Maute terrorists victimized mostly Muslims

In last Tuesday’s 888 News Weekly Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu City, our guests were Centcom spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar and Muslim Mufti Unstad Najeeb Rasul and the topic was the Maute Terror Group’s attack in Marawi City, which is now on its 10th day.

Perhaps after seeing the Facebook photos and news videos of the on-going firefight, many people agree that the declaration of Martial Law was a necessity in Marawi and with the declaration by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Jose Maria Sison for the New People’s Army (NPA) to step up their attacks against government troops, all the more that the people in the Visayas and Mindanao embraced this call for Martial Law, even if not all of Mindanao is in flames.

We also learned that 17 or the majority of Philippine Senators fully supports Proclamation No. 216 by issuing Proclamation No.338, which states, "The Senate finds the issuance of Proclamation No. 216 to be satisfactory, constitutional and in accordance with the law. The Senate hereby supports fully Proclamation No. 216 and finds no compelling reason to revoke the same." The Senate also ordered the release of calamity funds for Marawi City.

I had a simple question to the Muslim Mufti Unstad Najeeb Rasul, what’s the percentage of the Muslim population in Marawi City? He replied, “It’s 95 percent Muslim.” Therefore, the multitude of evacuees that we saw on national TV news leaving Marawi for Iligan City are Muslims. This is not to diminish the importance of the news report that Fr. Teresito Suganob, Vicar General of the Prelature of Marawi has been taken hostage, while the Maute terrorists burned the Cathedral in Marawi City. But the fact remains, that the victims of the Maute Terror attack in Marawi City are Muslims!

To date there are already more than a hundred casualties in this still raging war against the Maute terror group in Marawi City. We heard that 62 of this number belong to the Maute Group. But what we need to know is how many more supporters of the Maute Group are there inside Marawi City? Until military intelligence figures this out, I don’t think that this firefight would end very soon. Meanwhile, allow me to reprint the statement of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy about this Muslim crisis.

“The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy strongly condemns the violent attacks perpetrated by lawless elements in the Islamic city of Marawi and Lanao del Sur, made more heinous as it occurred as the Muslim faithful are preparing for the holy month of Ramadhan. Any act inciting to terror in the hearts of defenseless civilians, the destruction of places of worship and properties, the murder of innocent men, women, and children irrespective of one’s faith are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam.

Sowing terror through force and violence has always been an invalid means of attaining societal changes, and cannot be justified through faith or religion. The Qur'an says: "If any one slays a person- unless it be as punishment for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would