Erase the Abu Sayyaf from the face of the earth!

Muslims everywhere should fight the Abu Sayyaf Group

Terrorism is condemnable in all its forms— be it an armed attack against innocent civilians or economic terrorism done in the name of profits. There is simply no justification for the use of terror as a mode of struggle by revolutionary groups. Why?

Terrorism dilutes support from mass bases and alienates any revolutionary group from potential support of the powerful neutrals. Revolutions are more of processes, of a series of armed assaults against state security agencies to weaken defenses. These assaults can be undertaken by small, specialized revolutionary units (as what Lenin suggested) or by regular army formations.

The use of urban insurrectionary activities such as bombings and assassinations are to be selectively chosen based on strategic or tactical necessity; never the centerpiece of any war plan. Nowhere do we find revolutionary leaders advocating terror as a mode of struggle. There is simply no place for terrorist actions in the arsenal of tactics employed by genuine revolutionary movements.

Worst, actions that place innocent civilians in harm’s way and done with money in mind are not only condemnable; it is simply abominable. Codes of conduct and ethics still exist even in war. Revolutionary work done in the name of money is pseudo-revolutionary. Terror tactics, such as kidnappings, are works of thugs, of syndicates, not revolutionaries.

That’s why I cannot understand why some of our Muslim brothers allied with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) would even think of supporting the Abu Sayyaf. Those Muslims who do believe in the Abu Sayyaf Group and support them, think. A pious Muslim should not support evil acts even if done by fellow Muslims. Supporting the Abu Sayyaf will not in any way contribute to the furtherance of the Bangsamoro struggle for total independence.

Whatever other Islamic scholars would say about this group, the ASG has no place in the Bangsamoro struggle. The ASG is an aberration, an anomaly of history, a relic pushing for a distorted and un-Islamic interpretation of the holiness of the Moro struggle.

Since it started its kidnapping campaigns against innocent civilians, the purity of its struggle against Philippine imperialism has been tarnished. Islam has ceased to be the ASG’s main ideology. Its members have degenerated into bandits, monsters and thugs, who claim to worship Allah SWT but has since prostrated themselves before the altar of Baal. They have become men who eat their own vomit.

Throughout its years of existence, did this group ever contributed to the success of the Bangsamoro struggle? None. Their actions not only damaged the image and reputation of Moros everywhere—they are mainly responsible for the total degeneration of the correct Islamic life in the island of Jolo.

Inquirer journalist Arlyn dela Cruz reminded us of a conversation she had with a Tausug leader sometime in 2002. That Tausug leader lambasted journalists for writing bad stuff about Muslims in Jolo. He says that journalists are part of the problem since journalists should write something to help Tausugs improve their lives in Jolo.

I pose a question to that Tausug leader—how would we, journalists, or even anybody, write about the beauty of Jolo and even the beauty of Islam when all we see are these thugs masquerading as mujaheddins? What good would come from these stupid kidnapping capers, such as this recent one involving a respected journalist such as Ces Drilon?

Let me also condemn some journalists who blame Ces Drilon for making that trip to Jolo. Do not be misled. We must condemn and use the strongest possible words we can write against the Abu Sayyaf Group who did this cowardly and idiotic kidnapping, not lambast our colleague. Ces Drilon did what she was tasked to do—go after the story.

I urged every pious Muslim to rise up and obliterate the Abu Sayyaf Group from the face of the earth. The only ones, who can cause the death and destruction of this mockery of an Islamic group, should be those who fully understand Islam.

Pray for the help of Allah SWT in erasing this menace from Jolo and if you are dead serious in your struggle against Imperialist Manila, form a new group that would undertake genuine revolution under the Banner of Islam.