Southern Philippines: Terror on Basilan Island

ICC Note:

On Friday, July 18, Christians on Basilian Island (autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao) were served with this notice: “The Qur’an’s instruction is that if there are Christians living in a place for Muslims, they have to be converted to Islam. If they don’t want to convert to Islam, they have to pay the jizya. If they refuse to pay, they can be subjected to violence! We are giving you 15 days to respond. If we don’t get an answer from you, we will consider you our enemies.'”

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7/23/08 Philippines (ANS) Basilan Island is the northern-most island in the Southern Philippines Sulu Archipelago, lying just south of western Mindanao’s Zamboanga Peninsula. Except for its capital city, Isabela, Basilan is part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Basilan is also a base of the al-Qaeda-linked militant Islamic group, Abu Sayyaf, a militarily weak but barbaric terrorist outfit that funds and sustains its ‘jihad’ (Islamic ‘holy war’) through crime. Previously the Abu Sayyaf garnered income through kidnapping-for-ransom. However, drug trafficking and extortion have proved easier and more profitable, so kidnapping is now used mainly as an instrument of terrorism.

On Friday 18 July, Catholics on Basilan (where virtually all Christians are Catholic) received letters from ‘mujahidins’ (Islamic ‘holy warriors’) with the ultimatum: ‘The Qur’an’s instruction is that if there are Christians living in a place for Muslims, they have to be converted to Islam. If they don’t want to convert to Islam, they have to pay the jizya. If they refuse to pay, they can be subjected to violence! We are giving you 15 days to respond. If we don’t get an answer from you, we will consider you our enemies.’ The mujahidins declared their intention to convert every non-Muslim residing in the province of Basilan — no small task as there are some 96,000 Catholics on Basilan. Christians have been told that there is no point resisting as they will never be safe because the mujahidins have proved, through their terror attacks in the heavily secured cities of Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga City, that they can penetrate anywhere. The militants’ aim is to force many Christians to flee while extorting ‘protection’ money from those who don’t.

The mujahidins’ Islamic ultimatum is based on various Qur’anic texts, particularly Sura 9:1-5,29, as well as established Islamic jurisprudence. These assert that People of the Book (Jews and Christians) living in the ‘dar-al-Islam’ (land of Islam) must be given a set time to convert to Islam or submit to the Islamic subjugation of the Dhimma Pact. The pact includes paying jizya: tribute or extorted protection money to secure the right to live. A Jew or Christian who does not convert or submit is to be killed and his property, including his wife and children, taken as booty. Any dhimmi (subjugated Jew or Christian) who violates the pact through non-payment of jizya, blasphemy or any other form of non-compliance is no longer ‘protected’ from jihad. This practice is being revived throughout the Islamic world, mostly by vigilantes operating with tacit sanction under the cover of conflict.

Basilan’s Christians are being terrorised but the police and military are unwilling to take any action, according to Bishop Martin Jumoad. On Sunday 20 July armed mujahidins stopped a passenger jeepney at 7.30am on the road between Lamitan City and Tumahubong. They took only the Christians hostage and left the ‘Yakan’ (local Muslims). The kidnap victims are reported to be jeepney driver Ronnie Ando and passengers Vilma Ayson, Wilma Sumerhido and two children, all parishioners of St Vincent Ferrer Parish in Sumisip. No ransom demand has yet been received.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

• the ever-present Holy Spirit will comfort and sustain the terrorised Christians of Basilan, especially those now held by Islamic terrorists; may the Almighty God deliver them.
• God will marshal and empower forces to protect his people: friendly neighbours, local police, Philippine and US military forces in the area; may he send angels to shield, defend and rescue his loved ones.
• the Abu Sayyaf and all other Islamic mujahidins and fundamentalists will be routed — militarily, logistically and ideologically — so that the people of the Southern Philippines can live in peace with the light, salt and yeast of the Church in their midst. May God frustrate the ways of the wicked. (Psalm 146:9)