Ebrahim: Let us promote Islamization of governance

By Teng Lauban Datu
Cotabato City Bureau Chief .

Cotabato City — To observe consultative and collective leadership in the Bangsamoro region, Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) wants to promote “Islamization of governance.”

During the assembly in the villages of Gambar and Pagalugan in Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, Ebrahim noted that the “assembly is one way of following rules which many of us were ignorant of or not observed by all authorities.”

“We struggled to change our system of governance,” he said. Ebrahim added that following the creation of Barmm, a more difficult jihad is ahead of the Bangsamoro leadership.

The officials of the Bangsamoro government are expected to undertake a bai a Qur’an (oath on the Qur’an) on their inaugural session on March 29, he said. “We started the jihad with an oath before the Qur’an. This time, we will also take an oath before the Qur’an as we start our governance.”

 “We entered the system in order to change it from within.”

Moral governance, according to Ebrahim, will be advocated by his administration.

Referring to Barangay Gambar, he said, “This was my hiding place before,” while reminiscing his days of “going against the government.”

As the Chairperson of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Ebrahim together with his comrades entered into the peace negotiations with the national government that resulted in the passage of the RA 11054. He then reminded the Barangay chairpersons who attended the event that the Barmm is a result of a long struggle.

He emphasized the importance of holding events that involve the participation of the stakeholders.

“It is up to us if we want our government to improve. All our contributions matter here.”