The role of religious leaders (2)

By VIC M. TAYLOR
Mindanews

MAJOR efforts were exerted in the past to explore innovative ways by which tenets of Islam could help shape development efforts.  There was, for example, a program some ten years ago, the Local Government Support Program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (LGSPA) funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (Cida) which aimed at upgrading the quality of governance in the Armm.  One of the components of the project attempted to harness Islamic teachings for social development and produced guidelines for khutbas, the sermon during the noontime worship on Fridays, covering such topics as leadership in Islam, addressing graft and corruption, eliminating a contaminated political system, addressing social concerns like health and the protection of the environment, preservation of Islamic culture, promotion of law and order, the effects of violence and war in the lives of people, and others.  These guidelines were produced by the Muftis of the five provinces in the ARMM assisted by their Shari’a advisers.

We described in a previous article another program, the Ecogov program, which utilized Islamic precepts to describe how the environment should be protected and preserved.

These would be examples of how the tenets of the Islamic faith can guide the faithful in different aspects of their lives.

The guidance of the religious leaders is needed much more today given the inroads that the  Islamic State has made among militant groups in the region.  The IS claims that they are “…reviving Islam, returning it to its pure form, uniting the Muslim world under truly Islamic rule, and so restoring the dignity and greatness of its people.”

It aims to “re-establish” a global caliphate but in doing so it espouses the intolerance of Jihadi-Salafism.  Comparing the IS with al-Qaeda, Bunzel says that

“In contrast with al-Qaeda, [the IS] is absolutely uncompromising on doctrinal matters, prioritizing the promotion of an unforgiving strain of Salafi thought.”

The IS views even other Muslims who do not agree with its views as being unbelievers or apostates, deserving death.  Moreover, while Abubakar Janjalani emphasized defensive Jihad or Jihad Deefa, defending Muslim homelands from the invasion of the kafir or unbelievers, the IS places equal emphasis on offensive Jihad or Jihad Talab, attacking the kafir in their homelands.  As Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the official spokesman of the IS (until his death in August 2016), urged IS supporters in September 2014: “If you can kill a disbelieving American or European – especially the spiteful and filthy French – or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way, however it may be.

“Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him.”

This call of al-Adnani echoed the threat of the ASG’s Abu Solaiman in 2005 following the police raid on the high security prison Camp Bagong Diwa which resulted in the death of a number of ASG commanders,

“To you people [referring to then President Gloria Arroyo and the Philippine government], you don’t have to bring the war to Mindanao.  We will bring it right into your doorstep.”

It is good to note that in recent weeks there have been two Ulama Summits held to address the issue of terrorism, the first being the Armm Ulama Summit Against Terrorism sponsored by the Armm Darul Ifta, held from May 12-14, and the second being the 1st Muslim Religious Summit for Peace and Security sponsored by Joint Task Force Central, held from May 17-19.  This is certainly a good start. However, as of this writing, the results or specific resolutions/agreements reached during these two Summits have not been publicly announced. Whatever the resolutions or agreements are, what will be important will be how these will be translated into concrete actions taken by the Ulama on the ground.

Can the Muftis and Ulama in the concerned areas of Mindanao take the lead in guiding the Muslim faithful in addressing the issue of terrorism posed by the Abu Sayyaf and other militant groups in their respective areas? In the face of a movement which uses religion to promote hate and violence, can they remind the Muslim faithful in the Philippines that in fact their religion is a religion of tolerance and peace? Can they provide the Muslim faithful the resolve to stand up to the many challenges facing them today? This is a question that only Muslims from the area and their religious leaders can answer.