STATEMENT: Muslim religious leaders call for peace, justice in Mindanao

Muslim Religious Leaders
Friday, 22 August 2008 06:15

We, the Ulama[1] of North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sharif Kabunsuan, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani Province, General Santos City, Davao City, Davao Provinces, Zamboanga del Sur, and Cotabato City, having gathered for the regional consultative forum of the “Empowering the Ulama of the Philippines” project[2];

Deeply alarmed about the fragile peace situation in Mindanao aggravated by the controversies surrounding the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domains (MOA-AD) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF);

Believing that resorting to violence, will just worsen, rather than resolve the problem;

Profoundly convinced that peace is the only way out of this current predicament; and that such peace must be just and comprehensive;

Do hereby:

1. Call upon all parties to exercise restraint and sobriety amidst heightening tensions in Mindanao;

1. Appeal to all parties to honor the agreement on mutual cessation of hostilities of 2004 and avoid escalation of conflict;

1. Ask the Philippine Commission on Human Rights and other regional and international human rights organizations to monitor the conflict and ensure that internationally accepted agreements on war are adhered to;

1. Call upon Muslim national leaders to show their commitment to peace in Mindanao by supporting the MOA-AD;

1. Oppose plans to revisit or renegotiate the MOA-AD and instead urge government to honor its commitments as stipulated in the agreement which was negotiated by its legally constituted panel of negotiators;

1. Urge the high court to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) it issued on August 4, 2008;

1. Call upon the government to demonstrate its sincerity in achieving peace in Mindanao; and, urge the immediate signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domains (MOA-AD) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF);

1. Appeal to national government officials, political leaders and other personalities to refrain from issuing irresponsible and inflammatory statements that may deepen the crisis and cause unnecessary conflict among the different religious and ethnic groups in Mindanao; further, the Muslim community will reject any attempts to hijack the peace process for political opportunism;

1. Call upon media to be more responsible and avoid exacerbating the already tensed situation;

1. Advocate a public education campaign on the provisions of the MOA so as not to cause undue misunderstandings.

SIGNED by the 43 Muslim religious leaders and scholars who are attending the Regional Consultative Forum of the “Empowering the Ulama” project in the province of Sarangani from August 18 to 19, 2008.

1. ABDULATIP, Ali

2. ABDULGAPOR, Mohamad Taha

3. ALABAT, Abdulsalam

4. ALI, Abubakar

5. ALI, Anshari

6. ALILAYA, Faidza

7. ALI, Jaafar

8. ALI, Mansor

9. AMERIL, Muslemin

10. ARAB, Sarip

11. BADRODIN, Albaya

12. BARRA, Hamid

13. BAWARI, Arabie

14. BILON, Alivic

15. BUTO, Ali

16. CANACAN, Abdurrahman

17. DIDATU, Maimona

18. DIMAPORO, Samsodin

19. EDZA, Bong

20. EDZA, Mohammad Taha

21. ESMAEL, Ebrahim

22. IBRAHIM, Bajunaid

23. KAMAL, Abdulaziz

24. KANDA, Guialil

25. KUDANDING, Mukhalidin

26. KUSIN, Bai Amira

27. LAGUIALAM, Abdulbayan

28. MALA, Ahmad

29. MOHAMAD, Zakaria

30. MOLAO, Samson

31. MUNIB, Jamal

32. PAGABANGAN, Anisa

33. PAGAYUKAN, Nasrul Yakin

34. PAIRAT, Abdulwahab

35. PANGAWILAN, Abdulbasit

36. PASIGAN, Mohammad

37. SALIC, Abdulmajid

38. SAMEDON, Zulkarnain

39. SANDIGAN, Ibrahim

40. TANDO, Anas

41. TOBIAS, Saide

42. TUYA, Mohalidin

43. YUSOP, Badrana



[1] Ulama is a term used to refer to Muslim religious leaders and scholars.

[2] The project is the initiative of the PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY (PCID) with support from the British Embassy and the Royal Netherlands Embassy. The three-year project is intended to provide the ulama of the country the opportunity to present a unified voice and a venue to discuss important issues that affect the Bangsamoro.