THE PLIGHT OF THE MOROS
By Ramesh A. Dataya, Copyright 1999

The recent clashes between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is a very delicate issue that should arouse the public consciousness. In fact, this is a far more sensitive case than the death penalty, which parish priests say will cause the "death of the society." At least, the death penalty claims the lives of criminals who ignored the commandments and their love for God. In the MILF case, the issue claims not only the lives of innocent civilians killed and hurt in the crossfire, but worse, the death of the people who are standing for their religious beliefs and their love for God - the MILF itself. So, what’s worse, the death of the society or the death of faith?

Several people say it’s futile to discuss such matter in public because the majority of the common people - especially the Christians - have a very little understanding of the MILF. For them, it is just a group of moro bandits involved in kidnapping, drugs and the like. Moreover, it is also a fact that most Christians are biased against Moslems. Just dig into the history of Mindanao - like the "Ilaga war" and the massacre of several Moslems in the outskirts in Mindanao by anti-Islam fanatics almost endlessly- and you will get my point.

However, let me epitomize the voice of not only my Muslim brothers and sisters, but also the MILF itself. There is no truth to speculations that the MILF is a criminal organization. The MILF is nothing but a group of God-fearing moros who strive to fulfil their religious beliefs as stated in our bible, the Koran. Islamic beliefs state that there is only one government for Muslims to follow - the rule of God, Allah. This is the reason why the MILF is demanding to set up its’ own state for the Moro people. These people are longing for the opportunity to pursue their beliefs and traditions through the Islamic way. Thus, it only means that the rules of God be enforced, the sinners be punished as mandated by the Koran, our faith for God be protected and that there will be unity amongst us moros. And we are asking for these demands in a peaceful and humane way.

Unfortunately, the Philippine government has no heart to understand or even listen to our plight. After the initial peace talks failed, our much-maligned President - Joseph Estrada - declared war against the MILF. This is where the real trouble began. Violence erupted, lives were wasted and dreams of several people were shattered. Thousands of innocent residents were forced to flee their homes for fear of being hurt, and several of them are now suffering from intense hunger. It really doesn’t matter if these people are Moslems or Christians, because the bottom line is that these people have nothing to do with this war and therefore they should be spared. The government may not realize this, but it is not the rebels who are suffering from this war - for it is the people of Mindanao who are really suffering. All of us are praying that the war would soon come to a halt.

The so-called Mindanao crisis is not an issue of political matters, but an issue of faith, culture and the livelihood of Islam. Unfortunately, the government - composed mostly of Christians - do not understand the true plight of their Muslim brothers. For them, it is just a case of muscling around and showing us who’s boss. For several years, countless Moslems of Mindanao mingled in utter silence, but when we finally broke that silence, the government did not heed us. It seemed that for them, we do not deserve the attention we are asking for. We Muslims are really disappointed because our voice - though strong and vigilant - never seemed to be heard. It’s sad.

Several sectors with-in the government say that granting "Islamic statehood" to Mindanao is inappropriate because of three reasons: First, not all residents in Mindanao are Moslems; second, it will be in conflict with the Philippine Constitution which states that "the Philippines is one state governed by one government"; and third, granting statehood to Mindanao is a very costly procedure. Also, president Estrada himself said that granting the MILF’s request requires an amendment of the constitution, which he says he will never allow to happen.

But all of these reasons are, of course, doubtful and questionable. First, while it is true that not all residents of Mindanao are Moslems, it is also true that the MILF demands autonomy for the Muslim-dominated areas only. Thus the law of the Islamic State applies only to these select areas. Second, multiple states do not divide a nation. Look at the United States of America. It is composed of several states, but it is still only one nation. Third, Mindanao has long been tolerated by the Philippine government. It is only but proper that special attention be finally given to Mindanao. Though the government had formed the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) for flagship projects in Mindanao three years ago, such Council has done very little - or none at all - for Mindanao’s development. Moreover, we believe that a constitutional amendment is necessary, because the current charter does not give much importance to the affairs in Mindanao. It’s sad that charter changes are only considered for political purposes, but never for the welfare of the people.

The government and the media - Inquirer’s Ramon Tulfo most especially - dismiss the MILF’s demand for an independent state as absurd and ridiculous. It is, they say, nothing but a futile and "sinful" exercise. Futile because it is constitutionally impossible; and sinful because of the bloodshed it has caused. However, these very same people do not understand that if we - the Moros - will not be granted an Islamic state, it is our lives that will become futile and sinful. Futile because our obligations as Moslems are not fulfilled, and sinful because we cannot fully exercise our faith.

An Islamic State in Mindanao, once realized, will not only strengthen the Islamic fate, but will also provide direction and development in Mindanao. Honorable Gov. Nur Misuari of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has insisted that Mindanao’s development can be attained through flagship projects such as roads, buildings, bridges, etc. While we agree with his views about the infrastructure projects that he’s proposing, he has totally forgotten about the welfare of the people of Mindanao, especially his fellow Moslems. He sees only the roads and bridges, but not the emotional, ethical and cultural needs of the people. Just how can development be attained if the people are being neglected? President Estrada should at least realize this.

Moslems, just like Christians, have the right to pursue their faith. The Constitution, after-all, states that the people’s religious rights should be respected. What the MILF - and the Moslems in general - is asking for is the freedom to pursue our faith, our love for God and the laws He has bestowed us.

As the next round of the peace talks approaches, and with the mortars and riffles of each side stalled in deafening silence, all we can hope is that something positive be done to the grim Mindanao situation. But whether or not the demands of the MILF are met, we Moslems will continue to stand for our faith, our beliefs and our love for God. And as long as we can’t realize our goals, the plight of the Moros for an Islamic state will live on.

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