No Mas

A year ago, hordes of devils descended upon a group of hapless journalists and old folks. Armed to the teeth, these devils plowed everybody down, castrated some, mutilated women and tried to burn every body they violated. Most of the victims bore not just bullet wounds, but some women even bore stab wounds in their private parts. After the gruesome act, the devils laughed their way to obscurity.


But the True and Living God, just and merciful, heard the cries of the victims and one by one, these devils fell into the hands of the Law. The question is, after a year of trials and hearings, do we expect justice to be meted upon the victims of this heinous crime?


These devils tried to use their contacts with the previous administration. They also tried to downplay the incident. But God truly works in mysterious ways. All but some were arrested and  are now facing trial.


And the stories just got more brutal.


A human rights group revealed several other gruesome crimes allegedly committed by the Ampatuans in Maguindanao. The Ampatuans were so brazen, they were able to hide these crimes for years, without us knowing it. With a new governor in place, several of the Ampatuan's secrets are beginning to unravel.


These are stories of brutality, of plain and sheer banality and of cruelty beyond words. 


This happens when the central government loses control over a territory and when the central government allows its allies full control over the resources, and people, of a particular territory. The Ampatuans, mind you, are not an exemption. Fact is, warlordism exists in every damned parcel of land in these places!


Mindanao is particularly interesting because of the sheer number of people, all claiming to be gods there. In Basilan, several warlords fight for dominion in the island, same goes in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. In several parts of the mainland, we have both Muslim and Christians fighting for the same political territory, abandoned by the Central government. This happens in a very weak state such as ours.


No more, says several human rights groups. But, until pre-Islamic practices exist, until this pseudo-royality system still continues to animate the minds of Muslims, there will never be a time when cruelty against men will cease to continue. 


Pious Muslims should stand up and resist pre-Islamic practices there. There will never be peace in Mindanao if Muslims continue to exercise practices contrary to the teachings of Islam and of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).


Muslims should eradicate people like the Ampatuans who not only besmirched Islam but created so much harm and havoc in Maguindanao that the province continues to suffer hardship due to years of neglect and violence.