The Jihad in the Moroland
By Sheikh Abu Zahir
Posted: 11 Safar 1422, 5 May 2001
The Philippines has inherited and developed a deep hatred against Islam and the Muslim
people. After annexing the Bangsamoro homeland, a systematic design to liquidate Islam and
to destroy the Islamic identity of the Bangsamoro Muslims was launched.
The MILF led up a program to be implemented phase by phase in twenty years (from
1981-2000). This program covers all aspects of "Jihad in the way of Allah" and
human endeavors.
The Moroland
The Moroland (presently known as "Southern Philippines") is composed of
Mindanao island (the second largest island of the Philippine islands) the Sulu
archipelago, Palawan, Basilan and the neighbouring islands.
The Moroland has the area of 116, 895 square kilometres (more than one third of the
whole Philippine islands), with the population of more than twenty million of which 12
million are Muslims. The rest are Highlanders (native inhabitants) and the Christian
settlers from Luzon and Visayas.
Arrival of Islam
The arrival of Islam at the Moroland was in the year 1210 AC, that is more than three
centuries before the arrival of Christianity brought by Ferdinand Magellan (a Portuguese
who was then working for Spain) to the region in the year 1521 AC.
Islam was introduced to the Moros by some Arab merchants and Islamic missionaries. Very
soon after the arrival of Islam, the Islamic Sultanates were founded under the reign of
the Moro Sultans themselves, such as;
a.) the Sultanate of Sulu embracing Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Palawan and the neighbouring
islands
b.) the Sultanate of Maguindanao where most of the Muslims are now living.
The Spanish Invasion
The Spanish Invaders, led by Ferdinand Magellan, upon arriving at the Philippines in
the year 1521 AC had imposed the 'Cross' and the doctrine of Trinity upon the inhabitants
by way of the sword. Consequently, the inhabitants of Luzon and Visayas were all baptized
to Christianity. Of course, there had been an Islamic resistance in Manila led by Raja
Sulaiman and Lakandula, but that did not last long after the martyrdom of the two said
leaders in the battlefield. None of the Islamic relics in Manila were left by the Spanish
vandals except for a fort known as "Intramoros."
On the 10th of December 1898 AC, the "Treaty of Paris" was agreed upon by
America and Spain by which the latter had to cede the Philippines to the former. What is
quite puzzling is that, inspite of the fact that Spain was not able to subjugate the
Moros, she included the Moroland in the deal.
The Philippine's Annexation of the Moroland
For more than three centuries the Spanish attempted to subjugate or to exterminate the
Moro Muslims, followed by the forty seven years of the Americans' attempt, which were all
in vain.
The political approach of the Americans seemed effective in winning over the response
of the Moro Sultans and Datus to come to agreement, whose conditions included the
non-interface of the Americans in the local affairs of the Moro Sultans and Datus. On this
basis, the "Kiram-Bates" Treaty was signed on the 2nd August 1899. Similar deals
were made with the Sultan of Maguindanao.
On the 2nd March 1904, President Roosevelt of America, without moral and ethical
considerations, unilaterally declared the treaty null and void.
On the granting of independence to the Philippines by America in the year 1946, there
was a strong objection by the Moros to the inclusion of the Moroland but neither the
Americans nor the christianised Filipinos had listened to them, knowing that the
Philippines is an American agent in the region. The existence of American military bases
in the country is an obvious reflection of this fact. This is not surprising as the
Moroland is very rich of natural resources and mines, not to mention the fertility of its
soil.
The Moro Jihad at Present
The Moro Jihad has been in three phases:
First Phase: the Moro Jihad against the Spanish invasion (1521-1898) 377 years.
Second Phase: the Moro Jihad against the American colonisers (1898 - 1946) 47 years.
Third Phase: the Moro Jihad against the Philippine crusade (1970 - present).
Since the granting of the Philippines Independence in the year 1946, the Manila
government launched "settlement programs" for the Christians from Luzon and
Visayas in the Moroland. Prior to that the Moro Muslims had been enjoying the
administration of the region by themselves as the Provincial governors, the Municipal
mayors and the Barangay captains were among themselves.
The Christian settlers, with the assistance of the Manila government, started to take
over the strategic politic and socio-economic posts soon after their influx into the
Moroland.
The Question of Genocide
Obviously, the motive of the Manila government behind the influx of the Christian
settlers into the Moroland is not a mere settlement but to carry out its genocide campaign
against the Muslims. This has been reflected by the organisation of the Christian militia
(armed) movement known as "illegal" to strike terror against the unarmed Moro
civilians, especially among the rural areas. A large series of massacres and arsons were
carried out. The Moro civilians leaving their homes and farms were compelled to seek
refuge in the urban areas dominated by Muslims. These are the chances taken by the
Christian terrorists to take over farms and lands vacated by the Moro refugees.
The Moro Youth Responded
The genocide campaign of the Manila government had reached an alarming point. So the
Moro youth and students, both domestic and abroad, specially those who were studying in
Arab and Islamic countries led by Salamat Hashim had no choice but to organise the
"Moro National Liberation Front," to face the challenge. While the
"Front" was still at the stage of organisation, a conflict between Misauri and
one of the then Cairo graduates (a doctor) broke out as both expressed aspirations to the
chairmanship of the "Front." Sheikh Salamat Hashim, who was the leader of the
whole group did not insist to the chairmanship to avoid further dispute and eventual
failure. So Misauri became the chairman of the "Front."
After a few years of the start of the struggle Misauri's inefficiency had unveiled
itself and most, if not all, of the field commanders signed a petition that Misauri should
step down and give way for Salamat Hashim to assume the chairmanship, but Misauri
cunningly insisted to stay and Salamat Hashim has to lead the "front" in
accordance with the choice of the majority.
In order to avoid confusion, the members of the Central Committee had decided to
replace the word "National" with the word "Islamic" so the true
"Liberation Front" aiming at the re-establishment of a sovereign Moro Islamic
State was given the title "Moro Islamic Liberation Front."
The Biography of Sheikh Salamat Hashim
Salamat Hashim was born on 7th July, 1942 in the Municipality of Pagalungan,
Maguindano. He comes from a religious family of seven..
Salamat's first teacher was his mother. It was through her tutorship and guidance that
at the age of six he could read the Holy Qur'an and memorised many of its verses.
At the age of six he started formal education, finishing his elementary education in
1954 with honors and his secondary education in 1958 also with honors.
In 1958, Salamat joined the pilgrims from the Philippines for Hajj. He took this
opportunity to stay behind and study in Makkah under the care of Sheikh Zawawi. He
attended regularly the halaqat held at the Masjid al Haram and enrolled at the Madrasat
as-Sulatiyah ad-Diniyah.
In 1959, he went to Cairo, which at that time was the centre of political activism in
the Middle East. There, he enrolled at Al-Azhar University. He graduated from al-Azhar's
Ma'had al-Buhuth al-Islamiyyah as-Sanawiyyah in 1963, then enrolling at al-Azhar's college
of Theology for a bachelor's degree program majoring in Aqeedah and Philosophy and
graduated in 1967. Pursuing his scholastic inclination further, he took up his
postgraduate courses in the same university and finished his master's degree in 1969. He
completed the academic requirements for a doctoral degree, but was unable to write his
dissertation because he had to return to the Philippines by then to organise the Moro
revolutionary movement.
Salamat was an active student leader. His active participation to different student
activities exposed him to various revolutionary trends, both Islamic and Secular, which
Cairo was known for at that period. This exposure brought him awareness of the colonial
oppression his Muslim brothers and sisters were suffering back home, an awareness which
gradually transformed him from a scholar to an Islamic revolutionary.
Among the student organisations he took part in are the Philippine Muslim Student
Association and the Organisation of Asian Students in Cairo. He was elected President of
the former and Secretary-General of the latter.
While in Cairo, he clandestinely organised a core group among the Bangsamoro Muslim
students who planned the Bangsamoro revolution in the early sixties. To finance their
early activities, each member contributed half of his meager allowance to a common fund.
It is interesting to note that amongst the revolutionary Muslim thinkers who influenced
Salamat, two Muslim personalities made a lasting impression on him: Syed Qutb and Syed
Abul A'la Maududi. It was, however, Syed Qutb's writings which shaped his Islamic outlook
and political beliefs. The impact that Syed Qutb and Maududi made on him was what inspired
him to plant the seeds of Islamic revolution in the Bangsamoro homeland.
Known but to a few, Salamat was the one responsible for covertly arranging the military
training of the first batch of cadres (Batch 90) that was to become the military core
group of the Moro National Liberation Front. Working with a prominent political leader, he
laid the groundwork for the organisation of the Bangsamoro armed struggle.
The Military Strength of the MILF
120,000 men (six divisions) regular Islamic Armed Forces of which more than 80% are
well armed;
300,000 militiamen and even more.
The Demand of the MILF
The demand (objective) of the "Moro Islamic Liberation Front" is precisely no
less than Independent (sovereign) Moro Islamic State.
Why Economic Underdevelopment?
The Moroland is rich of natural resources and mines, aside from the fertility of its
soil, yet quite behind in economic development because of being neglected by the Manila
government. Since annexation of the Moroland by the Philippines, a vast amount of Pesos is
being generated by the crusade Philippine government out of the Moro wealth on the account
of the Moros themselves.
Unless the would-be Moro sovereign Islamic State is established, no real economic
development is expected.
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