Muslim Leaders' Consensus of Unity (July 15, 1971)
MUSLIM LEADERS’ CONSENSUS OF UNITY
In the Name of God, Most Great, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful
Faced by threats to the existence of the Islamic community in the Philippines on account of past and recent events, as a consensus of unity, after due deliberation, we hereby issue this communique stating:
We are all conscious and deeply concerned about our people’s Islamic rights and obligations as Muslims and as citizens, and aware of the faithful trust of our people to work for their welfare and protect their rights from all forms of transgression;
That in order to facilitate this obligation we hereby unite as one body, setting aside all our personal and political differences in the past and in the present with an end to fight the enemies of our Muslim community;
That we have taken cognizance of past events which have befallen the Muslims in the Philippines, e.g., the Jabidah massacre, the disturbance of Muslim villages before resulting to the loss of lives and properties, the current series of killings, assault, and mutilations of Muslims, the desecration of their dead and the burning of their mosques and houses in Cotabato and Lanao del Sur, not to mention the perennial discrimination against Muslims in many levels of the national life as well as the misrepresentation or distortion of their true image as a historic people;
That provoked aggressions against Muslims, such as the merciless massacre of sixty-one Muslim men, women and children in a place of worship in the Manili mosque in Carmen, Cotabato, by “Ilagas” mercenaries who commit crimes of this magnitude with impunity, points out the fact that the Muslims are not getting the full measure of protection to which they are entitled under the laws of the land;
That all these barbaric and inhuman atrocities against the Muslims, like the cutting off the ears of a Muslim cadet, etc., is in violation of the Laws of God, of the Constitution and existing laws and is a serious and actual threat to the religious freedom of our people as well as an affront to the conscience and to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations;
That judging from the military capacity of the “Ilagas” marauders, as evidence are on hand, there is strong reason to believe, of connivance with, or support by, certain sectors of the armed forces and local Christian politicians;
That this pattern of aggression and criminal actions in Muslim areas, unless immediately stopped by the government, adds to the belief that there is, indeed, a design to disperse and eliminate the Muslim community;
That in the case of the evacuees, the continued failure of the government to bring them back to their places of origin, compensate them for their losses unlike the immediate rehabilitation and replacement of houses in Oña Estate and Corinto in Bantay, Ilocos Sur, and provide them protection, progressively erodes the confidence of the Muslims in the sincerity of the government to enforce their rights, protect their lives and their properties;
That in view of the foregoing facts and premises, we urge the government to accept our proposals to ensure lasting peace in the country and make the government forces protect the lives of not only the Christians but also the Muslims;
WE, THEREFORE, urge all the people behind the “Ilagas” mercenaries to desist from continuing their evil designs against the Muslims, for we know who they are and we know they can stop what they have started; unless they so desist, there shall be serious repercussions to the national life of this nation.
That we urge the Catholic hierarchy and other Christian groups to exercise their moral and spiritual leadership to appeal to their co-religionists to respect Islam and the Muslims as the basis for peace and harmony;
We appeal to all progressive and well-meaning Christians to exert their efforts in bringing about unity in order to prevent the disintegration of the nation;
Finally, if the government shall fail or refuse to perform its fundamental duty to give equal protection to all citizens, whether Muslim or Christian, if it fails to stop the criminal depredations in Muslim areas which are brazenly and openly committed with the very presence of the military and if we shall not get justice for our people thru peaceful and legal means—we hereby pledge today before God, that despite our present personal and political positions, we shall do our utmost to preserve our community and land. Toward this end, we are willing and ready to sacrifice our worldly possessions and even our lives as our forebears have done before us in defense of freedom and Islam.
Manila, July 15, 1971
SIGNATORIES Senator Mamintal A. Tamano – President, Muslim Lawyers League of the Philippines
Rep. Salipada K. Pendatun – President, Muslim Association of the Philippines
Rep. Ali Dimaporo – President, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of the Philippines
Delegate Domocao Alonto – Director General, Ansar El-Islam
Sultan Rashid Lucman – Chairman, Union of Islamic Forces of the Philippines
Atty. Sandiale Sambolawan – Constitutional Delegate, Cotabato City
Rep. Macacna Dimaporo – Lanao del Sur
Atty. Benjamin Abubakar – Former Governor, Jolo, Sulu
Kasan Mambuay – Vice Governor, Lanao del Sur
Pullong Arpa – Former Ambassador, Jolo, Sulu
Dean Cesar Adib Majul – College of Arts & Sciences, U.P. Diliman, Quezon City
Datu Udtog Matalam Jr. – Phils., Cotabato
Former Gov. Hadji Arsad Sali – Jolo, Sulu
Mus Izquierdo – Provincial Board Member, Jolo, Sulu
Atty. Midpantao Adil – Constitutional Delegate, Pagalungan, Cotabato
Delegate M. Guro – Lanao del Sur
Lininding Pangandaman – Constitutional Delegate, Lanao del Sur
Atty. Michael Mastura – Constitutional Delegate, Cotabato City
Nur Misuari – University of the Philippines
Atty. M. Y. Abbas Jr. – Chairman, Muslim Youth National Assembly
Engr. Farouk Carpizo – Secretary-General, National Coordination Council for Islamic Affairs, Inc.
Atty. Musib Buat – Nurul Islam, Cotabato
Ustadz Kuung Pumbaya – Imam, Manila Mosque
Atty. Abraham Rasul – Former CNI Commissioner, Jolo, Sulu
Atty. Madki Alonto – Former Governor, Lanao del Sur
Aminkadra Abubakar – Mayor, Jolo, Sulu
Manaros Boransing – Professor, Mindanao State University
Ustadz Calib Tupay – Basilan City
Kalingalan Kaluang(Caluang) – Jolo, Sulu
Capt. Hassan Bagis – Jolo, Sulu
(Taken from The Manila Times, Wednesday, July 21, 1971)
Reference Majul, C. A. (1985). The contemporary Muslim movement in the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.