Silver linings amidst the Marawi tragedy
Muslim leaders have to take responsibility for enlightening us about their faith.
It is difficult these days to be optimistic when day after day, we contend with news about the deaths and injuries of so many gallant soldiers and innocent civilians in Marawi. Families are dislocated from their homes; and those who had to be evacuated by the government live in such appalling conditions, with not enough access to food, water and humane hygiene, leading to widespread diseases and even preventable deaths. Young soldiers in the prime of their lives are dying or being maimed, leaving their children fatherless at an early age. Nevertheless, I try to see what good can come out of all this misery.
Having lived through the Marcos era martial law and all its abuses, when soldiers became, not defenders and protectors of the people, but rather, their abusers and exploiters, it is heartening to read about the professionalism of our military today, even in the context of martial law in Mindanao. Even the Commission on Human Rights has released a report that says no human rights abuses have so far been committed under the current martial law in Mindanao. Let us hope that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and AFP Chief Eduardo Año continue to exercise prudence and good judgment in the use of their political and military power as administrators of martial law in Mindanao. Let us hope, too, that they use their influence to discourage President Duterte from expanding the scope of martial law to the Visayas and the rest of the country as he keeps threatening to do, with his exaggerated sense of crisis. AFP spokesman Brigadier- General Restituto Padilla is nonetheless doing an excellent job of executing the martial law administrators’ commitment to transparency, within the limits of intelligence confidentiality requirements. He is quite a find, as the professional face of the military.
Right now, it seems that Marawi is the center of the terrorist rebellion; and the government’s forces are winning the war to retake Marawi from the terrorists. However, I cannot take a clear-cut position on whether declaring martial law in all of Mindanao is justified, since I do not have access to intelligence information.
Nonetheless, the other good thing that can come out of this horrid war is the opportunity to educate our people about the difference between extremism, as practiced by the Mautes, Abu Sayyafs, and their allies, and peace loving Islam, as led by the Bangsamoro Transition Council which, I understand, is ready to submit its new draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to the President.
I have long wondered why Muslim leaders and educators are not leading a campaign to enlighten the general public about Islam and its message of peace. Because of international mass media and its focus on many terroristic actions, many of us have developed Islamophobia, caused by our ignorance about Islam, which in our country has been largely confined to Mindanao. I think Muslim leaders have to take responsibility for enlightening us on the faith of their majority, and on the difference between moderate Islam and the extremists who resort to mass killing of innocents to advance their cause, whatever that might be. I also think they could do more to prevent their schools (madrasahs) from being infiltrated for dissemination of these distorted terroristic ideologies. The ISIS militants are increasing because their educational systems and propaganda machineries are well-funded and overpowering. The Muslim youth are increasingly vulnerable to the attractions of adventurism and the opportunities for heroic martyrdom under these extremist organizations.
I could be wrong; but it is possible that the leaders of Islam in the Philippines, since they come from various ethnic and language groups and theological configurations (Maguindanao and Maranao vs Tausug, or Sunni, versus Shiite, for example) have not been able to mobilize together in a concerted effort to confront and compete with the distorted ideologies which are proclaim as Islamic.
It is so ironic yet refreshing to discover that now, because of the war in Marawi, more media attention is being given to Islam; and more opportunities are being provided for Muslim leaders to address the general public and their own adherents. These are opportunities for Muslim leaders to enlighten our countrymen about their culture and religious beliefs and practices. I myself am learning more about the situation in Mindanao and Muslim culture, though I still have a long way to go.
Thank God for Muslim leaders like Ghazali Jaafar, Congresswoman Sanara Sema, Amina Rasul, and Samira Gutoc, former member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, who are taking advantage of media opportunities to participate in the national conversation on issues about Islam and other national policy matters. Samira Gutoc resigned from the Bangsamoro Transition Commission after President Duterte made male chauvinistic statements again about rape to rabble rouse the military. This is one example of open participation in the national dialogue on policy and leadership issues. There is also a group of Marawi women represented by former Constitutional Commission member Christian Monsod: Norkaya Mohamad, Sittie Nur Dyhanna Mohamad, Norausah Sani, and Sahria Multi Pandi. They have filed a petition with the Supreme Court to lift martial law and address the crisis without the use of extraordinary powers and to preserve civilian rule. These initiatives are contributing to a more inclusive citizenry and stronger nation.
Media must continue to reach out to the Muslim and ethnic minority leaders (such as Mayang Gandam of the Tiboli tribe) and enable the rest of the country to make our multi-culture country truly inclusive.