Journal
Title | Factors of century-old conflict and current violent extremism in the South Posted by Primitivo Iii Ragandang |
Authors | Ragandang, Primitivo III C. |
Publication date | 2018/01 |
Journal | Conflict Studies Quarterly |
Issue | 22 |
Publisher | BabeÈ-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania |
Abstract | The perpetual struggle for separatism among Moros in Mindanao is produced on a background of historical and cultural injustices and by the presence of Moro liberation fronts, along with the government responses to this issue. This article endeavors to trace and interweave the roots of historical and cultural factors of Muslim separatism in Mindanao, along with its implication to the present Marawi crisis as fueled by the ISIS-linked groups who attacked the Philippinesâ Islamic city on May 23, 2017. It looks into the history of the arrival of Islam and the subsequent islamization of Mindanao. It then discusses the Muslim resistance movement against two foreign regimes, Spanish and American, which is followed by its resistance against the Philippine government. Factors that trigger Muslimsâ desire for separatism include at least three notorious massacres: Jabidah, Manili, and the Tacub Massacre. Such historical factors of injustices have fuelled the century-old struggle for separatism and self-determination. With the governmentâs and non-government forcesâ failure to pacify the island, such struggle resulted into continuing war in the region killing over 120,000 Mindanaoans. Recently, this conflict in the region was reignited when an ISIS-linked group attacked the Philippinesâ Islamic city of Marawi, affecting over 84,000 internally displaced persons from over 18,000 families who are now seeking refuge in 70 different evacuation centers, in a state of discomfort, missing home and psychologically distress. |
Index terms / Keywords | Marawi, Mindanao, Muslim, Philippines, separatism, violent extremism |
DOI | DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/csq.22.5 |