Farouk Sharif - The Sultanate at Present

The Sultanate At Present

Philippines sultanates at present have legally been disenfranchised and reduced to non-entities by a provision in the Philippines constitution prohibiting the grant of a title of nobility to Filipino citizen, interestingly the same constitution provides respect for the local culture, traditions and practices. Among Muslims there is no way one can separate the sultanate from culture, tradition, religion and practices. Once the sultanate is destroyed everything goes along with it. A Muslim is a Muslim because he has his own identity in the sultanate of which he is part and parcel. without the sultanate, he becomes a non-entity, a person without identity or an anchor much like a rudderless boat being blown away any which way by every passing wind.

This in essence is the heart of Mindanao problem why it continues to fester like a wound that has turned cancerous. The government looks at the Mindanao problem as one of economics, peace and order, progress, and even education and secretly religion, so it strengthens the military and sends them on campaigns intended to physically annihilate most, If not all, rebel elements. Whether Abu Sayaf, MILF or terrorists, what the government continuously fails to understand, much less appreciate, is that all Muslim are one body, whichever part of the body suffers from pain affects all parts of the body, when a Muslim, no matter that he is a terrorist or rebel, is oppressed and eventually killed, all Muslims feet its pain, the difference in the reaction of a Muslim from that of a non-Muslim is that friend and family of the Muslim victim. The Muslims in Mindanao may opt to react in any of three ways: go to the mountains or urban centers and avenge his death using physical force, discuss the pain but not do anything about it while waiting for the opportunity to redress the wrongdoing against him, or keep it securely hidden in his heart. For as long as the real solution to the Mindanao problem is not used so long will it remain ever widening until a Mindanao of not nation will confederation arises.