenous peoples because they became Muslims. How dumb can some people be?

And why can’t small villages be removed from provinces and attached to other political units? The Moro provinces were hacked into pieces in order to accommodate the Christian population. Lanao, Cotabato and Sulu were dismembered to give Christians their own provinces and cities.

ALL-OUT WAR AGAINST MILF

The great majority of the Christian Filipinos want an all-out war against the MILF. As ex-President and ex-action star Joseph Estrada said, “Tapusin na sila.” (Finish them off!) The Christians are so brave because they know that they wouldn’t be doing the fighting. Their soldiers would, but not them - the respected civilians.

But the Philippine government winning an all-out war against the MILF is not feasible unless the MILF surrenders immediately. But if the MILF would fight and vow to fight till the last drop of blood, then their fellow Moros could not possibly just sit in the sidelines. The other Moro armed groups would soon follow. And since every Moro family has relatives in the MILF and MNLF, then it would just be a matter of time when the whole Bangsa Moro would join in the fight. That would be one big civil war. And that would be very interesting to the world’s media.

SLIM CHANCE FOR PEACE

Ex President Estrada said that the government should negotiate from strength. The government propaganda that it is so strong and could finish off the MILF anytime they want to is believed by most Christians. With this scenario, the MILF could not expect a decent or respectable agreement from the government.

But even if the government would be lucky and defeat the MILF, there still won’t be lasting peace. Even with a sham autonomy, a co-opted MNLF and a string of Moro leaders as their allies (read: lackeys or "tuta"), the Christian Filipinos can expect a precarious peace at best. The aspirations of the Bangsa Moro for Freedom, Islam and Homeland will never die. Sooner or later, the Bangsa Moro will rise up again. And again. And again.

United Arab Emirates has launched its national newspaper, The National. This is to showcase the oil sheikhdoms’ supposed progress and development. It is run by Westerners led by its Editor-in-Chief Martin Newland, formerly of London’s The Telegraph. About 200 journalists are on board, mostly from The Telegraph and other British and American newspapers and magazines, including The New Yorker.

As usual with the oil-rich Gulf Arabs, they think that by imitating the West, they are showing to the world how progressive they are. Having a newspaper with the biggest budget in the world and some of the West’s top journalists do not mean that the country has a great free press. Press freedom is certainly not guaranteed in a land where the money is kept by a small coterie of sheikhs, their relatives and their favorite Western friends.

And what kind of agenda will these Western journalists set in UAE and the Arab / Persian Gulf area?

FIRST OIL CRISIS

In 1973, in the last major Arab-Israel war, the Gulf Arabs led by Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal ibn Abd ul Aziz placed an embargo of oil shipments to the United States of America and other countries like the Philippines for their undying support for Israel.

That embargo made the world realize how powerful the Arabs were.

Unfortunately, King Faisal was assassinated by his nephew who was allegedly brainwashed by the CIA. Without King Faisal’s leadership, the Arabs easily fell to the charms of the Western world.

Oil prices skyrocketed and the era of cheap oil came to an end.

And the poor nomadic Gulf Arabs (bedouins) found themselves awashed with petro dollars beyond their wildest imagination. Of course, this was all orchestrated by what was then called The Seven Sisters – the seven major oil companies in the world then – SOCAL, GULF OIL, TEXACO, MOBIL, BP (British Petroleum), ROYAL DUTCH-SHELL, and EXXON.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES

In the first half of the 20^th century, the Gulf Arabs were the poor brothers in the Muslim world. They did not even have money of their own. They were using Pakistani rupees, and even old 18^th century Maria Theresa silver dollars as legal tender.

The Egyptian government was the one that used to clean and change the drapes of the Ka’aba in Mecca because the Saudi government could not afford them.

When ships leave Jeddah, young Arabs would stow away in hope of a better future. Many such stowaways found homes in Malaysia, Indonesia and Mindanao.

When my mother went to Mecca for the Hajj (Pilgrimage) in 1969, she said that the Saudis were selling their citizenship for FIFTY PESOS and there were hardly any takers.  And of course, there was an Arab stowaway in their ship.

In 1973, the Gulf Arabs became instant millionaires. In the 1970s, I met a couple of Moros in Saudi Arabia who were so glad to discover that their Arab fathers came from very rich Saudi Arab families. I almost envied them for having poor, nomadic Arab forebears in what was now Saudi Arabia instead of my Arab forebear who was a world-traveling educated faqih (jurist) from the Sultanate of Lahej in what is now Yemen.

INVESTING IN THE WEST

Instead of investing in fellow Muslim countries, the nouveau-riche Arabs enjoyed their new-found treasures in the Western world. They poured huge sums of money in the US and Europe. They couldn’t care less about fellow Muslim nations like Pakistan, Bangla Desh, Malaysia and Indonesia.

They did not even invest in fellow Arab states like Egypt and Syria, the two countries who were fighting for the Arab cause.

PALESTINE

When Egypt’s Anwar Sadat realized that the newly rich Arabs would not even share their wealth to fellow Arabs, Sadat decided to make a separate peace with Israel. I do not fault Sadat for signing the Camp David Accords. He was thinking of the Egyptian people’s welfare first.

But because of Egypt’s peace treaty, Palestine became isolated. During the last Israel-Lebanon war, the Israeli and Western media described the Palestinian issue as if it was purely a Palestinian affair. Fighting a two-pronged war, Israel claimed to be fighting Hamas in Palestine and Hexbollah in Lebanon. It claimed to be fighting against organizations and not nations. Israel and Western media were at pains to point out that it was not an Arab-Israel war.

At first, some Gulf Arab leaders expressed support for Israel but when the Arab people saw on Al Jazeerah TV what was actually happening in Lebanon, they were incensed and the Arab leaders had no choice but to call for a stop to Israeli aggression.

IRAN – IRAQ WAR

With the fall of the Shah of Iran and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini, the US prodded the Gulf Arabs to fight Iran. Iraq’s Saddam Hussein thought that with US arms and the rich Gulf Arabs’ money, he could beat Iran. The Arabs were very wrong. The Iranians proved to be a resilient and strong nation.

Like Sadat before him, Saddam Hussein complained that he was doing all the fighting but the Gulf Arabs were not giving enough money. When he went to Kuwait, a former province of Iraq, the Gulf Arabs called on Uncle Sam to protect them.

Uncle Sam (care of George Herbert Bush) came to the rescue and as a result, the US now owns three-fourths of Kuwait and now has a military base in Saudi Arabia, the land of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

It must be noted that Mecca and Medina, the birthplace of Islam, do not belong to Saudi Arabia. They belong to all Muslims.

LAND OF ISLAM?

One of the titles of the King of Saudi Arabia is “The Keeper of the Two Holy Mosques”. This young nation-state established by King Abdulaziz ibn Saud has amassed such wealth beyond the imagination of its founders – Sheikh Abdulaziz and the Wahhabi brotherhood. And its great wealth has provided for the livelihood of millions of people, especially non-Muslim people –  the Americans, Europeans, Canadians and even Filipinos. It also now has thousands of American troops on its soil.

About a dozen years ago, after the First Gulf War, I met a Pakistani-American who was working with the American government. He told me that when he went to Saudi Arabia, at the Customs area, the inspectors opened his bag. He brought along a copy of the Qur’an and reading materials. To his surprise, the Saudi guard looked at him suspiciously and asked him to follow him (the guard) to a room nearby. In the room, there was another officer. The guard showed the officer the contents of the bag, especially the book by Iqbal. The guard, who was a Pakistani, just shook his head and let the Pakistani-American go.

The Pakistani-American was so shocked that in the land of Islam, a man with a Qur’an and a book by Muhammad Iqbal would be considered “suspicious”.

In American and English minds, Muslims who read books by Muslim political thinkers like Iqbal or Qutb fit into the profile of a terrorist.

BIN LADEN and 9/11

The presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia is the “official” reason for Osama Bin Laden’s fight against the U.S.

Although Osama Bin Laden is a Saudi Arab and none of the Al-Qaeda members were Iraqis or Afghanis, America invaded Afghanistan and Iraq in retaliation of the attack of the World Trade Center in 9/11.

And the leaders of the Gulf Arab states now find themselves entrenched on the side of the United States of America.

While America, UK and the “Coalition of the Willing” (which included the Philippines) went on killing Muslims, the nouveau-riche Gulf Arabs provided the US with millions of dollars to aid the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WAR ON TERROR

While America, England and a handful of allies including the Philippines wage their War on Terror in different lands, killing and torturing Muslims of whatever nationality, the nouveau-riche Gulf Arab leaders are investing massive sums of money in the US and Europe, building huge skyscrapers in their cities and even creating media organizations and national newspapers – all managed and run by non-Muslim Westerners.

Filipinos have a saying that goes something like “He who forgets where he comes from will never reach his destination.” It would do well for the Gulf Arab leaders to ponder upon this thought.

=============

Related posts:  

Below is an article I wrote for Mr. & Ms. magazine (November 2007)

*********************************************************

            In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, fasting is a special form of prayer. The Jews fast during the Day of Atonement. Fasting for them is a way to ask God’s forgiveness and blessings. On their way to Jerusalem from Babylon, the prophet Ezra ordered every Jew to fast: “Then I proclaimed a fast, there by the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before God to petition from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children and all our possessions.” (Ezra 8: 21). Some Jews fast twice a week – on Mondays and Thursdays.

The early Christian Church followed the Jewish practice but did it on Wednesdays and Fridays in honor of Christ’s arrest and crucifixion. Later, fasting was practiced during the Lenten Season. Saint Athanasius wrote: “Behold the efficacy of fasting! It cures sickness, dries the excessive humors of the body, drives out evil spirits, dispels wrongful thoughts, gives the spirit greater clarity, purifies the heart, sanctifies the body and at last leads the person to the throne of God.”

The Muslims also follow the Judeo-Christian tradition of fasting. Practically all Major Prophets fasted for forty days and nights. The Muslims are also commanded to fast but being ordinary mortals, they fast only for thirty days (from sunrise to sunset). The tenth month (Ramadhan) of the Islamic calendar is the month of Fasting. This year, the first of Ramadhan falls on the 12th of September in the Gregorian calendar.

During the month of Ramadhan (about thirty days), Muslims abstain from food, drinks, sex, gambling and all ungodly acts from dawn to dusk. Evenings are spent on eating, socializing and praying. The evening prayers are held after dinner. The faithful attempt to recite all the verses of the Qur’an within the month of Ramadhan.

 OBJECTIVES OF FASTING

According to Traditions: "Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said: ‘Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven.’" (Hadith : Sahih Bukhari 1.36) This and other sayings from the Hadeeth (Traditions) emphasize that Muslims should fast and pray not because they are forced to, or would like to gain other people’s recognition or any other reason (such as a way to reduce weight) but because they truly desire God’s mercy and blessings.

Fasting has many objectives. One is that for a certain period of the year, all Muslims would feel the same hunger — be they rich or poor, young or old. For a rich man used to having a full breakfast and a 4 to 6-course lunch, fasting would be an ordeal. It is also a very trying time for smokers and womanizers.

But the main purpose of fasting is remembrance — of God. God says in the Qur’an: "Fadhkuruni adhkurukum" (Remember Me and I will remember you).

In Muslim-dominated societies like the Arab countries, Pakistan and Indonesia, Ramadhan brings all the citizens closer together. The Ramadhan good cheer is upon everyone. Even the office hours are changed. In Saudi Arabia, the working hours for some offices during Ramadhan are from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM with no lunch break.

And for the rich people, it is the time to share their wealth and give away their precious dollars or riyals.

 
TIME FOR GIVING MONEY

Once, when I was in Saudi Arabia, an Arab friend complained that after finishing the Ramadhan evening prayers, the fellow next to him handed him a suitcase full of money. The man requested him to give away the money as he was pressed for time and had to leave immediately. My friend was forced to stay in the mosque and give away the money to everyone who asked.

There was also a time during Ramadhan when my mother and her cousin went to the Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca. While waiting for the start of the evening prayers, a woman sat beside my aunt (she is not actually an aunt; i.e. sister of either of my parents, but it is usual in Moro society to call elder female relatives aunt or “babu”) and told her to vacate her place because the woman’s mistress, a princess, was going to sit there. Naturally, my mother and her cousin were incensed. My “aunt” told the woman that she would not budge because she was a princess, too. The woman was indignant but was forced to look for another place for her princess mistress.

After the prayers, the Arabian princess took out a big bag and started distributing money to the people around her. And the princess’s assistant came to my aunt — not to give her money but to ask for her prayer-carpet. She said it would be an honor to have a souvenir from a Mindanao princess.

 
THANKSGIVING

For Muslim minorities, Ramadhan reminds them of their distinct identity. This feeling binds them even closer. Children, even those who don’t fast, usually love to eat with the adults as there is always an air of Thanksgiving every "break-fast" time. As a child, I remember Ramadhan as the time of eating dates, a very sweet fruit of the date-palm (phoenix dactylifera).

In the Western concept of time-keeping, the day in the solar calendar begins a minute after midnight or 00:01 hrs. In the Islamic lunar calendar, the "day" begins at sundown. This is most evident during Ramadhan when the community "wakes up" after sunset, the time for breaking the fast.

Before breaking the fast, Muslims usually say a simple prayer that goes: “Oh Allah, I kept the fasting for Thy sake, and I break it with the food Thou hast provided.”  Some families eat their dinner at sunset, while others prefer to take light meals first. Tables usually are filled with coffee, tea, bread, cheese, butter, pastries, fruits and the traditional Ramadhan fruit, the dates. It is customary for Muslims, especially the Arabs, to break the fast with dates and water. After the light meal comes the sunset prayer (Maghreb). Those who only had snacks earlier will then have their full dinner. After dinner, it will be time to go to the mosque for the long Ramadhan evening prayers.

In Muslim countries, the time to go for shopping is at about 10 pm, after the Ramadhan prayers. The cities and towns are usually teeming with people, all enjoying the good cheer after a day-long fast and evening prayers.

 
THE NIGHT OF POWER

According to the Qur’an, the Angel Gabriel first came to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadhan. This night is called the Night of Power (Layla-t-ul-Qadr). It is said that prayers offered during this night are equivalent to a thousand or more prayers. But nobody knows the exact date of this Night of Power. According to Islamic scholars, it is most probably during the last 10 days of Ramadhan.

After one month of fasting, the Muslims the world over celebrate the ‘Id al-Fitr, the Feast after the Fast or Thanksgiving Day after the fasting month of Ramadhan. This year, the ‘Id al-Fitr was on Oct. 12.

The ‘Id al-Fitr or "Hari Raya Puasa" as it is called in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Mindanao, is one of only two celebrations sanctioned by the Qur’an. (The other is the ‘Id-al-Ad-ha, or the Feast of the Hajj.) On this day, it is obligatory for all Muslims to go to the mosque for the Festival (’Id) prayers, preferably in one’s best clothes. It is also obligatory to give charity. It is customary for Muslims to open their houses to everyone, including strangers, for brunch, lunch, merienda cena or dinner. And the adults usually give the children money, which makes this occasion the favorite holiday of Muslim children.

 
NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Muslims the world over greet each other “Ramadhan Kareem” during the month and "’Id Mubarak" during the ‘Id celebrations. In Arab countries, the ‘Id is a 3- or 4-day holiday, while in other Muslim countries, ‘Id celebrations extend to two or more weeks. To improve ethnic relations in the country, Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo declared ‘Id al-Fitr a national holiday.

May Allah shower his blessings on the Muslims of the world, especially on the oppressed minorities!