COTABATO CITY – While Filipino lawmakers were arguing over the proposed Bangsamoro law in southern Philippines, Murad Ebrahim, the chieftain of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who signed a peace deal with Manila, has appealed to Arab countries to help the local Muslims in the restive region of Mindanao.
The secluded Ebrahim, who was invited to the recently concluded 42nd Organization of Islamic Cooperation-Council of Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Kuwait, spoke to the assembly and appealed for help.
In his speech, Ebrahim also appealed to the OIC to urge the Philippines to fully comply with the peace agreement signed last year after lawmakers opposed to the Bangsamoro Basic Law scrapped several of its provisions and insisting they were unconstitutional.
“As we march towards the fulfilment of the implementation of the agreements we signed with the Government of the Philippines, we urge you to journey with us until we successfully implement all the agreements we signed with them.”
“We ask you to continue to urge the Philippine Government to faithfully implement the CAB and pave the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Government. If, by the grace of Allah, the Bangsamoro Government is established, we strongly appeal to you to help us rebuild our communities that have been ravaged by decades of war. We ask you to welcome us in the community of Muslims, establishing relations and building cultural links to our cities and your countries,” Ebrahim said.
The draft law- which would govern the new Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao – was crafted by a commission whose members were chosen by the Aquino government and the MILF, but many governors and mayors in those areas said they were not properly consulted and that many citizens were not even aware of its provisions.
The MILF said Ebrahim was one of several Muslim rebel leaders from the Philippines to have been invited to the conference by OIC Secretary General Iyad Amin Madani. The others who were invited to by the OIC were Muslimen Sema, also a chairman of one of several factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front; Randolp Parcasio, who represented Nur Misuari, the outlawed leader of the MNLF.
The MILF did not say if self-proclaimed MNLF chairman Abul Khayr Alonto – who is being supported by the Aquino government – was at the conference or not.
Ebrahim said the peace accord it signed with the Philippine government would greatly help calm down the volatile security situation in Mindanao, where military forces are struggling to fight home-grown terrorism, and communist and Muslim insurgencies there.
“The Muslims in Mindanao has long craved for development, physically and mentally. And it is hoped that it will be delivered in the form of peace dividends as the fruits of the current peace process.”
“We, the Bangsamoro have always recognized the importance of economic developments and political stability as the pillars to a sustainable development. In order to achieve that, we will have to make sure that situation is conducive for future investments and businesses. There is no alternative to that since failure to do so would mean the failure of the Bangsamoro and the Muslims,” he added.
Ebrahim said there is a need for international help in Mindanao, home to about 2 million Muslims, for peace and development projects, and although the government pledged to provide more aid and billions of pesos to the proposed Bangsamoro region, he said it is not enough.
“It is undeniable that the development work in the Bangsamoro would require a huge amount of money since it will have to start almost from zero. Despite our tireless efforts, the Bangsamoro will remain as just another dream if it is not supported with equal financial commitments.”
“Unfortunately, it is an area which we are very much lacking. Although the government has pledged to provide the necessary funding but we fully understand the financial constraints that they face since we are talking about an amount that could reach hundreds of billions of dollars. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to humbly request the OIC member states and affiliated institutions to help us. We would welcome any kind of financial assistances and investments. And on our part, we will give our level best to live up to your expectations,” Ebrahim said.
It was Ebrahim’s first to speak before members of the influential OIC, which has been brokering peace talks between the Philippines and local Muslim rebels since the 1970s. (Mindanao Examiner)
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