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Call for Filipino Muslims to unite against Abu Sayyaf
[AA.TR] The governor of an autonomous Moslem region in the Philippines’ troubled south has called on residents to reject a murderous Moslem group that has pledged allegiance to ISIS and to unite in defending peace and development in the area.Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Moslem Mindanao (ARMM) gave a speech Monday before thousands of conflict-affected residents in the island province of Basilan ...Basilan is a rugged, jungle-covered island in the southern Philippines. It is a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, bandidos, and maybe even orcs. Most people with any sense travel with armed escorts... , where troops overran an Abu Sayyaf ...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in their uniquely Islamic attempt to set up an independent Moslem province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces probably number less than 300 cadres. The group is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya and has loose ties with MILF and MNLF who sometimes provide cannon fodder... camp in Baguindan village of Tipo-Tipo town last month. "I call on all my brothers and sisters in Islam not to hear them, they are the biggest traitor of Islam who kidnap-for-ransom, behead and bomb innocent people and their activities really wreaked havoc in our peaceful communities," he said. Alongside heavily armed military personnel and pro-government militiamen, Hataman launched a monthly "People's Day in Basilan" during his visit to mark the restoration of government authority in the re-captured area. Health and social welfare officials from ARMM joined employees of the provincial government in providing thousands of locals -- mostly evacuees -- with free services such as medical consultation and check-ups, while also distributing hygiene kits and food supplies. Posted by: Fred 2016-09-20 |
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