Nur's Misadventures

NUR MISUARI's recent misadventures in the wild and rugged southern Philippines once again placed the country on the front pages of Japanese national dailies in recent weeks. For Filipinos living in Japan, explaining their country's current situation to foreign friends has increasingly become an arduous, yet inevitable, task.

How, then, should the average Filipino expat respond to questions about his country's state of affairs when asked by others? Is it true that our country should be erased from the tourism map given the vociferous headlines that have made the Philippines a virtual hellhole?

Hell, no! Filipinos in Japan should make it clear to their friends that these incidents occur in only a few isolated places in the Philippines and that the country and its people are inherently peaceful, fun-loving, and hospitable. The Philippines is predominantly Christian, and it is clear from the headlines that the country's warmongers are limited to the radical Muslims in the far south, who comprise less than 10% of the Philippine population.

This is not to say that Muslims are predominantly violent. Surely not, for Islam is a peaceful religion. It is the misinterpretation of Islam's teachings and the misuse of religion to further personal interests that give Muslims a bad name. The Abu Sayyaf is a distinct case in point. While they espouse the establishment of an independent Muslim state, they have utilized kidnap-for-ransom as a means to achieve their nefarious ends. This they do in the name of Allah. Not surprisingly, even their fellow Muslims abhor their existence.

Nur Misuari, on the other hand, is a clear megalomaniac, wanting to hold on to power indefinitely, to the point of launching an attack on military outposts in Jolo just to disrupt the elections that would legitimately remove him from power. Ironically, this he did despite his dismal performance as ARMM governor and his alleged mismanagement of millions of funds allotted to his region.

Surprisingly, a few days after this foolhardy attempt and after more than a hundred of his followers have perished, he issued a press statement disclaiming involvement in the attack and that his followers acted on their own. Sorry, but the Filipino people were not born yesterday, Mr. Misuari. You are their leader and disowning their actions is not only an insult to your mindless hordes, it is also an insult to the Filipino people.

That Nur's renegade troops and the Abu Sayyaf bandits have reunited paints a clear picture of who Misuari really is. As we all know, the Abu Sayyaf originally splintered from Misuari's Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1991. A certain Radulan Sahirun, a local MNLF commander who coddled Misuari before his aborted escape to Malaysia, is also the top Abu Sayyaf man in Jolo, according to news reports.

The Abu Sayyaf's string of bombings and kidnapping activities targeted mainly at foreigners surely negates whatever "noble" struggle they have for an independent Muslim state. Their alleged ties to Osama bin Laden, who has reportedly given them direct financial aid to deploy highly trained bomb experts and suicide bombers to assassinate President Arroyo, unequivocally prove that they are plain bandits and terrorists, nothing more, nothing less. That military reports claim that the Abu Sayyaf is nothing more than Misuari's "special operations unit" proves that Misuari is totally unfit to lead his people. The government's resolve to bring him to justice is truly apt.

It is indeed painful to see our country's image abroad tainted by these mindless radicals whose interests eventually turn out to be purely personal. Whatever strides the country has made in luring foreign investors and tourists are somehow cancelled out by their empty, though violent, noise.

Filipinos abroad hurt badly when they see the Philippines in national dailies depicted as a haven for kidnappers, terrorists and Muslim extremists, when our country is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit, with our white sand beaches, tourist spots and extremely hospitable people.

We, in Japan, are somehow obliged to present the Philippines as it truly is, even in our small circle of influence. While a minority of hoodlums in Mindanao tarnish our country's image in the foreign press, the majority of Filipinos abroad should prove, through their words and actions, that the Philippines and the Filipino are truly worth dying for. *

You may email the author at butch@philippinestoday.net