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The Philippines in the sights of IS
[DW] Despite losing its caliphate in the Middle East, IS has put down roots in Mindanao in the south of the Philippines. The government has promised Mindanao's Moslems more autonomy in return for combatting Islamist terror.The Bato Ali Mosque was once a beautiful edifice with a distinct green dome. Now, only an ugly, bombed-out skeleton topped by a perforated minaret remains. The ravaged mosque stands out as a reminder of what happened here in the southern Philippines almost two years ago. In the beginning everyone "thought it's a joke," recalls Norodin Lucman. He comes from one of the most influential Moslem families in the city of Marawi, where the black flag of the self-proclaimed "Islamic State Posted by: trailing wife 2019-04-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=538754 |