On Sunday 4th May, many Filipino media reported a massive “People’s Ratification Rally” which was held simultaneously in key areas in Mindanao to push Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). A report on Luwaran.com, the official information website of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), gave the numbers of rally participants at 200,000 including thousands of Muslim Women in eight cities and four municipalities in Southern Philippines.

After more than 40 years of bloody conflict between MILF and Filipino authorities, the president of Barangay Women Groups – Hazar Muarip Ahmad said they are already “sick and tired of war,” since women and children are the very first ones to be affected once war erupts. On the other hand, it also affects the quality of education as also said by Ahmad Al-Amin, the Chairman of Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Caucus in a separate interview.

Bangsamoro Basic Law is part of Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine government under the Aquino administration, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has been reached after 17 years negotiations and intensively facilitated by international agencies including some major countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Malaysia. This agreement provides a roadmap for the Bangsamoro, the new autonomous political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which the Filipino President reiterated to be a “failed experiment.” On the other hand, CAB also determines new identity for Muslims Moro as “Bangsa Moro”, Bangsa is a Malay word that means ‘nation’ which will include not only Muslim ethnic tribes, but also Christian settlers and indigenous peoples in the prospective Bangsamoro territory.

The comprehensive peace agreement -which strived by Philippine secular government and also supported by international institutions- will never create true independence for minorities Muslim Moro in southern Philippines, including Muslim women and children who have been living oppressed for decades over the past 40 years.

This kind of agreement is nothing but a “democracy trap” that is often used by western imperialists specifically to obscure the true identity of Muslims in the southern Philippines, annexing the southern Philippines region which is very rich in natural resources, crippling the movement of Islamic movement groups, and taming Muslim Moro to become more moderate and pragmatic thus believe that democracy is the ideal tools for Islamic struggle.

All these efforts made by the authorities’ Kuffar Philippines and western international institutions who do not want Islamic revival in southern Philippines, lead to their main goal i.e. democratic participation of the Muslims and keep them occupied with these activities, so that they will leave every effort for realizing the enforcement of Islamic Shariah in their lands.

Through the bound of CAB, a greater hazard actually awaits Muslims in the southern Philippines. U.S. imperialism and other capitalist countries such as Australia and Japan ready to exploit the economic wealth owned by the island of Mindanao and Sulu in the south. This is not peculiar at all, as almost four centuries of Spanish rule and six decades of U.S tutelage fettered the Philippines to feudal and semi-feudal exploitation. Filipino peasants have been deprived of land; workers, reduced to cheap labour force; and the natural resources and environment plundered and ravaged. The country became a dumping market for overpriced goods, and a forward base for imperialist hegemony in the Asia-Pacific. Even to secure its geopolitical interests in the Asia Pacific region, in particular the United States has deployed troops in Mindanao since a long time ago.

O my dear Moro sisters, be aware! That the Moro Muslims are an integral part of the Muslims entity all over the Islamic world – stretching from Morocco to Merauke! Muslim women along those regions have suffered exactly the same as you feel, downtrodden and oppressed in their own land. Truly we are one Ummah, our Prophet is one, and our Quran is one! Then leave the secular attribute that will compartmentalize Muslims! Because Islam teaches that the strongest bond for Muslims is the Islamic Aqeedah and is manifested in Islamic Ukhuwah (brotherhood), rejecting the bond of ethnicity, race, or the color of skin. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ

“Indeed the believers are brothers.”

(al-Hujurat 49:10)

Islam also obliges Muslims to live under one political leadership – the Khilafah. It is forbidden for them to be under fragmented political leaderships and different rulers and states as we see today. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم once said:

«إِذَا بُويِعَ لِخَلِيفَتَيْنِ فَاقْتُلُوا الْآخَرَ مِنْهُمَا»

“When the oath of allegiance has been taken for two Caliphs, kill the latter of them.” (Sahih Muslim)

Therefore the Khilafah will unite the Southern Philippine archipelago with the huge territory of Indonesia and Malaysia, and all the lands of Muslims all over the world. The Khilafah will also free the lands of the Muslims in Mindanao, Sulu, Myanmar, Syria, Central Africa and will be a true shield for the honor of the Muslims, including Muslim women and children in all regions of the Khilafah state.

The Khilafah with its noble foreign policy vision will never let any region of Muslims to fall into the hands of the Kuffar and will never accept deceiving imperialist treaties. It will mobilize its army for the sake of Islam and the protection of Muslims rather than for the sake of narrow selfish interests. It will end the weak foreign policy of the Muslim countries that are based upon submission to the West, nationalism and the betrayal of the Western puppet rulers. The Khilafah will replace it with a noble foreign policy to spread the noble da’wah of Islam to the whole world by the method of da’wah and jihad.

O my dearest Moro sisters! Remember, the only way to achieve a true independence is back on the lap of Islam, and be united with all Muslims in the world under the shade of Khilafah! Be aware! That Muslims could not re-enter the trap enemies for the umpteenth time! The strength of the Muslims should not be stripped by a trap called democracy and nationalism, so be consistent with the straight Dawah method exemplified by Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Thus join the struggle for the establishment of the Second Khilafah Rashidah which will silence those who attack and besmirch the honor of Muslim women around the world through the rule of Islam.

Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Fika Komara

Member of Central Media Office Hizb ut Tahrir