Islamic at Islamic Movements 

from a Philippine Perspective

Roque Yusuf Morales,PhD (hons)

an ICAS Phils publications

Copyright 2013all rights reserved

Table of Contents

1.A Contextual reading of the development of Islamic Intellectual Thought

1

2. The Evolution of the concept of Hukumah Islamiyyah from the perception of the Balik Islam movement in the Philippines : Philosophical reflections

28

3. Muslim Filipinos in the Context of Shiism: Then, Now and Its Expectations.

68

4. The Significance of Shiism from Pre-Hispanic Alawi to Modern Day Ithna Ashari in the Philippines and Its Historical Relevance

82

5. Propaganda and propagation in the Salafi Manhaj

113

6.Other books of Prof MoralesAuthor's Foreword :

Today's Islamic movements has manifested themselves in many ways, the Arab spring and winter, the Central Asian awakenings, the South Asian Radicalism, among others.

The Philippine context is no different from the others, being in a multicultural pluralist society where a plurality of ideologies and religious persuasions exist, as such one can see the variety of Islamic though in the Philippines.

This collection of essays aims to address part of understanding the Islamic sea of thought in our part of the Muslim Ummah

Roque Yusuf Morales,PhD (hons)Bulacan, Philippines,2013

A Contextual reading of the development of Islamic Intellectual Thought:

The understanding of todays world is that the development of Islamic consciousness begins with the revelation of the first verses of the holy Quran. This however in the view of Islamic intellectuals to be a contrary persepective.

Islam from the very start was a reformation movement which was a response to the context of Arab society which was enmeshed in Jahiliyyah (ignorance). It was in the view of the mutakalimun as an affirmation and finalization of previous revelations and prophecies in different faith traditions.

Like any faith tradition Islam presents a much vibrant intellectual tradition that continues to share its civilizational contributions to the world

The aim of this essay does not aim to present a linear presentation as in any linear presentation one may not be able to see parallel strands of constructs. This prepsentation aims to show a non-linear contextual narration to show how Islamic intellectual development development progressed.

Although there may be several periods of intellectual development in the Hijirah millenia (in my count there are around 14 major periods), let us focus primarilly on seven periods which I have classified to allow us an easy understanding into system.

Basically let us look into the following periods:

• Nabawi• Khulafa rashidoon• Amawi Era• Abbasi Era• Post Abbasi• Colonial Period• Post Colonial and post modernitry

The Nabawi period is best charachterized as the stage where the crucial and pivotal points in Islamic thought were hammered. This was the period of Revelation of the Quran (Ayyame nuzoole Quran). The makkan period (the time wherein the prophet peace be upon him, was till in Makka), revelation of the Quran was primarilly focused elucidation on Man and his relationship with God.

The Madina period coincided with the

stablishment of the Madinatul Nabawi in Yathrib (the old name of Madina), wherein themes in revelation strongly stressed in relations and transactions of man as well as issues in law, governance and statehood.

This was also the period where this Quranic revelations were personified by the one who carries the message, Prophet Muhammad;s actions, words and approval constituted what was called as Ahdith (narrations) or Sunnah (traditions) which was the second primary text (nusus) from wherein Islamic law and other disciplines were derived from.

Both the Makkiya and Madaniya (surahs) were immediately interpreted or explained by the Prophet (saw) either by actions, words or illustation of an event. This was the primal purpose of the prophetic hadith/ sunna – to render a clear and manifest understanding of

Quranic revelations excemplified by what the prophet of Islam lived as a person.

What is wonderful from the Islamic faith tradition that despite divergence and multiplicity in beliefs and philosophical formulations of the different schools of though is that all converge on the primal discourse of Quran and Sunna which shows that Islamic ethos is primarilly a mosaic than rather a monolithic structure.

The Khulafa rashidoon era is the period wherein active expansion and proseletization made leaps and bounds that islam soon became a nation having many tongues and that the Quranic recitation and transmission of Sunnah required a sceintific process of transmission and that both the Family of the Prophet, affectionately known as the Ahlul Bayt (as) and the Companions agreed on a set of principles that were to become the basis of transmission of these

knowledge also known as Ijaza (permission), the first formulation of a diploma for authority to narrate knowledge. This was the period wherein the Quran was published as a standard format or text and sent to all corners of the islamic world.

This was the period that laid forth the foundations of where the major centers of Intellectual learning would spring forth later, al-magreb that was occupied by the Mawalid dynasty, Al-Misr that was occupied later by the Faitimids, Byzantium and Fars which were later occupied by the Seljuqs and the Safavids as well as other areas in Transoxiana.

Expansion in the eyes of the Companions was more of sharing the light of Islam as well as looking for places to settle and this was the primal vigor that each Companion (sahaba) had that led them even into the far corners of

China.

The Amawi period marked the start of the era of dynasties wherein Muawiyah seized the throne from Imam Hassan bn Ali. This marked the era where the politics of marginalization gave rise to varying strands of intellectual materielle.

This period was quite significant in the sense that a huge chunk of intelletuals and scholars who didnt agree with the political dispensation at that time began the formation of their own intellectual circles outside the courts which led to the flowering of different intellectual millieu.

The Alawi branch of knowledge, especially led by Ali Ibn al-Hussain also known as Zainul Abideen, propagated the concept of tarbiyah bi dua (formation and intellectual instruction through the supplications) this created parallel strands

of spiritual and intellectual masters who used the sufi (mystical) orders as a center for Islamic discourse.

The Amawi period was a politically bloody period and many scholars rendered their traditions through the Batini (esoteric) methodologies.

The Abbasi period is what we call a period of contradictions. It was a period that was led by those who pulled down the Amawi dynasty, initiated an intellectual period but at the same time.

The Abbassid Period was marked with the following significant points :

The period of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) and son Imam Jaafar as-Sadiq from the Ahlul Bayt (as) who built the first Islamic university in their houses wherein many respective teachers

of many Sunni Mutakalimun, Muhadithun , mufassirun among others Imam Zuhri, Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik can to study and learn.

The period of the establishment of Baytul Hikma during the rule of Harun ar-Rasyid which led to the wholesale importation, translation, publication of all known books of knowledge from the known world as well as their dissimination into the known world. Works of Aristotle and other greek masters were retransmitted to the world through this route.

The caliph employed many translators and lithographers for their masspread production of translations and books.

Both points ushered the period of scholars where knowledge was systematically classified and organized and that this period allowed a level of discourse where both the marginalized and

trhe ones under state patronage were able to deliver public discourses on the dissemination of knowledge.

The arrival of the Mughal horde led to the collapse of the Abbaside caliphate, which gave rise to several simultanoeus regional dynasties which we may call post abbasid period. The Collapse of the Abbassid dynasty led to the rise of several regional centers of power and knowledge where people flocked to see and learn , among them where the areas of Magreeb which was controlled by the Mawalids represented by their legalist and formalist intellectual traditions, the Fatimids who were al-Azhar representing the batini (esoteric traditions) as well as their counterparts in Yeman and central Asia, who represented the more metaphysical intellectual discourse in Islam only to be equaled by the scholars in Safavi Persia who also carries a peripathetic and gnostic intellectual tradition.

The Seljuqs became patrons of Sunni islam which culminated in the creation of the Uthmaniyyah Khilafah which was the patron of Muslims until its dissolution by Kemal Ataturk.

The post Abbasid period also marks the period where intellectual exchanges with the world took place : at Andalus, at Byzantium and at Egypt wherein both traditions and civilizartions have immensely benefited from each other.

Islamic civilization, seeing the need to critique and enhance its traditions while the west benefitting from the intellectual disciplines and traditions that Islam has brought with it.

The colonialist period begins with the crusades and the beginning of colonialist expansion of europe. This led to the intellectual slowdown since state institutions were focused more on

the defensive and Muslim states became colonial vassals of the west. The focus of intellectuals during this period was the attempt to return to the pristine purity and strength of Islam.

The discourses of this period were primarilly either centered on Political and nationalist discourses as a response towards western colonialism, or theological critiques towards the west of Christianity.

The notable characteristics of this period was that Key intellectual figures were also part of nationalist, Islamist political movements.

The Most recent is Post-colonial postmodernist period, characterized by the establishment of Muslim states, some with democratic spaces other dictatorial which led to mass migration of Muslims to first world countries.

Massive conversion to Islam of leading intellectual figures as well as the rise of alternative discourses in islamic Studies , primarilly between orientalists, university based scholars, thinkers and classical scholars.

Among the discourses famous in this period were the Gharbzadegi (westoxification) discourse, which viewed western influence as a poison to Muslim intellectual development, the Clash of civilizations which manifested the western fear of non-western ideologies, the Dialogue of civilizations as well as Islamic pluralism.

These and other discourses and the renewed interest of islam after 9-11, shows the immense need for the development of a rational and intellectual discourse that would be espoused and elucidated in a post modernist context, critical and yet never forgetting the primal basis of Islam as elucidated in the primary

textual sources: The Quran and the Prophetic hadith.

Below is a timeline of the history of Islam. Major events are in bold.

c. 570 CE

Birth of Muhammad.

c. 610 CE

Muhammad receives first vision in a cave near Mecca.

c. 610-22 CE

Muhammad preaches in Mecca.

622 CE

Hijira - Muhammad and followers flee to Medina.Islamic calendar (AH, Anno Hegirae) begins.

624 CE

Muslims successfully attack Meccan caravans at Badr.

625Muslims are defeated by Meccans at Uhud.

630

Muslims capture Mecca. Ka'ba is cleansed, pilgrimage rites are Islamicized, tribes of Arabia vow allegiance to Muhammad

632Death of Muhammad. Abu Bakr chosen as caliph.

632-33

Wars of ridda (apostasy) restore allegiance to Islam

633 Muslim conquests (Futuhat) begin.

633-42

Muslim armies take the Fertile Crescent (Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia), North African coast, parts of Persian and Byzantine Empires

c. 650Caliph Uthman has the Qur'an written down.

656Uthman is murdered; Ali becomes fourth caliph.

657 Battle of Siffin. Mu'awiya, governor of Syria, claims the caliphate.

659Arbitration at Adruh is opposed by Ali's supporters.

661Ali is murdered; Mu'awiya becomes caliph. Beginning of Umayyad Caliphate (661-750).

680Death of Husayn marks beginning of the Shi'at Ali ("party of Ali") or Shi'a sect.

685-705

Reign of Abd al-Malik. Centralization of administration - Arabic becomes official written language (instead of Greek and Persian) and Arab coinage is established.

late 600s

Ruling classes in East and West Africa convert to Islam.

700-800s

Groups of ascetics and mystics begin to form

710Arab armies enter Spain from North Africa.

732 Muslim empire reaches its furthes

extent. Battle of Tours prevents further advance northwards.

747 Revolt defeats the Umayyads.

750 Abu l'Abbas becomes caliph in Iraq

754Baghdad (Madinat al-Salam, "city of peace") becomes the new capital of the Abbasid empire.

755Abd ar-Rahman founds an Umayyad Dynasty in Cordoba, Spain.

765

Division within Shi'ites - majority are the modern Imamiyya (Twelvers) who co-exist with Abbasid caliphs; minority are more extreme Isma'iliyaa (Seveners).

786-809

Reign of Harun ar-Rashid, best known through the stories of The Thousand and One Nights.

800s Written collections of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) are compiled. Sicily comes under Muslim rule.

813-33

Reign of Ma'mun. Theological controversy over whether the Qur'an is created or uncreated and eternal. Center for translation of texts from Greek to Arabic founded in Baghdad.

869-883

Uprisings of black slaves (Zanj) are eventually defeated.

908 First Fatimid caliph in Tunisia.

928Umayyad Abd ar-Rahman III declares himself caliph in Cordoba.

940Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth imam, disappears. Twelvers still await the future return of the "Hidden Imam."

945The Buyids (Persian) invade Baghdad and take power from caliph.

969 Fatimids gain power in Egypt and attack Palestine, Syria, and Arabia. Cairo (Al-Qahira, "the victorious city") is founded.

980-1037

Life of Avicenna, Iranian physician and Aristotelian philosopher.

996-1021

Reign of Fatimid al-Hakim. Hamza ibn Ali forms basis of esoteric Druze religion.

late 900s

West Africa begins to convert to Islam

1030Umayyad caliphate in Cordoba defeated by the Christian Reconquista.

1055Seljuk Turks take Baghdad; Abbasids now only nominal rulers.

1000s

Reconquista takes more of Spain, Sicily falls to the Normans, Crusader kingdoms are briefly established in Palestine and Syria.

1071Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantines at Battle of Manzikert.

1090 Hasan-i Sabbah takes Alamut in the Persian mountains, the Assassin sect forms around him.

1099 Christian Crusaders take Jerusalem.

1100-1200s

Sufi orders (turuq) are founded.

1126-98

Life of Averroës, Muslim philosopher from Cordoba who sought to integrate Islam with Greek thought.

1171Fatimid power ends in Egypt with the conquests of Saladin.

1174Saladin declares himself sultan of Egypt and Syria.

1193Death of Saladin; most of Crusader states have returned to Islam.

1200s

Assassins wipes out by the Mongols. Indian rulers in Delhi take title of Sultan. Spanish mystic Muhyi al-Din ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240) flourishes.

1221Genghis Khan and the Mongols enter Persia.

1241 Mongols take the Punjab.

1258Mongols capture Baghdad; city is sacked and caliph is killed. End of Abbasid caliphate.

1281-1324

Reign of Uthman (Osman), who founds the Ottoman Empire. Muslim merchants and missionary Sufis settle in SE Asia.

mid-1300s

Ottomans capture Bursa and Iznik and move into Europe.

1366Capital of Ottoman Empire moved from Bursa to Adrianople.

late 1300s

Ottomans take control of the Balkans.

1400s Islam reaches the Philippines.

1453 Mehmet Fatih (rules 1451-81) conquers Constantinople. The two halves of the Ottoman Empireare united and the sultan becomes Byzantine emperor.

1492 Castile and Aragon capture Granada. All

Muslims (and Jews) expelled from Spain.

1501

Isma'il (1487-1524) claims to be the Hidden Imam and is proclaimed Shah (king) of Persia. Twelver Shi'ism becomes official religion of Persia.

1516 Ottomans conquer Syria and Egypt.

1517 Ottomans control Mecca and Medina.

1520-66

Reign of Suleyman the Magnificent; Ottoman Empire reaches its zenith. Hungary and coastlands of Algeria and Tunisia come under Ottoman rule.

1526Babur (Mongolian) seizes the Delhi sultanate and takes control of northern India.

1556 Akbar founds the Mughal dynasty in northern India.

1600-1700s

Venetians, Habsburgs, and Russians divide European Ottoman lands between them.

1625 Java comes under rule of Muslim

kingdom of Mataram.

1699Treaty of Karlowitz confirms first substantial losses of Ottoman Empire in Europe.

1700s

Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab rejects Sufism and all innovation (bid'a). Founds what becomes the Saudi Arabian kingdom. Hindus regain power from Mughals in northern India.

1738 Mughal empire invaded by the Afghans.

1779Afghans ousted by Qajar dynasty, which rules Persia until 1925.

1798 Napoleon's expedition to Egypt.

1805 Muhammad Ali becomes governor of Egypt, which becomes independent of the Ottomans, gains control of western Arabia and extends into the Sudan.

1807-76

Tanzimat period. Ottoman Empire undergoes extensive program of

modernization in government, law, and medicine.

1830Greece regains independence from Ottomans.

1850sNon-Muslim Ottoman citizens granted equality with Muslims.

1858Last Mughal in India is deposed and India comes under British rule.

1876-1908

Reign of Abd al-Hamid II; autocratic and religiously conservative period in Ottoman rule.

1878Congress of Berlin recognizes independence of Balkan states previously under Muslim rule.

1882-1952

Egypt occupied by the British.

1908-18

Last decade of Ottoman rule. Rise of nationalistic "Young Turks." More liberal policies develop.

1912Founding of Islamic Union (Sareket Islam), a modernizing movement in SE Asia.

1918

Fall of Ottoman Empire. League of Nations grants Britain mandatory status over Palestine and Iraq, and France over Lebanon and Syria.

1923Republic of Turkey established. Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) is first president.

1927Tablighi Jamaat reform movement founded in India.

1928Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brothers) founded in Egypt.

1941Jamaat-i Islami reform movement founded in Lahore, India.

1945 Indonesia becomes independent republic.

1945-60s

Islam spreads to the West with mass migrations from Asia, Africa, and India.

1947 Pakistan founded as an Islamic nation.

Islam becomes a minority religion in India.

1957Independent Malayan state established with Islam as the official religion but guaranteed tolerance.

1960sFamiles from SE Asia and North Africa emigrate to Europe and the Americas.

1979Shah of Iran is overthrown by Ayatullah Ruhullah Khumayni, who establishes strict fundamentalist rule of Shi'a principles.

late 1990s

Taliban come to power in Afghanistan.

2001 9-11

The Evolution of the concept of Hukumah Islamiyyah from the perception of the Balik Islam movement in the Philippines : Philosophical reflections

This essay tries to look at the Philosophical and

Historical foundations for the movement of Salafi Islam as manifested in the Balik islam movement in the Philippines.

Like all Salafi revivalist movements in the world, they possess certain common characteristics and yet possess some other traits that differentiate them from other movements.

The paper Itself will construct the paradigm of how the image of Pakistan and its influence in the formation of the religious ideologies of the Balik Islam in the Philippines.

The author being formerly situated in the middle of this ideological framework and understanding the complexities of the movement is one of the few intellectuals who is able to write and extensively discuss the topic.

The focus of this article is to describe the philosophical and ideological development of the Balik Islam as a movement from the time of the entry of the Salafi dawah organizations and the evolution of the so-called “ideologues” of the Balik Islam movement in the Philippines.

This article is not a definitive one in the sense its a catch-all definition of the evolution and progression of the Balik Islam movement but it intends to show the path whereupon the members of this movement, informal as it may; be leading towards a particular direction or condition.

The author being formerly situated in the middle of this movement believes that by properly diagnosing this scenario, we may be able to avoid the switch to extremism or violence.

As such the purpose of this paper is both to

show the philosophical and historical underpinnings of the Salafi Balik Islam movement in the Philippines manifested through the formation of the Balik islam groups under the leadership of the now detained RSM leader Ahmad “Lakay” Santos by both showing the relative historical basis and belief of the Balik Islam as well as the Philosophical underpinnings that make them different in some ways with other Salafi groups worldwide but similar in other ways.

The Historical Roots of the Balik Islam.

Although it is commonly known and acknowledged but ignored that the earlier kingdoms in Luzon and Visayas were lost Moro Kingdoms (Martinez and Morales,2011) , showing them to be Muslim prior to the colonization of the Spaniards. In previous researches, both

Tausug and Bruneian tarsilas narrate that the earlier rulers of several kingdoms in Luzon :

1.The Macabebe Kingdom in present day Pampanga

2. The Kota Selurong Port along the Manila Bay

3. The Balayan Kingdom in Batangas4. Tawalisi Kingdom in present day Pangasinan

as well as Visayan Kingdoms of Sugbu (Cebu) and Madyaas (Antique). These being documented by both Muslim tarsilas and narrations of family genealogies.

With this context in mind, the Muslim convert does not only look at return to Islam as a response to the Prophetic hadith that “every child was born a Muslim” (Bukhari), but also returning to the religious and cultural heritage

he has lost when the Spaniards came.

Historical evolution of the Balik Islam as an institution:

Much has been said and written on the nature, actions and inactions of the Balik Islam movement to the point sensationalism has been inserted that resulted to media frenzy and misconceptions that set in.

It is the view of the writer that focus be made on the philosophical musings of the significant few in order to understand them more as a whole.

The emergence of Balik Islam as a collective consciousness can be best illustrated by the gradual increase of Muslims in Metro Manila.

From the earliest migrants who brought in their

community consciousness, Moros seeking greener pastures, South Asian And Middle easter Businessmen trying out the business climate; out of the collective mindset and the intellectual search of some people, the gradual increase of Converts was best seen when Ustadz Ilyas Ismail presided as an Imam to the CONVISLAM society in the early 70's.

The collective personality of the converts in those decades prior to the middle 1980's were best known for emphasis on comparative theology (Rasul 2003) and focus on the Deedat dialectics1.

1Ahmed Hussein Deedat (Arabic: ديدات حسين احمد ; July 1, 1918 – August 8, 2005) was a Muslim writer and public speaker of Indian South African descent.He was best known for his numerous inter-religious public debates with evangelical Christians, as well as pioneering video lectures, most of which centered around Islam, Christianity and the Bible. He also established the IPCI, an international Islamic missionary organization, and wrote several booklets on Islam and Christianity which were widely distributed by the organization. He was awarded the prestigious King Faisal International Prize in 1986 for his 50 years of missionary work

This was best exemplified by the organizations that were in the forefront led by Ustaz Ismail (an Indonesian Alim who was the Imam of the Indonesian embassy at that time).

The arrival of the converts from the Gulf countries (overseas contract workers), coming of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Islamic revolution and the talibanization of South Asian movements

It is estimated that 10 per cent of Manila’s Muslims are believed to be Balik Islam (revert or converts) . The rest are mostly migrants from the south who tend to congregate in ethnic enclaves around mosques, markets and cemeteries. The influx of Muslim born refugees from Mindanao’s endemic conflicts, which crested in the late 1970s, reestablished a significant Islamic

presence in Manila for the first time in four centuries.

As recently as the 1950s, a small group of converts who approached the Philippines’ sole Muslim senator at the time, Domocao Alonto, seeking help in organizing Friday prayers, were confronted by the “sad fact” that Manila was without a single mosque.

This group, known as the Believers in Islam from the Island of Luzon (Muhminin al-Islam Fil Balad il-Luzon), was founded in 1953 by a former Catholic, Imam Muhammad al-Lauhi de Leon.

It had about 50 members by 16 March 1956, when, at the senator’s residence, the “very first Jumaah Prayer after about 400 years of foreign domination was held in full congregation in Manila, where practically

every trace of anything Islamic had been eradicated”. The prayer was led by Ustadz Ilyas Ismail of the Indonesian embassy2.

Efforts by the Muslim Association of the Philippines (Musaphil) to establish a permanent site for worship bore little fruit until July 1964, when a small lot was acquired that became the nucleus of today’s Islamic Centre in Quiapo.

A rudimentary mosque built by residents was renovated in 1975, and again in the early 1980s, by which time a flood of mainly Maranao migrants from the Lanao provinces of Mindanao had increased the settlement’s Muslim population to about 25,000, including many transients.

Its Golden Mosque on the north bank of

2Khatib Ibrahim Pedro B. Ayuda, Brief History of Convislam,Converts to Islam Society (Manila, 1980).

the Pasig River, built with Saudi and Libyan funds, now serves Manila’s best-known Muslim community.3

Eventually This resulted to the establishment of a number Muslim communities within and near Metro Manila, most notable are the areas of (a) Maharlika Village, established by Imam Khusin, Tausug immigrant, (b) Salam Compund in Tandang Sora , Islamic center at Globo De Oro Quiapo as well as the Golden Mosque Cultutal Center in Quiapo Manila, the ISCAG compound in Salitran, Dasmarinas Cavite.

The Philippines, being an OFW exporting country since the early 70's further plunged into exporting labor to the Middle East with Global Economic crisis increasing the volume of our OFW's to the Middle east where it leads us to 3Mochtar I. Matuan, “The Maranao Migrants in Metro Manila”,master’s thesis, University of San Carlos, Cebu, 1983. Musaphilwas organised by Punjabi merchants in 1926. Imam de Leon,whose organisation, Muhminin al-Islam, changed its name toConvislam in 1968, also served as Musaphil’s secretary general.Contradicting Ayuda, another account indicates that Manila’sfirst mosque was built in 1924, close to today’s Golden Mosque.

the gradual conversion of OFW's into Salafi Islam, the school of thought that is practiced in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Balik Islam Orientation Post 1970's

The Balik Islam refers to the various groups of Muslim converts, a loose conglomeration of Christians who converted to the Islamic faith based on the concept that Filipinos used to be Muslims or pagans baptized and converted by Spanish colonizers or missionaries.

There is no discernible pattern on the state of mind, educational background and social status of people who converted to Islam.

However some of the factors that attracted them include access to employment in Islamic countries, quest for purity and abhorrence of

materialism and perceived immorality of secular society.

After the 1970's, the success of the Islamic revolution in Iran, and the Talibinization of the Afghan Mujahideen and the rest of south and Southeast Asia, the Balik Islam as a result has become more vulnerable to being influenced by extremist groups which sow radicalism among the converts. This was how the Rajah Solaiman Movement came into existence.

Rajah Sulayman Movement (RSM)

Since the 1990s, there had been a noted significant increase in the number of Muslim converts in predominantly Christian areas. Locally, this is called the Balik-Islam movement, a loose conglomeration of Christian converts to the Islamic faith based on the concept that Filipinos need to revert to Islam since our

ancestors, who were either Muslims or pagans, were baptized as Catholics by the Spanish colonizers.

The new converts have displayed impressive zeal and piety. While the majority of the Balik-Islam do not pose a threat to the country,being regular Muslims and who are trying to eke out a living and means of livelihood; the existence of radical groups, such as the Rajah Solaiman Movement, (RSM) does as they actively propagate the existence of an Islamic state and the Salafi Political thought that encourages them to break laws of the state.

This movement was founded by Muslim convert Hilarion Santos III alias Ahmad (also known as Lakay to others) in 2001. Santos was an OFW in Saudi Arabia in 1992 where he was converted to Islam and became a member of the Islamic Society Call and

Guidance (ISCAG) when he returned to the country in 1993. The RSM is the underground armed wing of the Fi-Sabilillah Dawah and Media Foundation Incorporated (FSDMFI), which Santos founded in 1995 to propagate Islam.4

On the other hand, the apparent legal front of the FSDMFI is the Balik-Islam Unity Congress (BIUC), which was set up in 2003 and which was headed by Michael Abrera aka Mikhail, to organize and mobilize the Muslim converts in the country.

The RSM represents another transformation in the type of Muslim and even Islamic radicalism as compared to the ASG, the MILF or the MNLF. It has brought the struggle of the various Muslim radical groups outside of Mindanao and into Christian-dominated areas such as here in the capital, Manila. It has also changed the demographic profile of Muslim radicals in the Philippines from Muslim-born 4 ibid

Mindanao-based radicals to Christian converts to Islam who reside outside of Mindanao and in urban areas.

As a result this made it become one of newest among the list of radical Muslim groups in the world and was regarded as one the most radical Balik-Islam group in the country before its eventual neutralization (by Santos arrest in Zamboanga) .

Although its foundations and roots has been established in the early 2000, and although its existence became known to authorities only in 2002. the group's aim was to lead the Islamization of the whole Philippines beginning with the establishment of Muslim communities in Luzon. 5

The basic theological concept behind this “jamaatization” or creation of Muslim

5 Ibid

communities id taken from the heavilly literalized presentation of Takfir wal Hijrah. The RSM takes its inspiration from a myriad of groups, taking the concept of takfir wal hijrah from the time of the sahabas, the Ikhwanul Muslimin, the Taliban in Afghanistan and locally the MILF in southern Philippines of which the founder of RSM has had a long period of association and exchange of ideas. Incidentally, the late Ustad Hashim Salamat6 (rahmatulahi alayhi)'s thoughts were classical Islamic political thought based in Azhari's intellectual positivity in opposition to RSM and its allied affiliates political and ideological orientation being Salafi in nature.

This will be elaborated further by what is

6 The founder of the Moro islamic Liberation Front; a splinter revolutionary group that now is the major sessecionist group in Souther Philippines after ssplitting from its original organization, the Moro National Liberation Front.

understood as the “narrative concept” which is used to ideologically orient members.

One of the salient features of the RSM is being decentralized and, at the same time, compartmentalized making it flexible and, hence, difficult to detect. The RSM is comprised mainly of Islamic front organizations and loose cell groups with members distributed throughout Luzon. It is believed to have five cells operating in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and the Bicol Region.

Santos had established several educational centers (madrassahs) that were raided in Tarlac and Pangasinan and he also managed the Fi-Sabilillah and Dawah Media Foundation Incorporated (FSDMFI), a non-government organization based in Quezon City. The FSDMFI was established in

the early 1990s by Muhammad Jamal Khalifa, the brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden.

The financial and logistical support of the RSM was being channeled to the organization by its members who are entrenched among the different charitable Islamic NGOs. It uses its Islamic front organizations to channel funds through personal couriers or electronic transactions, especially those coming from foreign sources. What was unique in this movement was that since there were members who used to come from the Marxist and Maoist groups, the same organizational underpinning and movement in logistics were applied in this manner.

Subsequently due to its strong ideological orientation and beliefs, it has gradually started an indoctrination process that speaks of the

“Takfir wal hijrah concepts” wherein Muslims who live in a land of Kuffar must seek hijrah like the first Muslims, the companions of the Prophet, gathering among themselves together in communities where they hope to organize communities practicing Islam.

This action would appear normal like any religious group seeking refuge and avoiding the ever-materialistic world. However, being strongly influenced by Salafi thinkers, the RSM and its affiliated believed that by strengthening themselves first as a community, it may enable them to move forward and physically struggle against the enemies of Islam.

In short engaging in armed struggle against the state to re-establish Islam in Northern Philippines. This in Itself is a grave danger, which eventually led to the Philippine Military authorities arresting them.

Institutional and ideological links.Subsequently as the Philippine Government

pursued another armed group, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG); a splinter organization composed of former Afghan war veterans, ex-MNLF disgruntled members and others and apparently having links to different militant groups both local and foreign; the RSM’s linkages with foreign personalities was uncovered among them Muslim Salafi-oriented NGOs, the ASG, the MILF and the Jemaah Islamiyah.

Eventually after dicovering the links separate raids on the FSDMI office and a suspected terrorist lair in Quezon City in March 2004 unravelled the RSM’s networks in the Metropolis and the extent of its connections with the ASG.

It is seen that the RSM has engaged in some tactical offensives and operations in coordination with the ASG and some MILF elements in Luzon, apparently in support of jihad activities in Mindanao.

One can surmiss that there has been an increasing linkage between and among the various Muslim radical organizations within the country and with actors from outside the Philippines. These are manifested in two complementary fronts, namely: armed Muslim radical groups (MNLF/MBG, MILF, ASG, RSM) and non-armed Islamic organizations who support them and propagate the ideas of Islamic extremism. They take place simultaneously and mutually help each other to realize the final objective of building an Islamic order.

It is for this reason that there are collaborations among al-Qaeda, JI, SPSGs and the Islamic NGOs on personal and/or ideological grounds. 7

Al-Qaeda’s activities in the Philippines since the 1980s have been apparently confirmed by the reported presence of its members in SPSG lairs providing training or money to SPSG leaders directly or through Islamic NGOs. Among the organizations that have been formed or used to propagate the tenets of extremism or to finance the training/logistical needs of the SPSGs are the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), Islamic Studies Call and Guidance (ISCAG), Muslim World League (MWL), Mercy Foundation of the Philippines Incorporated (MFPI), Islamic Dawah Council of the Philippines (IDCP), World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY), and the Fisabilillah Media Public Service

7PHILIPPINES TERRORISM:THE ROLE OF MILITANT ISLAMIC CONVERTS. Asia Report N°110 – 19 December 2005, International Crisis Group Reports

Incorporated (FMPSI).

Most of these organizations are identified with Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, bin Laden’s brother-in-law, who was in the Philippines several times in the past. Moreover, some of the organizations that are being manipulated by the extremists, such as the Rabitatul Mualimin, World Islamic Dawah Council (WIDC) and the IIRO, are sub-committees of the OIC and get their funds from the latter.8

What should be stressed here is that although these organizations are legally compliant with government directives, it would be noted that certain individuals who are part of these institutions and are part of the Al-Qaeda machinery are the ones that clandestinely funnel funds without the express knowledge and permission of the head agencies concerned.

8 ibid

Eventually after the government crackdown on these organizations leading to the arrest of some of their personalities; majority of their mass support either withered away, others went back to the Middle east either to work as OFW's or aggregate in Dawah centers.

A look into their phenomenology.

A glimspe into the Narratives of their phenomenology :

Looking at the Ideological narratives :

One of the efficient mechanisms of Political and religious discourse is the narrative which enables community organizers and activists to relate current events and problems to their

worldview. Halverson et al (2010) defines a narrative as a

“system of stories... not only a single story but a collection of stories that is systematic as they relate to each other with coherent themes, forming a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

It is a coherent system of stories that share a common rhetorical desire to resolve a conflict by establishing expectations according to the known trajectories of its historical and rhetorical form.

In the Philippine context there are several narratives that are used:

• The Marxist narrative• The Firaunic Narrative• The Takfir wal Hijrah Narrative

• The Darul kufr vs darul Imaan narrative

The Marxist Narrative explains society from a marxist persepective using Marxist dialectics, this narrative being used by converts who were former members of the Communist movement prior to their embracing Islam. They explain the triangular displacement of both wealth as well as the cyclical oppression of the masses through this system imposed, explaining that capitalism as well as a democratic state which employs “freedoms” allow the capitalist and businessmen to control and manipulate capital to the best of his interests and ensuring the enslavement of the masses through control of this important resource : capital and the modes of production. This then proceeds with anexplanation of a partial elaboration of the marxist thesis (in this case substitution of the terms with the use of believers instead of workers).

The Firuanic narrative on the other hand uses the opposite narrative from the Marxist paradigm, although this can be imagined in the case of a Big-time capitalist-imperialist versus a community organizer in the light of freeing a a people from Bondage. This narrative explains that despite being a power that is being feared and avoided, the Pharoah, by fighting and going against divine will and injucntions ended into becoming an eternal showacse of God's punishment (Rameses II mummy) to the later generations and freeing the people of Moses despite overwhelming odds by the “hand of God”

The Takfir wal hijrah narrative traces a highly literalist take on the evolution of the Prophetic history from the early times at Makkah wherein in order to avoid kufr to migrate (hijrah) to a place where one can establish a model and just community (madinatul fadhilah) patterned after

the early Madinatul nabi. This in itself would lead one to strentghen this community all bring together like minded communities to establish the Islamic state that would emulate Madinatul Nabawi, which eventually come in contact with entities that would work against its existence and as a result lead towards takfiri (announcement of Kufr on those who oppose it) and acions that would lead to a head on confrontation with those opposing its existence.

The Darul Kufr Darul Imaan narrative takes from Sayyid Qutb's narrative of the eternal conflist of good and evil. This narrative justifies that eventually the forces of Islam (imaan= faith) with confront the forces of Non-Islam (kufr= disbelief) in a doomsday scenario which will be the impetus of a new Paradise.

What however marks the dangerous point here is

that it is an active literalist interpretation of the “Ta moorona bil ma'aruf wa tanhiya ilal munkar” (command others to do good and forbid others to avoid evil).

These narratives are reinforced in regular khutbas, discussions, study circles and most especially when the member is confronted with a great challenge of lands in jail for his beliefs, as these narratives justify that oppression is a proof that they are struggling for a just cause and deserves more straightforward actions in their terms more drastic and more direct.

Being Salafi in orientation, they look at a bipolar world; dualist in nature seeing the world either as Darul Imaan (abode of faith) or Darul Kufr (abode of disbelief); possessing what they consider as a moral legitimacy to remove infidelity from the world; they look at eliminating kufr (disbelief) as essential to the

establishment of an Islamic state.

One can see that by the dialectics of their main protagonists like “Lakay Ahmad” Santos (currently incarcerated due to his involvement with the ASG in a series of activities in the Philippines) and Sheik Omer Lavilla (one of Ustadz Abdurajdak Janjalani's close companions in Afghanistan); who preached that only by doing Hijrah from these un-Muslim communities and creating new Islamic communities wherein to launch their struggles are reinforcements of these narratives in order to promote their own ideologies.

One of their inspirations was the successful establishment of MILF camps in Mindanao. And that their continuous linkages with both local and foreign counterparts strengthened their resolve.

One of the major factors in their strength lies in the presence of former communist cadres who embraced Salafi Islam which in a way; was a representation of the new level of struggle of the people, this time not against the pseudo-capitalists, but against the Global Kuffar; and thus gaining a new impetus for another form of intellectual and spiritual struggle for these converts.

These narratives not only connect or relate to each other but manages to make sense of what is happening in the world, and creates a sort of expectation with the listening audience on how this audience should respond to it. Its like creating a whole worldview in the mind of the audience and empowering them to have a say and share in the transformation of the world

according to that worldview.

Being Salafi indoctrinated, this movement hardly considers a pluralist perspective and the possibility of Interfaith dialogue, as one of their ideologues, Bro. Mikhail Abrera says in a forum (as well as in other instances) “Muslims should not do interfaith with Non-Muslims as we belong to the straight path,” he quips,”We should convince them of the correctness of Islam.”

After intense government pressure on them, eventually most of the networks due to intense pressure collapsed, especially after the events of 9-11. Most of their work on Hukumah Islamiyyah is limited to speeches (sermons/lectures) and discussions and no published works on their perceptions and opinions on the context of Hukumah Islamiyyah has been done up to the present.

This is the first work focusing on the surface of their perceptions and inclinations.

These narratives have allowed them to be used as a justification for broad based coalitions with both the left (utilizing their old relationships with comrades in the communist movement), as well as with the MILF during the period of the late Ustaz Hashim Salamat, with elements of the ASG, as well as with the elements of the recently formed split that was formerly led by the late Umbra Kato, the BIFF.

One would be poised to ask, why has this movement been successful in the Philippines and that the government was not able to notice this? One must understand that the Philippine government didn't notice or realize that its own core of specialists in Islam were actually infiltrated and penetrated by ranks of these

individuals and that unless understanding the subtleties of this politico-religious ideology and appropriate response be done, there would only be a cyclical repeat of events.

One would be inclined to know if there exists alternative ideological strands existing within the Islamic framework that has already taken root in the Philippines to actively confront and counter the advance of this school of thought in the Philippines.

There is an active presence of other alternative groups which has taken root in the Philippines and can efficiently assist (in collaboration with the government and each other) in presenting the more alternative and pluralist form of Islam:

1.Resale Noor Movement – a Turkish oriented modernist yet highly rationalist and scientific

school of thought that takes inspiration from the Resale nur, a commentary on the Quran and Hadith by said Nursi, it has many active members and are fully equipped to assist.

2. Traditional Classical Ashari Sunni- Shafii school of Law which has a solid base adherents from old school of Muslims in southern Philippines.

3. The Muslim intellectuals and academics who present an alternative perspective on Islam and are highly influenced by both the secular and Islamic ideas of Pluralism, social discourse and academic research into the normative understanding of the primary sources of islamic Law

4. Ithna Asheri Shias (twelvers)- adherents of the Jaffari shia school of thought.

5. Sufis – who represent a silent group and yet have also a strong support from both traditionalists and academics

6.Ahmadiyahs (consisting both of the much

more proximate Lahori ahmadiyah and the “heretical” Qadiani) which have been felt in certain areas of the Southern Philippines.

Answering the Question if we can still win the battle of hearts and Minds of Muslims towards moderation and social integration.

There are two responses to this matter : The concept of Hukumah Islamiyah as a utopian paradise on earth has always been the quest of every Muslim, be this the extremist or the simple Muslim who makes a living everyday.

However it is how he materialization of tis Hukumah Islamiyah that they differ.

The Simple Muslim would be content in contextualizing Hukumah Islamiyyah to his everyday living by guaranteeing that he lives withing the hukm (rules) and shuroot

(regulations) of islam, whicle the salafi seeks a vehicle to translate this into the machinations of a state that governs all through a Shariah-based state that has a singular vision nonetheless not that inclusivist of other cultures.

Unless an alternative paradigm with the support of other groups is launched and advocated, the cyclical trend of violence will occur, since this ideology employing the various narratives discussed will simply look for an appropriate moment to open its discourse again.

Postcript.

Most of the Salafi oriented organizations (some consisting of member from the original RSM group that have eluded arrest) have focused primarily on Dawah to non-Muslims and anti-shia propaganda to

ensure that they have a purpose of existence, albeit a failed “urban uprising” in the pursuit of an Islamic state.

Most members now have either went abroad to Saudi Arabia to work for there families and focus in increasing the mass base, which are the OFW's that embrace Islam in dawah centers. There is no definitive data on the numbers that have formally embraced their ideology, but a rough estimate of ten per cent of the converts who are influenced to be politically active upon their return to the Philippines may signify the rise of new sleeper cells that may trigger a circular rise of events that had happened during the time of the RSM groups.

Muslim Filipinos in the Context of Shiism: Then, Now and Its Expectations

The original manuscript of this article was written in 1995 when the author was then a budding research assistant for the late Prof

Amilussin Jumaani, then Secretary General of the Ahlul Bayt Philippine Assembly.

Being his personal research assistant, the author came across numerous documents, artifacts and oral traditions on the origins of Moro Islam from both Alawi and Shi'a Islam. The present article is an edited version of that article.

Then (Its Origins). Generations after the Prophet's (PBUH) demise, right after the martyrdom of his grandson Imam Husayn (AS) at the instigation and hands of the Caliph Yazeed Ibn Muawiyah, there began a trend of mass migrations by the Alawites and Hashimites (relatives and kin of the Holy prophet), fleeing the tyranny of the Ummayyads, their sojourn has brought them to distant lands such as Africa, Tabaritan, and Asia.

In the guise of finding a suitable place to

settle that is far away from the Amawi and Abbasi political intrigues, they have become indirect missionaries in pursuit of a new home.

Bringing with them both their Hashimite/Alawi heritage as well as Islam, they won converts by their simplicity and humility of way of life. Their descendants are well evidenced today in Southeast Asia and in particular, in Southern Philippines, which is the focus of our discussion. Carrying with them their Shi'i and Alawi elements that is felt not only in present-day Pakistan and India, as well as in Southeast Asia, more so in the Philippines.

Manifesting what is commonly referred to as Ilmu Kamaasan (knowledge of the ancients) but clearly Islamic in origins. Both Sheik Karimul Makhdum (landed in 1380, Simunul, southern Philippines) and Shariff Hassan (Alawi saint buried in Laminusa Island circa 1390) were both

attributed to be both Alawi and Shiite missionaries and are known to be Salip (Sharrifs, i.e. Descendants of Imam Hassan), thus proving that the Shi'i and Alawi heritage was part of the Philippine Muslim cultural and Islamic heritage, even before the Sunni missionaries ever set foot in Philippine soil.

Notable Moro traditions that cannot be denied are the following: Kapituan (7 days prayers after the dead, with recitations of Salawat and Ayat Quran)as well as Ka'apatan (40 days prayers especially for scholars and Shahids); teaching children about the Panjitan (the Ahlul Bayt) also known in other places as Omboh Lima; Jiarah or Ziyarat and Tahlil at the graves of the Awliyah; recitiations of dua and ayats during Nisfu Shaban; Awaiting for the return of Ali Hanafiyah; at other times Guruh Purnah (the perfect teacher) and narrations regarding the Guruh Purnah fighting the unjust rulers (clearly

the early Shiite uprisings of the kiysani, Zaydi and Ismaili imams ; and cursing bad children as "Yazid Inih" or "Anak Muawiyah inih".

Many stories of their treachery towards Ahlul Bayt (as) as well as to the Alawis in general may be still found among the practitioners of Ilmu Kamaasan, as well as the practices of these people to continually curse these two people.

Artifacts, Tombstones and traditions all point out to the fact that Shiite and Alawi Islam has gained a strong foothold in the early period of Islam of the Philippine Muslims.

There is a book that still exists among them that is written in Jawi script known as the Tajul Muluk (crown of the King) that is attributed to Baguinda Ali (Imam Ali). The Kamaasan, an institution that aims to preserve this Alawi/Shi'i heritage is unfortunately misconstrued as one of

the last vestiges of Hindu Pagan.

Now (Its Practices).

Current development of Shi'ism as well as Alawi practitioners: The dormancy of the Kamaasan Traditions have found a new ally in the arrival of Shi'i islam with the success of the Islamic Revolution.

Young Muslim activists, looking for inspiration both intellectually and spiritually was cultivated by the discourses of Ali Shariati and Imam Khomeini (Quddisah Sirruh), as well as the other literature that came with them.

A lot of Ulama had begun to seriously restudy them and engage in the intellectual discourses that came forth, and some Muslim scholars and intellectuals in the Philippines like the late Shaykul Islam Abdulghani Yusuf (alayhi Irham)

the first mufti of the Philippines, an Azhari Aleem, came to realize of the roots of Moro Islam in Alawi and Shi'i origins, other scholars like Ustadz Ulumuddin Said, another contemporary, embraced this thought; intellectuals like Prof. Datu Amilussin Jumaani (alayhi irham), his protégé Ustadz Najeev Rasool and others began an intellectual reawakening and realization of Shi'ite consciousness in the Philippines.

This was made possible due to the fact that Shi'ite Islam, provided these intellectuals who were also activists, a clearer picture and blueprint that was a clearer ideological replacement for Socialism, which was the ideological fad for Muslim activists in the country in the early 60-70's, among those who were enamored of this ideology was the then founder of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Prof Nuruladji Misuari.

The converts from the Sunni School and Christians came to be attracted to the Shi'a creed due to the following circumstances: 1. Contacts with Shiite Muslims residing in the area 2. Books written by Shi'a Ulama made available through Libraries and correspondence from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan and Lebanon. 3. Lectures given by visiting Ulama and professors 4. Iranian Qari Quran who visited the country during the month of Ramadhan. 5. Travels and fora of Intellectuals to different areas exposing the ideals of Shi'a Islam.

The entry of Sufi practitioners also heightened the Alawi influence as wellas the increased respect for Shariffs, as Sufis profess very strong love and devotion to the Prophet

especially manifested in their Maulud (which is another institution that was left by Alawi influence).

Due to the onslaught of Salafi Islam brought home by returning overseas Filipino contract workers, converts and missionaries have kept the practitioners of Ilmu Kamaasan to the hinterlands and provinces , while the Shias remain a minority within a minority, not immune to the hate attacks by extremist Salafi adherents, among those who were victims of such attacks were the late Shaykh Hajal Jubal, a scholar educated in Qum, the Sultan Ali Baraguir, a community leader, the late Datu Jemson Ismail, A Shia Daiyah and community leader and Ustadz Najeeb Rasool who is still alive and severely immobilized due to these hate attacks.

However, despite these events, the Shias have relatively made a few breakthroughs during the

leadership of the late Prof. Amilussin Jumaani, like having its presence felt in interfaith activities as well as peace building work in the country, the Hauwatul Ilmiyyah Ahlul Bayt originally in the city proper and later relocated to Suterville Zamboanga City, the Apuh Limah Village in Logoy Talon-talon Zamboanga City, as well as the conversion of some notable Muslim intellectuals.

After the martyrdom of these leaders as well as the passing away of the late Prof Jumaani, there were other small successes in the building of small Islamic centers that cater to the Shia Muslim communities that are present in the Philippines.

The present crop of Shia intellectuals and scholars in a smaller scale have tried to replicate the initiatives that have been done ten years ago, both in the interfaith, as well as in the

interreligious and intellectual and peace making circles, mostly are former protégés of the Shiite pioneers in the country among them students, professionals, intellectuals and businessmen who are members of the inactive Ahlul Bayt Philippine Assembly.

Support for these initiatives from Iran however, isn’t that strong due to the current diplomatic stand-off between the Islamic republic of Iran as well as the pressure exerted upon Shia propagators and scholars from both the Military, as well as extremist Salafi counterparts who have very good funding from Saudi Arabia.

No exhaustive study however, has been conducted regarding the interplay of these factors both from an internal and external perspective and that the future holds both certainty and uncertainty for them.

Its Expectations As the Shias and the Kamasan Practitioners move forward in the coming years, they have to tackle with the following issues that may have to be addresses in creative ways that may not amount to a frontal assault on Salafi sensibilities.

1. Opening up the door for intellectual discourse and dialogue between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the country. Originally successful, the pouring of Saudi money made it so unbearable for Shia propagators and scholars as they are called in the open as unbelievers. 2. The Code of Muslim Personal Law of the Philippines or commonly known as PD 1083, is the law governing Muslims in the country and still has not been amended to cover Muslims belonging to the other Mdhahibs. It explicitly mentions that it covers only the four Sunni Schools of Law. There is a need to assess the initiatives that may allow adherents of the Jafari

Madhab equal recognition and access to Shari'ah law in the country.

3. From an Educational Institutional viewpoint, due to Salafi influence, majority of the curriculum in Islamic studies has been delimited to Salafi Islam, this is due to the influence of the Saudi-educated scholars as well as Salafi-oriented Politicians. It is only incidental that the author who is a consultant on the technical panel on Islamic Studies for the Commission on higher Education was commissioned to design and craft the new BS Islamic Studies curriculum as well as being commissioned to prepare the new graduate program in Islamic Studies as mandated by the Commission on Higher Education. 4. The need to create an educational and research institution that may aid the Philippine government in intellectual and educational issues

that are the heritage and characteristics of Shia Islam. Obviously, most philosophers from the academe would prefer to hold discourse and exchange of ideas with Shia scholars whom are perceived to be intellectually superior and would benefit them (philosophers) immensely by the exchange of ideas.

Postcript:

Since this field has a very wide range of avenues available for us to intervene and see the possibilities for the further development of Shia/Alawi Thought, the other scholars may also push forward ideas that may ensure the further development and success of these endeavors.

The Significance of Shiism from Pre-Hispanic Alawi to Modern Day Ithna Ashari in the Philippines and Its Historical Relevance

Summary of Essay :

The significance of the historical influence of the Alawi/shias in Muslim history cannot be underestimated or ignored as a look at the chronicles of Philippine Muslim prehistory (prior to the arrival of the Spaniards) would show the strong influence of Seyyeds in both the narrative and institutional memory of the Moros.

Many of the traditional pangaddatan (customs show this influence). These traditions being very alive in the Philippines among the Ba-alawi and Kamaasan practitioners in Mindanao, being descendants of the Shariffs and the followers of the “Anak

Apuh Limah” (followers of the Holy 5) which was actively practiced during the early days of Islam in the Philippines, the Islam of Ahlul Bayt (as).

This paper will try to trace the significant religious practices of the local Muslims in the Philippines and analyze them and correlate them with the of the Shias, it will also correlate the historical evolution of Islam in the Philippines and why local historical research may play a very crucial role in the protection of the local indigenous form of Islam in southern Philippines and its importance in bringing the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (AS) as a return to pristine and correct Islam.

This paper will try to discuss these influences which may be considered a marginal monograph in Philippine Muslim studies.

The Philippines like any country that has a sizeable population of Muslims is faced with a

series of issues and problems in its Muslim populace, seeing that the petro-dollar diplomacy has in effect resulted into de facto propagators for the Salafi Aqeedah in effect, de-alienating Moros (the term for Filipino Muslims born in Mindanao and southern Palawan belonging to the 13 ethnolinguistic groups) from their roots and insinuating an alien form of Islam which does not jibe or agree with the local indigenous form of Islam in Southern Philippines.

Before we go further to investigate the Historical roots of Moro Islam, allow us to have another trip backward in time to see the repercussions done historically as a form of oppression against the Saadat through time, and the causes of how Salafi Islam managed to gain a secure foothold and fight against the Ba-alawi (saadat) influence of the Kamaasan (another name of Sharifi Islam).

When we refer to Shariffi9, this generally refers to either 1) descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through Imam Hassan (as) as generally called or 2) Seyyeds10 in Southeast Asia as they are called, especially those who trace their lineage through the Salip11 Pitu (seven Seyyeds who brought Islam in the Philippines), we refer also to them as Ba'alawi12 as it is also another general term for Seyyeds who are based in Southeast Asia having syncretized both Shiah and later Sunni elements (particularly in Johore).

As a result of Amawi13 and Abbasi14 oppression against the Saadat, this has resulted to troves of migration of these descendants of the 9 Refers to any descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) through his grandson

Husayn10 Generally refers to any descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) through Husayn11 Salip is a is a corrupted word for Shariff12 Refers to Seyyeds who follow a sufi tariqah primarilly originated in Tarim Yemen13 Refers to descendants or those coming from the lineage of the bani Ummayah14 Hashimite descendants of Ibn Abbas who later wrested the Caliphate from the

Ummayads

prophet (PBUH) bringing with them the precious teachings of their illustrious forebear.

This has been the general back draft of the Sharifi and Alawi migrations that has resulted into conversions and resulting to intermarriages with the local populace.

On the other hand, since the popularization of the Middle East as an employment haven for Filipinos, many Moros and Filipinos have gone to the Middle east and faced with the proseletization of Salafism, as a result they come home as de facto propagators of Salafi Islam in their localities.

One of their major justifications for confronting Sharifi Islam is that the local indigenous practices are Hindu in origin , and since they have no understanding and knowledge of the original transmissions of oral knowledge

and histories of the lineages of the Shariffs, force their own brand and understanding of Islam among their relatives and neighbors, being financially able, have become more influential and to the point of contradicting and confronting local historians, hatibs, panditas and salips to enforce their beliefs.

Why the term Sharifi and Ba-alawi Islam?As opposed to Salafi islam which is Saudi

influenced and originated, we call the local Islam as Shariffi or Ba-alawi Islam to highlight the significance of the Saadat15 and their teachings when they have arrived in the Philippines.

Islam in the Philippines was brought by the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny), the term Sharifi denotes that these are descendants from Imam Hassan ibn Abi Talib, however, one would look 15 Means progeny (al-Saadat) of the prophet Muhammad (saw)

and study the general sources of genealogy in Southeast Asia one can see that majority of the ruling houses of Sultans descend from Hadramaut Yemen from Ali al-Oraidi, one of Imam Sadiq's (as) sons, there are others who by genealogy come from Imam Zayd ibn Muhammad (the brother of Imam Baqir) and some through Imam Hassan (as).

These can be ascertained by the family tarsilas (chains of lineages that each Salip, local name for Seyyed/Shariff), which can also be seen engraved on the tomb markers of these Seyyeds. Majul's monumental work on Filipino Muslims “Islam in the Philippines” notes several sovereigns of Maguindanao and Sulu bearing names of the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (as)

A brief elucidation of the historical significance of the Sharifi heritage of the Moros.

The first arrival of the ten datus led by Datu Puti signalled the informal arrival of Islam in the Philippines, although Filipino Historians try to hide the fact that the Datus left Borneo to escape the oppression of a reigning Sultan who was their kin, this was evident in the different tarsilas present among the Royalties of Southeast Asia and even among the Shariffs of Southern Philippines.

The ten datus settled in the Visayas area and in Southern Luzon where the historical Tagalog leaders have fought Spanish forces and were the later vassals of the Sultan of Sulu, among them Rajah Soliman16 and Rajah Matanda.

The forebear of the Sulu Sultanate arrived in Bohe Indangan Simunul Tawi-Tawi, Shariff

16 Rajah Sulayman according to both bruneian and Sulu tarsials is the last soevreign of Kota Seludong in Manila and a direct nephew of the reigning sultans of sulu and brunei at that time.

Karimul Makhdum, who eventually was followed by the other Shariffs and Seyyeds in Southern Philippines.

The Royal houses of Sulu and Maguindanao trace their lineages through these Seyyeds The Sultans of Sulu through this lineage and the Maguindanao Royal House through Shariff Kabungsuwan.

Prior to the arrival of the Shariffs, the people in the whole of the Pre-Philippine islands were Indianized Malays and followed a belief system that was similar to the Hindu system being former colonies of the Shri Vishaya and Madjapahit empires, and thus the system they followed closely resembled the Hindu system, this was manifested in the class system that stayed even after the arrival of the Seyyeds.

Both from an archaeological, historical and religious perspective, the Shariffs actually possess the key link in understanding Moro and Filipino History, their tarsilas possessing crucial information in the understanding both secular and Islamic History in the Philippines.

Significance to the Shias in the Philippines.

Historically, it was Shiism that has gained the first foothold of Islam in the Philippines, as a legacy of the descendants of the prophet who brought it as part of their religious legacy, a look at all the graves of these Saadat around Mindanao, Sulu and Tawi-tawi will bear witness to this legacy, the rich culture that talks of Parang Sabil (shahadah) and Parang Karbala

(tales of Karbala), where stories of the sacrifices of the Saadat from Muhammad Hanafiyah (Ben Ali Hanafiyyah), Imams Hassan and Hussein, Zayd Ibn Ali and even Ishmail ibn Muhammad (Peace be unto them all) are discussed and talked about, even the duas, and “Ziyarah pa Quboor” (ziyarat to the graves) is being practiced actively before, and is now relatively practiced among those with Sharifi Lineages and those who are located near these graves.

There are many evidences that can pinpoint to Shiism as the original Islam that first arrived in the Philippines and that it is these traditions that have been the moral and spiritual foundations of Islam in Mindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

From tarsilas, religious customs and traditions, even documents can be found as heirlooms to

these heritages.

Even the Shafii-Ashari Sunni Muslims in Southern Philippines as well agree on the significance of the Ahlul Bayt (as) through these practices.

Religious Pilgrimage (Ziyarat) and its significance to the propagation of Shiism in the Philippines.

Pagtibauw Kubul (visitation to the Graves) has been an institutional practice among the Moros that has been opposed by the Salafi Adherents, this has been in existence since the arrival of the Sharifis and at times has been used as a practice among the Kamaasan (those who adhere to the old practices and customs of the Shariffs) at times as “panulak-bala” (to ward away calamities), as well as to visit the

gravs of the Saadat during significant dates like Isra wal Miraj, Mauludin Nabi and Nisfu Sha'ban to perform “Pagtibaw” or pagtayti-ih” (visitations).

Even before the arrival of later generations of Missionaries, the legacy of the Shariffs were the prime sources of guidance and religious knowledge. And Muslims or the Kamaasan in particular laid special emphasis on the visitation of these Qubr's or what is commonly called Tampat Salip (graves of the Shariffs).

Many of the early converts to Shiism in the 1960's onward, were either descendants of these Saadat or those who were active adherents of the Kamaasan Traditions. The pagtibauw Qubr can be used as a mechanism to call the Muslims to Ahlul Bayt (as), since one will be able to

prove that these graves are part of the elaborate network of graves of the Saadat worldwide which is visited by Muslims and the Shias in particular as a tribute to the Ahlul Bayt (as) who is the source of religious emulation (taqlid) for both the Shias in particular and the Muslims in general.

Shias in the Philippines as a general practice, will be able to use Ziyarat and visitations to these graves as one of the highlights in calling people to the Ahlul Bayt (as), in order to explain the historical significance why the Saadat had left the Middle east and arrived in Southeast Asia and specifically in the Philippines to settle and seek refuge from the oppression that had happened against the Ahlul Bayt (as) specifically against the Saadat.

And since the Moros (the 13 ethnoliguistic tribes of Muslim Filipinos), put special emphasis

on these Tampat Salip, the institution of Ziyarat or Religious Pilgrimage as a mechanism of calling people to Ahlul Bayt (as) will be both significant and effective method of Dawah.

Types of Shiism that influenced the development of Philippine Muslim spirituality.

Traditional Kaguruhan (local Muslim shamans) extensively narrate their ilmu (knowledge) from Ali Hanapiyah Mohammad ibn Ali Hanafiyyah, from Mokamad sayd ( Zayd ibn Ali), and some narrations that mention Imams up to Imam Musa al-Kazim (as), this has been intermerged with other branches of sufi tariqahs like the Qadiri and other sufi orders originating from the mainland. Local prayer manuals and amulets show strong presence of symbols from the panji-itan pak (Holy five) as well as naqsh (mystical symbols from the mafatihul jinan).

Notable Moro traditions that cannot be denied are the following : Kapituan (7 days prayers after the dead, with recitations of Salawat and Ayat Quran)as well as Ka'apatan (40 days prayers especially for scholars and Shahids); teaching children about the Panjitan (the Ahlul Bayt) also known in other places as Omboh Lima; Jiarah or Ziyarat and Tahlil at the graves of the Awliyah; recitiations of dua and ayats during Nisfu Shaban; Awaiting for the return of Ali Hanafiyah; at other times Guruh Purnah (the perfect teacher) and narrations regarding the Guruh Purnah fighting the unjust rulers (clearly the early Shiite uprisings of the kiysani, Zaydi and Ismaili imams ; and cursing bad children as "Yazid Inih" or "Anak Muawiyah inih".

Many stories of their treachery towards Ahlul Bayt as well as to the Alawis in general may be still found among the practitioners of Ilmu

Kamaasan, as well as the practices of these people to continually curse these two people.

Notable among the locations in the Mindanao that still clings to these practices are (not limited to) the following:

5. Tubig Indangan Simunul Tawi Tawi (location of the oldest mosque in the Philippines) which was established by Shariff Karimul Makdhum who is buried near the premises.

6.Laminusa Island (off the coast of Siasi, Sulu) which holds the maqam (shrine) of Shariff Hassan Alawi as well as a minor shrine of an Iskandari (descendant of Iskandar) from where the local Sama laminusa trace their descent

7.Bud Bongao which is proximate to some communities living nearby and maintains the ammal (religious rituals) which people

practice.8. Bayang, Lanao where they hold pad-dang karbala and recall the events of karbala in poerty and song

9. Selected areas in Central Mindanao like Midsayap, North Cotabato and Dato Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao where Saadat still survive and protect their traditions,

These are merely some of the areas that we have mentioned to draw attention to the plight of Alawi Saadats.

Many of these Saadats have embraced Shiism in fact some of the Keraton/Kedatuan/karatuan who are of Alawi Lineage have embraced Shiism as a result of both the events of the Islamic revolution in Iran as well as the proseletization through books and other means.

The dormancy of the Kamaasan Traditions have found a new ally in the arrival of Shi'i islam with the success of the Islamic Revolution. Young Muslim activitists, formerly infatuated with the socialist movement and looking for a way how to harmonize Islam with their beliefs were seeking for inspiration both intellectually and spiritually were cultivated by the discourses of Ali Shariati and Imam Khomeini (Quddisah Sirruh), as well as the other literature that came with them.

A lot of Ulama had begun to seriously restudy them and engage in the intellectual discourses that came forth, and some Muslim scholars and intellectuals in the Philippines like the late Shaykul Islam Abdulghani Yusuf (alayhi Irham) the first mufti of the Philippines, an Azhari Aleem, came to realize of the roots of Moro Islam in Alawi and Shi'i origins, other scholars like Ustadz Ulumuddin Said, another

contemporary, embraced this thought; intellectuals like Prof. Datu Amilussin Jumaani (alayhi Irham), his protégé Ustadz Najeev Rasool and others began an intellectual reawakening and realization of Shi'ite consciousness in the Philippines.

This was made possible due to the fact that Shi'ite islam, provided these intellectuals who were also activists, a clearer picture and blueprint that was a clearer ideological replacement for Socialism, which was the ideological fad for Muslim activists in the country in the early 60-70's, among those who were enamored of this ideology was the then founder of the Moro national Liberation front, Prof Nuruladji Misuari.

The converts from the Sunni School and

Christians came to be attracted to the Shi'a creed due to the following circumstances:1. Contacts with Shiite Muslims residing in the area2. Books written by Shi'a Ulama made available through Libraries and correspondence from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan and Lebanon.3. Lectures given by visiting Ulama and professors4. Iranian Qari Quran who visited the country during the month of Ramadhan.5. Travels and fora of Intellectuals to different areas exposing the ideals of Shi'a Islam.

The entry of Sufi practitioners both simultaneous to the arrival of the early Shia missionaries as well as the current trend among selected Muslims also heightened the Alawi influence as well as the increased respect for Shariffs, as Sufis profess very strong love and

devotion to the Prophet especially manifested in their Maulud (which is another institution that was left by Alawi influence).

Due to the onslaught of Salafi islam brought home by returning overseas Filipino contract workers, converts and missionaries have kept the practitioners of Ilmu Kamaasan to the hinterlands and provinces , while the Shias remain a minority within a minority, not immune to the hate attacks by extremist Salafi adherents, among those who were victims of such attacks were the late Shaykh Hajal Jubal, a scholar educated in Qum, the Sultan Ali Baraguir, a community leader, the late Datu Jemson Ismail, A Shia Daiyah and community leader and Ustadz Najeeb Rasool who is still alive and severely immobilized due to these hate attacks.

However, despite these events, the Shias have relatively made a few breakthroughs during

the like having its presence felt in interfaith activities as well as peace building work in the country, as well as the conversion of some notable Muslim intellectuals.

After the martyrdom of these leaders as well as the passing away of the late Prof. Jumaani, there were other small successes in the building of small Islamic centers, which cater to the Shia Muslim communities that are present in the Philippines.

The present crop of Shia intellectuals and scholars who were contemporaries while others are predominantly protégées of these people in a smaller scale have tried to replicate the initiatives that have been done ten years ago, both in the interfaith, as well as in the interreligious and intellectual and peace making circles, mostly are former protégés of the Shiite pioneers in the country, among them are

businessmen, students, professionals, intellectuals, and former members of the Ahlul Bayt Philippine Assembly.

Support for these initiatives from Iran however, isn’t that strong due to the current diplomatic stand-off between the Islamic republic of Iran as well as the pressure exerted upon Shia propagators and scholars from both the Military, as well as extremist Salafi counterparts who have very good funding from Saudi Arabia.

No exhaustive study however, has been conducted regarding the interplay of these factors both from an internal and external perspective and that the future holds both certainty and uncertainty for them.

Moving forward.

As the Shias and the Kamaasan Practitioners move forward in the coming years, they have to tackle with the following issues that may have to be addresses in creative ways that may not amount to a frontal assault on Salafi sensibilities.7.Opening up the door for intellectual discourse and dialogue between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the country. Originally successful, the pouring of Saudi money made it so unbearable for Shia propagators and scholars as they are called in the open as unbelievers.

8. The Code of Muslim Personal Law of the Philippines or commonly known as PD 1083, is the law governing Muslims in the country and still has not been amended to cover Muslims

belonging to the other Madhahibs. It explicitly mentions that it covers only the four Sunni Schools of Law. There is a need to assess the initiatives that may allow adherents of the Jafari Madhab equal recognition and access to Shari'ah law in the country.

9. From an Educational Institutional viewpoint, due to Salafi influence, majority of the curriculum in Islamic studies has been delimited to Salafi Islam, this is due to the influence of the Saudi-educated scholars as well as Salafi-oriented Politicians. It is only incidental that the author who is a consultant on the technical panel on Islamic Studies for the Commission on higher Education was commissioned to assist in the design and craft the new BS Islamic Studies curriculum as well as being commissioned to prepare the new graduate program in Islamic studies.

10. The need to create an educational and research institution that may aid the Philippine government in intellectual and educational issues that are the heritage and characteristic of Shia Islam. Obviously, most Philosophers from the academe would prefer to hold discourse and exchange of ideas with Shia scholars whom are perceived to be intellectually superior and would benefit them (philosophers) immensely by the exchange of ideas.

11. Organizations such as Astan Qudz Razavi and the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly would in partnership with local research institutes undertake the following :◦ extensive and archeology based research to identify and secure similar existing Quboors and establish a network of such so that followers of Ahlul bayt (as) may be

able to visit these places and perform Ziyarat.

◦The Astan Qudz Razavi and Ahlul Bayt (as) World Assembly can spearhead such an effort in order by providing logistical to collect more information on the locations and renovation of these shrines.

◦Coordination with the Historical Institutes of the Country concerned and explaining both the tourism potential from a historical and religious perspective.

◦ Pushing forward for similar initiatives in other countries that has a notable presence of the shrines of the Saadat.

Selected Bibliography and Reading materials:

Jumaani, Datu Amilussin, History of Shiism in the Philippines, paper presented to the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, 1998

Majul, Cesar Adeeb, Muslims in the Philippines, University of the Philippines Press, 1999 edition

Martinez, Meinrado et al, “Looking back at the lost Moro Kingdoms”, 2011, ICAS Phils

Morales, Roque Santos , Muslim Filipinos in the Context of Shiism: Past , Present and Forward blog article)

The Dilemna of the Shia Balik Islam in the Philippines,( blog article)

Cultural needs and areas of exploration in the Philippines, ( blog article)

In search of the Sharifi Heritage. Understanding the significance of the Sharifi Qubrs in the Philippines. ( blog article and Facebook note)

Where are the missing Moros? Looking into the tributaries and relatives of the Sultans of Sulu pre-Spanish Circa ( blog article and Facebook note)

Propaganda and propagation in the Salafi Manhaj

Introduction:

This discussion brief is a reflection of the evolution of Salafi Propagation which we have seen from the profiles of the Salafi mubaligh who are engaged in propagation as well as the process of their indoctrination. This also identifies the thought process of how Salafi

propagators interact as well as deal with non-Wahabbi propagators and adherents17.

An reflection of Salafi methodology in training propagators :

Admittedly the propagation of Islam as seen by the Salafi school of thought has been one of the most dominant manifestations of propagation. This has been possible because of the petrodollar support that these propagation centers recieve from their governments among them the Gulf cooperating countries (GCC) in the middle east which has become Predominantly Salafi as a result of Pan-arabization and Pan Nationalization through support of the British, eventually the United states and later the United Nations.

The oil boom eventually made these countries

17 Through the guidance of Shaykh Mohammad Rosli Hassan, this discussion brief was prepared

more powerful and allowed their rulers to endow propagation centers handsomely that there arose a class of professional propagators whose prime task is to go on islamic propagation full time. One of the dangers of such is the absence of the process of scholastic training which has been present previously with Ulema and scholars (shuyukh) who undertake the process of guiding Muslims throughout the ages. This has eventually evolved into a system wherein crash courses in dawah methodology has become the call of the day.

Salafi propagation was initially problematic on how to go about since primarily the scholars of Al-Azhar and other traditional seats of learning maintained its sway and influence with Muslims and that they have been providing the traditional share of scholars in the Muslim world. However this had begun to change after the start of the Oil boom as well as the success of

the late Shaykh Ahmed Deedat (rahmatullahi alayhi) in comparative theology and Islamic propagation wherein the model he used in Islamic propagation was applied and used wholesale in the different islamic propagation centers in the affluent part of the Middle east.

As such a process of adaptation appeared in Salafi educational institutions, while it admitted scholars from the predominantly Sunni world, it has focused on developing its own brand of scholars which has been trained in the Wahabbi methodology and the evolution of scholars in "dawah" (propagation). This also resulted in the creation of training centers elsewhere around the globe, in the Philippines the Darul Hijrah in Baguio, Darul Shafii in Puerto Princesa Palawan, the Darul Farouq in Marawi City as well as smaller propagation centers which also highlighted simmilar tendencies such as the Fi Sabilillah dawah group, Islamic studies Call and guidance

(ISCAG), Islamic information Center (IIC), the Markaz Dahwah-Islamic wisdom worldwide and other organizations as well.

How are Wahabbi Propagators created?

An informal survey of the profiles of propagators both from the Philippines and other countries as well have shown that there has been a pattern in how they are recruited trained and deployed. The process takes at least five steps which are as follows :

10.Convert to Islam. (salafi manhaj) although there may be Muslims who would be recruited, but there appears to be a special emphasis on former christian ministers18 or former Christians who have a flair for public

18 Among those who fall into this category are Yusuf Estes, the late Ahmed Ricalde (of IIC Philippines), Ahmad Barcelon, Essa Biago, and Ibrahim Mata.

speaking19. Upon conversion they are then selected for training and exposure.

11. Expose to Comparative theological polemics (education/training) the recruits are then exposed to Deedat studies or what is known as comparative theological studies in Islam and Christianity using criticism of the bible vis-a-vis the Quran and contemporary knowledge20.

12. Exposure to debates for converts and to allow these propagators to rise into prominence. This is one of the essential elements that they put emphasis on, and once that these propagators gain prominence they are being considered for another step higher that is "mentoring of the prominent Salafi Ulema21".

19 Among those that fall into this category are Eisa and Ahmad Javier, Rashid Santos, and Ahmad Lakay Santos (among others)

20 Many of those who were considered successful in this field eventually either set up their own dawah centers or were supported by Arabs to proceed and continue in their propagation activities, among the organizations before in the Philippines which engaged in this were Islamic studies Call and Guidance (ISCAG) Islamic Information center (IIC) and others.

21 Almost every daeyah (propagator) was exposed to this process, famous names in the

13.Mentoring by "reputed Salafi Ulema" in the aqeedah/ fiqh other fields of knowledge of the Salafi manhaj22. After gaining prominence as Islamic debators/propagators they are then introduced for mentoring23 to "reputable Salafi Ulema" who ten tutor them in the more deeper "aspects" of Salafi Islam which then they utilize for takfiri purposes of non-salafi Ulema/propagators.24

14.Deployment against Non-Salafi Muslims for debate, argumentation and propagation. This is the last and final stage for these propagators who undertake both the debating,writing and compiling of material designed for non-salafi Muslims. part of the

Dawah movement in the Philippines beginning from Ustad Najeev Razul Fernandez (called the Ahmad Deedat of the Philippines) who practically mentored most of the later generations of propagators in the Philippines.

22Among those who actively use this name dropping is Abu Musab Wajdi Akkari, a Lebanese propagator based in Saudi Arabia

23 Among the concepts taught are basically Salafi theology from Kitab tawheed of Ibn AbdulWahab, 6 articles of faith and 5 pillars of

24 After the events of 9-11 and the raids against the militant balik Islam (who were primarilly Salafi propagators) many of them went to the Middle east for “education/mentoring” in order to be fully more equipped with knowledge, later to return and be equipped to re-engage in propagation.

material includes anti-sufi, anti shia, anti madhabi materials books and lectures25.

Levels of propaganda in the Salafi Propagation Machinery

The Salafi Propagation machinery is a complex propaganda apparatus in which each of the machineries may bear little or no connection to each other but whose functions are crucial for the survival of the other. We will try to look at them from a birds eye view in the hope that others will follow suit and do an extensive follow up research in this matter.

From our assessment of these mechanisms and machineries we have seen nine levels of propaganda machineries that the Salafi

25 Among those famous personalities for attempting to use their prominence gained in comparative theology to engage in scholastic debates with non-salafi Muslims are Dr Zakir Naik of the Islamic Research foundation, Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips of Islamic Open University and Essa Biago of al-Fanar Cultural center in Qatar.

propagation apparatus does which are as follows :

• Comparative theology machinery. This is considered to be one of the major backbone of Salafi machinery, after gaining a good reputation for financing the late Sh. Deedat (rahmatullahi alayhi) , all the knowledge and experiences accumulated are put into work and after several decades of comparative theology they have fully mastered this tradition and can claim active credit for mastery of this field. Intensive preparation has been done for this machinery going to the point of accumulating enough materials and personnel for this matter26.

• Conversion machinery for converts to Islam. after conversion there are center which are specifically created to answer this needs. Institutions that cater to both Converts and Muslims that practically aims to re-educate in

26 Publications of Sh. Deedat (rahmatullahi alayhi) works and videos, as well as other

the basics of Islam and tawheed the focus of which is to generate a sense of empowerment in the context that anyone can easily use materials for propagation and teaching provided they follow the Salafi manhaj which opens the room for more Sunnis to join them.

• Conversion machinery for converts from Sunni Islam. After the great oil boom in the middle east the establishment of state sponsored educational institutions that teach Salafi manhaj took scholars from every part of the Muslim world, aided by petro dollars, these well endowed scholars were then trained in these universities tand later sent back to their hjome countries to ensure that these scholars will eventually convert their communities from traditional sunni jamaahs to salafi manhaj jamaahs.

• Salafi Propaganda machinery for salafi Aqeeda and anti-Nonsalafi Islam . After

graduation, scholars arriving from the middle east trained in the salafi institutions like Imam Saud University and Ummul Qurra university would then take residence in their communities and with handsome allowances will be tasked to take over and commandeer traditional madrassahs in these communities with the promise to the Jamaah that with the coming of the "correct Islam" support will also pour in from the gulf states. This process at times may be swift if the scholar comes from a traditinal family that belongs to ulema, but at other times will recieve opposition especially if traditional ulema and leaders view it as a threat to their power. Their establishment of maktabs and madrassahs then will pave the way for the estabishment of their machineries to ensure people remain under the salafi manhaj even without their knowledge.

• Forgery propaganda machinery. Currently

many classical works of islamic scholasticsm are either converted into khusoos (summaries) or abridged versions of the actual texts both in the arabic and translated versions, among them are the tafsir ibn Qurtubi, compilations on Hadith, and even the classical "Bidayatul Mujtahid by Ibn Rushd. There has also been evidence that they are now engaging in forging classical sunni and shia scholarly works in the guise of innocent republishing of these works which will find its way into those who are in online and offline debates with sunnis and shias using these forged materials. materials generated are in the form of books, videos, pictures and pamplets27.

• Anti-non salafi propaganda Machinery. with the presence of these materials generated by

27 Among other classical and modern scholarly works subject to this was the sahih Al-bukhari and Muslim in english which literally was expunged of materials that were deems not compatible with salafi methodology. The Commentary of Yusuf Ali was also gradually expunged and eventually replaced with another surgically edited commentary by dr Muhsin Khan.

the different machineries, another propaganda entity uses these materials in engage in activities of takfir against non-salafi sunni Islam through lectures, videos and publications (using the sources generated from the forgery department) in order to actively further their cause and eliminate any probable group or individual who may rise up to challenge the authenticity of sources28.

• Web Propaganda machinery : in addition to propagation, this online machinery is engaged in online bullying of non-salafi Muslims, through the posting of images, videos, internet links which appear derogatory or perjorative of Non-salafi Muslims. These internet sites may involve posting of lectures which castigates non-salafis, documentaries of supposed non-islamic activities (like

28 Essa Biago of Al-Fanar cultural center in Qatar extensively uses these materials against sufis, shias and traditional madhabi Sunnis.

group dzikr or mawlid)29. • Web deception machinery even though there are already online machinery for the purpose of both propagating Salafi islam and bullying non-salafis but there are also active efforts in the generation of online websites that show materials against Non-salafi groups and teachings. The irony here is that they implicitly try to represent these groups with the twisted objective of falsely representing their teachings.

• Qutbian worldview machinery. Despite the blanket denials and the solidarity motherhood statements issued by salafi scholars that they are for interfaith dialogue and multiculturalism, salafi scholars routinely use the word Kaffir/Kuffar (disbeliever/unbeliever) and issue fatwas on the permissibility of burning churches and considering non-salafis as halaal and enemies

29 This can be seen on social networking sites like facebook and youtube.

of faith.30 One of the most pragmatic issues with the salafi propaganda movement is the double stature of its adherents advocating democracy at times and yet would be quick to castigate democracy in view of establishing of an Islamic state rules by Salafi influenced Shariah calling all those opposing its establishment as apostates.

There is an ideological discourse in this end as there is a conflict in the elucidation of an Islamic Salafi worldview that entails the establishment of a Salafi State, for those who are ideologically oriented in this regard, although may not openly propagate this context but still encourage this discussion as it is the only way to ensure that Muslims would embrace this aqeedah in Totality.

30 Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia issues fatwa to 'destroy all churches' http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/03/grand_mufti_of_saudi_arabia_issues_fatwa_to_destroy_all_churches.html

Other Books of Prof Yusuf Morales :

• Arabic Beginners Manual (a teaching manual for beginners)

• Isang Pagpapakilala sa Islam (An introduction to Islam) a Filipino introductory book to Islam

• Isang Pagsulyap sa Buhay ng Propeta ng Islam (saw) {a peek into the life of the Prophet of Islam}

• Islamic Pluralism as a Basis for Muslim Living ( a monograph/booklet in Islamic pluralism)

• Marginal Notes on Moro History• Muslims in the Philippines : radicalization and counter-radicalization ( a book on the radicalization of Muslims in the Philippines)

• Un Biografiya del Profeta del Islam• Travellers Waiting at the Train Station of Light ( a compilation of short essays)