It has been awhile since we have seen this naked an attempt on the part of a jihadist group to get non-Muslims to deny what is before their very eyes. This group of Muslim converts in the Philippines says, Why, Islam is a religion of peace, and Muslims revere Christ! How could we have had bombs and planned to disrupt a Christian procession? We're supposed to forget anything we ever heard of Osama bin Laden or Abu Bakar Bashir or a thousand others calling for jihad warfare in the name of Islam, and using copious passages from the Qur'an and Hadith to do it -- and take these guys' word that because they're Muslims, they wouldn't have done this. Note also that even the policeman announces that he is going to continue his investigation in order to capture all those who "give Islam a bad name." Was he hired to defend Islam or to protect the people?
I read these things all the time, and nothing really surprises me anymore, particularly the brazen and bold-faced deception of apologists for the jihad, but this one takes my breath away. "Bombs, guns in raid 'planted,' says group," from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, with thanks to the Informed Christian:
A MUSLIM group said yesterday it had two witnesses who would swear that police planted the explosives and guns to be supposedly used in an alleged Islamic terror plot to bomb the Black Nazarene procession.Yusoph Ledesma, head of the Balik Islam Unity Congress, said the pair were preparing affidavits stating that police had found no evidence against the supposed plotters when they raided the Islamic Information Center in Manila last Friday.
Earlier, two top intelligence officials of the Philippine National Police had also questioned the existence of an alleged plot to bomb Sunday's religious feast in Quiapo. The procession came off peacefully....
Senior Superintendent Rodolfo "Boogie" Mendoza, whose men carried out the raid, said police were hunting 320 other suspected Islamic militants, Agence France-Presse reported.
He said the 320 were believed to have undergone explosives training in the north of the country in 2002, most of them as members of the Rajah Soliman Movement, an organization of Islamic converts with alleged links to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terror network....
"The CIDG assures the public, particularly our Muslim brothers and sisters, that we shall continue to dig deeper into this case if only to go after those who give Islam a bad name, and thereby safeguard public safety and national interest," Mendoza added....
Ledesma was among some 50 Muslims who picketed Camp Crame, demanding the release of the five detainees -- Afgani Alonto, Muamar Adam, Leonardo Ricalde, Josefino Anor and Alian Napia.
"They're not supposed to be there! They're innocent!" an angry Penny Disimban, national president of the Asalaam party-list group, shouted.
Islam's message of peace
Alonto, in particular, could not have been part of any terrorist plot, Ledesma said, adding that Alonto had gone to the Islamic center merely to volunteer his services as an instructor on Arabic and the Koran.
"He's a highly respected Muslim leader," Ledesma said. "He has long been propagating Islam's message of peace and harmony."
Relatives of those arrested said the accusation against their kin was unthinkable.
They said that Alonto, for instance, was among those who led a major anti-terror rally in Marawi City in 1994.
"How could anyone of them think of mass killing and on a big Christian fete when they know how Muslims revere Christ, whose miraculous birth is narrated in a whole chapter of the Koran?" said Alonto's brother, Dr. Ahmad Domocao E. Alonto.
Media should check first
The Alontos are sons of the late Sen. Ahmad Domocao Alonto Sr., who authored measures in Congress calling for the "Filipinization" of the Moros and the minority tribes.
A group of Christian lawyers has volunteered to work for the release of Alonto, his relatives said.
In a statement issued in Marawi, the relatives of the Maranao Muslims who were arrested said the "finest thing the media could do is to verify or countercheck reports that tend to suggest that Islam or the Muslims themselves are anti-Christ, because this could fan animosity and it is not good for the communities and people who have spent the best of their times (doing) legitimate businesses."
They said some of the arrested men were in mid-afternoon prayers when the raiders barged in.
Any idiot can claim that evidence was "planted". There may be a few sympathetic chumps willing to buy that nonsense, but I'm sure most Phillipinos will be turning a deaf ear to this taqiyya.
BTW, how long till Yusoph Ledesma starts claiming this was a NeoCon-Jewish black psyops campaign conducted to make Islam look bad?
* YAWN *
To quote the immortal words of Monty Python:
"I fling boogers in your general direction!"
Mark my words, they'll be redeeming their coupons for 72 raisins in due time...
"How could anyone of them think of mass killing and on a big Christian fete when they know how Muslims revere Christ, whose miraculous birth is narrated in a whole chapter of the Koran?" one Muslim seeking to appear innocent, asks.
Let's see. What was going through the heads of the Muslim mobs, and Muslim police, when they tormented, kidnapped, and even killed Copts in Egypt during the past few years -- not to mention the previous 1300 centuries? What blasphemy persecutions, what judicial and street murders, caused Bishop John Joseph to commit suicide, in a real act of martyrdom, in Pakistan in 1997? What causes Pakistani Muslims to bomb churches and Christian schools? What is it that caused Muslims in Indonesia to destroy between 2,300 and 4,000 churches in 2003 alone? What caused Muslims last year to destroy dozens of Serbian Orthodox churches, including several that were centuries old? What caused Muslims in northern Nigeria to set upon Christians, and destroy their churches, all over the north? What caused the 21-year campaign of murder by the northern Arab Muslims against black Christians (and animists) in the southern Sudan? What caused the attacks on Christian villagers in the southern Philippines? What causes the muhajiroun in Europe to warn that the Infidels of Christian Europe must be dealt with forcefully, and to plan such attacks as those aborted on, inter alia, a Christmas market in Strasbourg, and the Vatican?
Yes, we all know that "Jesus is revered" in Islam. So what? The "Jesus" who is revered is simply the Muslim Jesus, who has nothing to do with the Jesus of Christianity -- most of all, because his divinity is denied. Indeed, all Christians who regard him as divine are gulty of the terrible sin of shirk, polytheism, in Muslim eyes.
Infidels are getting a bit tired of the endless capacity of Muslims for lying and lying and lying about Islam itself. There is a limit to suppressio veri and suggestio falsi, and it was reached long ago. We are, individually and collectively, fed up.
Muslim kitman strategy - deny and shift the blame onto the victim. They have made an art of lying and playing the victim.
"They said some of the arrested men were in mid-afternoon prayers when the raiders barged in."
...and your point is?
And to expand on Hugh's comments regarding Islam's "veneration" of Jesus, here's what Muslims think of him:
http://www.jucanada.org/jesus.htm
Why the name is Eisa? Because words and names mean things, and Eisa means NOTHING.
Unfortunately the weak [and corrupt] Phillipines
government is still in denial that Jihadists are training in large numbers there. This of course encourages more Jihadi attacks : remember govt. denied for a long time that 100 people blown apart by bombs on a Ferry in the Phillipines had anything to do with Islamic Terrorists...
As for lying claims by Muslims that:
A] Islam is a Religion of 'Peace'
B] they were only doing extra study on the Quran
C]They were going to a wedding etc
well - the rest of the World simply won't believe them!!
Hard statistics reveal 99.8 %OF TERRORIST ATTACKS ARE CARRIED OUT BY MUSLIMS.
"They said some of the arrested men were in mid-afternoon prayers when the raiders barged in."
He actually said BARGED in! LMFAO
Heard there was an Earthquake there today 4.3??
Has ubl[YELLOW COWARD WHO RUNS AWAY] family moved?? from Indonesa??
I pray every day to have Help in Destroying our enemys the Islamic Terrorist and we have Bam 31,000 dead and 115,000 dead mulsums who Support Islamic Terrorist??
Makes you wonder??
Qur’an 74:31 “We have appointed nineteen angels to be the wardens of the Hell Fire. We made a stumbling-block for those who disbelieve and We have fixed their number as a trial for unbelievers in order that the people of the Book may arrive with certainty, and that no doubts may be left for the people of the Book, those in whose hearts is a disease. And for those to whom the Scripture Book has been given, and the believers, there should be no doubt. The unbelievers may say, ‘What does the Lord intend by this?’ The Lord will lead astray whomever He pleases, and He will guide whomever He pleases: and none can know the armies of your Lord except He, and this is no other than a warning to mankind.”
This can be broken by Yes it is the Army of the people of the Book who he has chosen to Free [USA] the Iraqi people as it says
He will guide whomever He pleases: and none can know the armies of your Lord except He, and this is no other than a warning to mankind.”
Yes he has chosen the USA!!
TO FREE THE IRAQI PEOPLE FROM THE MONSTER saddam [FOUND IN A HOLE DON’T SHOOT I’M A YELLOW COWARD]
And let’s look at another part?
The Lord will lead astray whomever He pleases,
Ubl,saddam,zawari,all who Kill and destroy mankind?
There will be no more warnings?
Earthquake in Iran kills 31,000 who harbors ubls[YELLOW COWARD WHO RUNS AWAY] son and wife’s??
And now Locus in Egypt
NOW IF THAT IS NOT TELLING YOU ARE ON THE WRONG PATH NOTHING WILL??
Kazakhstan Blast in mine??
Islamic terrorist- killing Iraqis??
Earthquake in Algeria??
The typhoon in Philippines Remember they ran away from the Fight in Iraq??
http://www.onlypunjab.com/fullstory1104-insight-Pink+Locusts+from+North+Africa-status-15-newsID-503.html
Pink Locusts from North Africa Swarm Through Cairo
Publish Date : 11/18/2004 5:09:00 PM Source : Science and Technology News Onlypunjab.com
Swarms of pink locusts swept through the Egyptian capital on Wednesday, evoking the biblical description of the plagues which struck in the time of Moses.
The swarms of millions flew high above tall towers or swooped down onto treelined streets, where scared pedestrians stamped
on them or ran for cover.
The flying insects arrived from neighboring Libya after devouring the countryside in central and western Africa in past months.
YES I SAY ubl[YELLOW COWARD WHO RUNS AWAY] is losing and trying to regain control??
What verses did he say in his rambling and to say about the people of the book??
The people of
the book didn’t lose their crops??
Now Earthquake of mulsum Islands of Indonesia?? 9.3 and afterwards mass killer waves that effect many countries?/
Who is coming to the aid of the people But the Red Cross and India to help the people and Israel and the USA and the Western countries!!
115,ooo, mulsum killed in Indonesia alone?? Whole mulsum towns gone?? And Churches still standing??
We are waiting for the mulsums to help other mulsums?? Or with the entire fund raising they do help people instead of making war??
And now more 6.2 earthquakes in Indonesia?? Because they have sent Islamic terrorist to terrorize the victims of the killer wave??
January 11, 2005 Philippines an 4.3 Earthquake ??
Maybe small there because the fight against Islamic Terrorist??
Was ubls[YELLOW COWARD WHO RUNS AWAY] family in Indonesia we know they support Islamic Terrorist??
http://www.beecy.net/frank/
Ratta Tat Tat Tat,
Budda Bing Bang Boom,
Zooma Zooma Zoom.
Send those bastards to the moon....
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
GOD BLESS THE USA AND HER FIGHTING FORCES AND ALL WHO FIGHT WITH HER GIVE THEM STRENGTH, WISDOM, SIGHT, AND COURAGE TO VICTORY[FREEDOM] TO DESTROY ALL ISLAMIC TERRORIST AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM OPEN THE WORLDS EYES TO THEIR THREAT GIVE THE WORLD COURAGE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT THEM AMEN
I want to be optimistic but this islamics remember me like the communism, good words and bad facts and I feel alone for knowing the truth
Tabari IX:69 “Arabs are the most noble people in lineage, the most prominent, and the best in deeds. We were the first to respond to the call of the Prophet. We are Allah’s helpers and the viziers of His Messenger. We fight people until they believe in Allah. He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protected his life and possessions from us. As for one who disbelieves, we will fight him forever in Allah’s Cause. Killing him is a small matter to us.”
WHAT IS THAT ABOUT PEACEFUL??
KILLING HIM IS NO SMALL MATTER TO US WHO IS IT HE WANTS TO KILL ALL NON-MULSUMS??
Bukhari: V9B89N256 “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he is a black African slave whose head looks like a raisin.’”
GOT TO LOVE THIS ONE RAISAN HEAD??
Ishaq:374 “The black troops and slaves of the Meccans cried out and the Muslims replied, ‘Allah destroy your sight, you impious rascals.’”
SO THEY USE THE BLACKS UNTIL THEY WON THE DAY AND THEN THE RASIAN HEADS WERE KILLED??
Bukhari:V4B52N137 “The Prophet said, ‘Let the negro slave of Dinar perish. And if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him.... If he [the black slave] asks for anything it shall not be granted, and if he needs intercession [to get into paradise], his intercession will be denied.’”
NO 72 BABYS TO RAPE FOR THOSE RASIAN HEADS??
Ishaq:243 “I heard the Apostle say: ‘Whoever wants to see Satan should look at Nabtal!’ He was a black man with long flowing hair, inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks…. Allah sent down concerning him: ‘To those who annoy the Prophet there is a painful doom.” [9:61] “Gabriel came to Muhammad and said, ‘If a black man comes to you his heart is more gross than a donkey’s.’”
MAKES YOU WONDER??
NOW BACK TO THE PEACEFUL PART??
Qur’an 3:47 “Mary said: ‘O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?’ He said: ‘Even so: Allah creates what He wills: When He has decreed a plan, He but says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is!” Qur’an 3:48 “And Allah will teach him the Scripture Book and Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel, and appoint him a messenger to the Children of Israel, with this message: ‘Lo! I come unto you with a Sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah’s leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah’s leave.” [As if reading a different Arabic text, the Ali translation says:] “He will teach him the Law and the Judgment, the Torah and the Gospel, and he will be Apostle to the children of Israel, (saying) ‘I have come to you with a prodigy from your Lord that I will fashion the state of destiny out of the mire for you and breathe (a new spirit) into it, and (you) will rise by the will of Allah.”
YES DOES SAY THIS BUT THEN IT SAYS THIS TOO??
Qur’an 5:72 “They are surely infidels who say; ‘God is the Christ, the Messiah, the son of Mary.”
WOW OH MY!!!
Qur’an 3:56 “As for those disbelieving infidels, I will punish them with a terrible agony in this world and the next. They have no one to help or save them.”
Qur’an 3:118 “O you who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, and Christians). They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin. Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths. What their hearts conceal is far worse. When they are alone, they bite off the very tips of their fingers at you in their rage. Say unto them: ‘Perish in your rage.’”
INSTEAD IT IS THOSE WHO MULSUMS CALL INFIDELS WHO BRING THE NEEDY OF THE KILLER QUAKE AND WAVE FOOD AND WATER AT THE THREAT OF ISLAMIC TERRORIST ??
Qur’an 5:82 “You will find the Jews and disbelievers [defined as Christians in 5:73] the most vehement in hatred for the Muslims.”
WOW OH MY!!
Qur’an 5:80 “You see many of them allying themselves with the unbelieving infidels. Vile indeed are their souls. Allah’s wrath is on them, and in torment will they abide.”
WHO ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT NOT THE GOLDEN RULE LIVE AND LET LIVE I'M SURE??
Qur’an 5:35 “Believers, fear Allah and seek the way to approach Him, striving hard, fighting Jihad with all your might in His Cause that you may be successful. As for the disbelievers [previously defined as Christians], if they had everything on earth, two times over, to give as ransom for the penalty of the Day of Doom, it would never be accepted from them. Theirs will be a painful torment. They will desire to get out of the fire, but they shall not be released from it. They shall have an everlasting torture.”
I WOULDN'T CARE WHAT THEY BELIEVE, BUT THEY HAVE GONE BEYOND BOOK STUDY TO KILLING REAL PEOPLE AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN NOT BE FORGIVEN!!
Qur’an 5:14 “From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We made a covenant, but they forgot and abandoned a good part of the message that was sent them: so we estranged them, stirred up enmity and hatred among them to the Day of Doom. Soon will Allah show them the handiwork they have done.”
SOUNDS LIKE A BROKEN TREADY TO ME AND WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE???
NOW WE HAVE WHAT REAL PEOPLE THINK!!
Christians 'Exploiting' Tsunami Disaster, Group Says
Posted by worldclass
On 01/10/2005 11:26:34 AM PST • 18 replies • 278+ views
CNSNews ^ | 1/10/2005 | Susan Jones
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, in a recent email to supporters, said Christian missionaries are "exploiting the tsunami suffering."
To: worldclass
Last week, Sri Lanka, by order of the Minister of Health, stopped issuing visas to Americans bringing in aid and supplies. They will not be allowed to enter the country. He did so because "They are Christians" according to two people I know in Sri Lanka.
2 posted on 01/10/2005 11:33:50 AM PST by ZGuy
To: worldclass
Well I have seen Taiwan's Tzu-Chi Foundation (which is a Buddhist charity) also contributing the relief effort. When are the likes of CAIR and other fellow Islam organization start to scream "These Buddhists infidels are exploiting the tsunamis??"
4 posted on 01/10/2005 12:22:22 PM PST by NZerFromHK ("US libs...hypocritical, naive, pompous...if US falls it will be because of these" - Tao Kit (HK))
To: worldclass
Christians 'Exploiting' Tsunami Disaster,
Praise the Lord! I hope all the Christian missionaries are successful in converting Muslims. I am a committed Catholic, but if I heard the Lutherans or Evangelicals were baptizing Muslims en masse, I think I could be persuaded to give them a substantial contribution. I truly believe Islam is from the Prince of Darkness himself.
7 posted on 01/10/2005 12:40:19 PM PST by old and tired
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and ALL who Fight with her give them Strength,Wisdom,Sight and Courage to Destroy ALL Islamic TERRORIST and ALL who Support them Open the Worlds Eyes to their Threat Amen
OT,
I just found out that the questionaire had been put on site in a couple of places.
Here is a copy of the questionaire.
Now, I wasn't ready for this to be sent out yet. I intended to include the Mission statement of the group as soon as it was completed and also make a change to the questionaire its self.
I don't need to know address or city. I would like to know states though. The reason is, as we get better organized, I would like to start keeping track of where Islamic speakers are going to be and get our members to monitor it.
PACC QUESTIONNAIRE
In the interest of establishing our groups?s goals and coordinating the
activities of its individual members, we ask that you fill out this
questionnaire and return it to Susan as soon as possible. As always,
your confidentiality will be respected. Thank you for your assistance!
1) Name:
2) E-mail address:
3) City, state and country of residence:
4) In your opinion, what should be the goals of this group?
5) What are your particular interests, skills and experience?
6) What specific issues would you care to address or are currently
working on?
7) Are there any technical skills you are willing to contribute?
8) Do you wish to be share your e-mail address with the other group
members?
9) If the group establishes an identity, do you have any suggestions
for
a name?
10) Any additional suggestions, ideas, information, etc.?
I know that I have had many emails concerning this new group effort and a lot of people have made suggestions and offers to help, which all have been greatly appreciated, but, there was so much, this is the best way to get things more organized.
If everyone could fill this out and send it back, that would help alot. And, only fill in what you are comfortable with.
SusanB
susan_b356@yahoo.com
OT but just a crazy Redneck thinking??
I keep thinking about all those Frams in England and the Mad cow and ALL those Frams in Europe where they had to put down their cows for Foot and Mouth??
And Mand cow is now turning up in Canada and lets not forget all them Chickens???
All in Heavy Mulsum areas??
http://www.jucanada.org/halalfoods.htm#Other%20Halal%20Foods%20Information
Update on Halal Investigations
Recently the Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada (CCMT) has been contacted by many Muslims inquiring about Halal slaughter plants, suppliers, companies, stores & abattoirs.
In March 2004 the Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada had received complaints from the Muslim community and individuals from the halal industry that many things within the industry were not being observed in accordance to the 'Shariah'. The Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada had therefore decided to appoint a team of members whose task was to investigate what is going on within this industry. The team had decided to firstly concentrate on the poultry farms and then, upon inspecting all of them, move on to other avenues of the industry. Throughout this investigation the team had discovered many areas of concern in majority of the places that were visited and steps were taken to rectify the problems.
Until now a total of 12 poultry slaughter plants, 7 further processing plants and 4 meat slaughtering plants have been visited and still there are many more to be visited. The Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada has in the meantime decided that one visit to each plant or even periodic spot-checks are not sufficient to ensure that the laws of halal are being observed in a proper manner. The only solution to the problem is to implement a monitoring system in each facility through which we can say with assurity that a place is producing 100% halal. Therefore the Jami'yyatul Ulama is working towards this direction and has also formed a coalition with the halal certifying board IFANCA to establish this. Likewise the Jami'yyah is also now working with eat-halal.com to ensure that the Muslim consumer receives 100 % halal products.
It should be borne in mind that the Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada has not and will not certify or recommend any slaughter-house, distributor or store until the mentioned monitoring system is implemented. Therefore in the meantime it is the shar'ee/religious obligation of each Muslim to ensure that he/she is consuming halal and it is incumbent on him/her to take whatever steps that are required to achieve this assurity. Simply by seeing a product labeled as halal or a retailer telling you that the product is halal is not enough in the present era.
MAYBE THEY NEED TO FIND A KOSHER Butcher???
I THINK FOOT AND MOUTH AND MAD COW AND OTHER THINGS WITH THESE ?? WALKING AROUND??
http://www.muslimconsumergroup.com/
The Muslim Consumer Group For Food Products is a non-profit and non-political organization incorporated in 1993 as an educational organization for Muslims about Halal food products in supermarkets, to provide the service for Halal certification of food products. This group was organized also to educate Food Companies about Islamic dietary requirements for Halal food products. Our Halal symbol appeared on a few bakery products in supermarkets and currently appears internationally on many food ingredients
We are bringing an abundant wealth of knowledge on Halal food products in the form of a book
" A Comprehensive List of Halal Food Products in US Supermarkets "
The sixth edition was researched in 2003 for the sole benefit of Muslim community. This revised edition includes 33 supermarkets from coast to coast. Alhaumdulillah this is the first book which provides the Halal status of local supermarket brands in New York City, Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Chattanooga, St. Louis, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Alhaumdulillah, this book is sold out and is not available at Muslim Consumer Group. But you can obtain this book from the following Islamic bookstores:
Iqra, Zeenat Emporium, MCC, Islamic Foundation & Sound Vision bookstores in Chicago, Hilal bookstore in Detroit, ICNA bookstore in Jamaica, NY, Halalco bookstore in Falls Church, VA, Islamic Bookstore.com in Baltimore, Darul Kitab Al Arabia and Albalagh bookstores in California, Dar-us-Salam bookstore in Houston, Muslim Center Book Service in Flushing, NY, Islamic Books & Gifts in Richardson, TX, Dar-US-Salam in Brooklyn, NY
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and ALL who Fight with her give them Strength,Wisdom,Sight, and Courage to stay the course to Victory to Destroy ALL islamic Terrorist and ALL who support them Open the Worlds Eyes to their Threat Amen
PS
Shiva are you a Hindu??
with your big black dogs??
By Rexcel Sorza, IOL Correspondent
ILOILO CITY, Philippines, January 2 - (IslamOnline.net) – Many Filipino Muslims believe 2004 was not a very good year, citing mounting waves of Islamophobia and the government’s failure to ink a peace agreement in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“It’s not the best, that’s for sure. But I can’t say it’s the worst either. The worst is yet to come. I must say 2004 is not a very good year for us Filipino Muslims,” Macaosur Macalanggan told IslamOnline.net.
He regretted the several illegal detentions of Muslims, who were later tagged as terrorists.
“I think there were more innocent Muslims who were arrested this year on allegations of terrorism,” he said.
Though the Philippine National Police has no exact figure of those arrestees, at least 100 Filipino Muslims are estimated to have been arrested and are now languishing in various jails in the capital, Metro Manila.
These include those held during a crackdown on alleged Muslim terrorists last March and those arrested in the ongoing police and military operations.
These arrests, Macalanggan said, did not only cause problems to the persons involved and their families.
“It also reinforced the stereotype that Muslims are terrorists,” he said, lamenting that the crackdown is “carried out by the government which is supposed to protect its people and promote inter-religious [tolerance].”
During the holy-fasting month of Ramadan, the country’s Muslims championed a campaign to wash away misconceptions about Islam and Muslims and distance their faith from terrorism.
Discriminated Against
Abdul Najim, another Filipino Muslim, also voiced dissatisfaction with the past year.
“I don’t think 2004 was a better year. There might be government projects and programs poured into Mindanao but the effect to most of us Filipino Muslims is not yet felt. What was obvious was the discrimination.”
He told IOL the government “failed miserably to include Muslims into the mainstream. Government structures have yet to pave the way for Muslims to live harmoniously with Filipinos of other beliefs. The government is so insensitive on this.”
Najim cited, as a case in point, the absence of any Muslim on the ministerial level.
“Look at the cabinet, there is no Muslim who heads a department,” he said.
All Out War
A group called Moro Christian Peoples Alliance echoed the same opinions.
Cosain Naga Jr., MCPA spokesperson, said Islamophobia is felt more in the country this year than ever.
He said all-out-wars, brutal slaying of Muslims, witch-hunting, unjustified arrests and red-tagging drives, sums up the situation of the Moro people under the Arroyo government.
Naga regretted treatment accorded to Pilipino Muslims, even in the capital Metro Manila.
“They are beleaguered by institutionalized discrimination. The Moro people in the urban center are pawns and scapegoats used by the state to fuel US-Arroyo tandem’s terrorism euphoria.”
He recalled that in last March “another hyped-up scare owing to the Madrid bombings led to a series of warrant-less arrests and community raids hitting our Balik-Islam brethren.
“The identification system and the anti-terror task force were put in Moro communities – showing the Arroyo government’s use of the armed forces and the law to legalize terrorism against the Moro people.”
He stressed that this “deepened the scar of a history of discrimination and has brandished the Muslims as terrorists.”
Senator Aquilino Pimentel lambasted a proposal to require Muslim residents in Metro Manila to carry with them identification cards, saying thus “smacks of discrimination which could only cause ill-feeling between Christians and Muslims”.
Mindanao
Fatemah Ali, a Filipino Muslim woman, agreed 2004 was “not a good year for us because of the still unresolved conflict in Mindanao .”
She told IslamOnline.net that many of her relatives have left the southern Philippine island, which is home to most of the country’s 10 million Muslims, “to find livelihood elsewhere.”
Ali believes that Mindanao ’s economy “would not benefit the ordinary people until lasting peace is present there.”
She said no investor would put in money unless there is an assurance that no armed confrontation would flare up anytime between the government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters.
“I think the government has not paid serious attention to the peace problem of Mindanao . It has announced the resumption of formal peace talks but nothing has taken place. The people of Mindanao and the Muslim Ummah there are thirsting for peace,” Ali stressed.
Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesperson, said they have always been ready for the resumption of the formal negotiations but the Philippine government was busy with other issues than the peace talks.
The government and the MILF have jointly announced last week that they would resume the peace talks in February 2005.
Negotiating teams from both parties met in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , on December 20-21 to iron out the details and map out the guidelines for the formal peace talks, which have been intermittently stalled since 2001.
Military Garrison
Naga regretted that Mindanao has become a “virtual military garrison and the Moro people are captives of the state’s reign of terror.”
He recalled that on August 13, during the highly-opposed US-Philippines Balikatan exercises in Carmen, North Cotabato , 200 families from Liguasan Marsh were forced to flee from their homes as gunship, Huey choppers and OV-10s pelt their houses with bombs.
“This armed forces of the Philippines-led offensive follow the Pikit and Lanao attack in February and May 2003 which led to the record-breaking 400,000 (more) war victims, which spawned all types of violations in the human rights vocabulary.
“The motive is one and the same: to purge Liguasan Marsh off the people, pulverize the MILF and root the United States’ absolute military control in Mindanao, a strategic Asia Pacific base for the US’s drive for hegemony,” said Naga.
“The 2003 and 2004 AFP-led all out war happened while the peace talks are on the table and ceasefire agreements between the MILF and the GRP are in effect.” He stressed that such large-scale anti-people crimes belie the peace posture that the Arroyo government projects.
“The Balikatan 2004 and the Liguasan Marsh purging in August were deliberately set wick wires, enough to trigger another clash between the MILF and GRP forces that could once again derail the scheduled resumption of the peace negotiations set in Malaysia . Until now, there is no clear reason to believe that ‘peace’ in Mindanao will ever be sighted.”
Not As Bad
ARMM Gov. Parouk Hussin disagreed.
He said all is not bad in Mindanao and among the Filipino Muslims. He said the year has been “challenging than ever” but “there is enough reason to celebrate.”
He said the image of Muslims as terrorists has “greatly been improved.”
With the help of everyone and the mass media, he said, “most Filipinos do not think Muslims are killers, kidnappers or terrorists.”
This is, too, Hussin added, with the help of the Arroyo government.
“President Gloria Arroyo herself told the entire nation that not every Muslim is a terrorist but only a very few.”
He added that the government also saw to it that no innocent individuals are arrested.
Hussin expressed hopes that the MILF and Philippine government would be able to finally ink a peace deal in 2005.
“I believe both parties are doing their best to solve the peace problem of Mindanao .”
An international network of non-governmental organizations lambasted in its annual report released Monday, April 26, the Filipino government over its failure to end the decades-old crisis in Mindanao .
"As long as the government talks peace but makes war, and as long as the economic model does not recognize the need to battle against inequality and poverty, human security will remain a remote possibility," said Social Watch.
Obviously those bombs were planted, the fillipino government has always been persecuting Muslims and are now using terrorism as a reason to do so, however the Fillipio people are tolerant and most do believe that Islam is peaceful unlike u brainwashed people.
Who did you say was "brainwashed?" We have read your koran and hadiths etc. We are free to decide for ourselves if we believe your book. The idea that islam is a religion of peace is absolutely not possible and you know it.
Catherine
no gold star for you
but a black hole
I pray every day to have Help in Destroying our enemys the Islamic Terrorist and we have Bam 31,000 dead and 115,000 dead mulsums who Support Islamic Terrorist??
Saint Catherine---Saint of genocidal tendicies and sick humour.
Take note
I lost many good friends of all religions in that Tsunami.Some of them children.
So you arrogant short skirted troll preacher go back to your 71 virgin friends in heaven Instead of hidimg behind the brave American Tribe spouting your mouth and killing innocent spiders in your bravado.
The enemy is in your back yard,practice what you preach,take one of those much talked about guns and do what you have to do,before you have mosques on every street corner,screaming the koran 16hrs a day nonstop.
Stop hunting innocent squirrels
Stop killing innocent spiders
Did,nt the blood of the buffaloo quench your thirst for blood
Does'nt your faith preach that you should pray for goodness upon your foe?
Catherine
look into my face and behold the sweestest dreams of some,and the worst nightmares of others
What these total arse-heads don't seem to realise is being a muslim actually arouses suspicion rather than deflecting it these days.... still , I have to admit, even by muslim standards this blatant attempt at denial of obvious facts, this is laughable.
Soon muslim terrorists will start denying being muslims to try and deflate suspicion, it'd be more convincing to me.
Btw, everyone: Am I behind the times, or is the newest left-wing nut theory that Al-queda does not even exist, and was made up by the 'neo-cons'?
Gary,
Thats not a new one. Thats filed alongside, "the holocaust never happened" and "Zarqawi has been made up by the CIA."
Now thats denial for you....