Nation-state is a relatively new concept in the Middle East. This geographic demarcation was a creation of their recent occupiers, the British and the French. However, this is one concept that Muslims around the world do not believe. As Bernard Lewis says, “Muslims tend to see not a nation subdivided into religious groups but a religion subdivided into nations.” That Muslims feel affinity and solidarity with fellow Muslims around the world, especially those that are oppressed, is an understatement. So when the Palestinians and Israelis went shooting at each other, again, this time in Gaza, the rest of the Muslim world felt obligated and duty bound to show camaraderie.
One such act happened in Marawi City, Philippines last 17 July 2014. One local newspaper described it as ‘Israel’s invasion in Gaza’ probably likening it with the recent Russian-backed separatists’ occupation of Crimea perhaps to elicit greater emotional response. Invasion or not, both Hamas and Israeli leaders, I believe, are complicit in this decades old religious conflict. Both are guilty in perpetuating this senseless war. But as religious wars go, it is very hard to think rationally when faith is involved. Muslims around the world will always see this conflict as Israel’s fault. To make matters worse, Muslim leaders prop up Israel as a common enemy of Islam. In fact the protesters in Marawi held up an Israeli flag with a word that reads Dajal, before deciding to step on it and light it up just what one would normally do with a PNoy effigy. Now I am not familiar with Islamic eschatology so I have to google the word up. Dajal or Masih ad-Dajjal refers to an evil figure, an impostor, the antichrist, the deceiver or a living devil. Call me pessimistic, but if you start calling your enemy as pure immortal evil, talk of peace becomes impossible. This strategy, at the end of the day, will not serve the Islamic cause well in the long run.
I came across in YouTube a Q&A episode back in 2009 when one female Iranian audience member asked “why the Islamic country Iran is a threat to the peace in the world and not Israel?” I noticed that it is becoming a habit to lay blame on Israel whenever the subject of human rights is discussed. What about the injustices and oppression committed by the leaders of those Islamic nations to their own citizens? Don’t the people have their own say in their country’s internal affairs and not to be told by their leaders what the problem is all the time? In the same vein, Muslim Filipinos for decades since the Jabidah massacre had to endure being told by their so-called leaders that the problem in the Bangsamoro was all about religion.
In 1996, while doing a research paper as a student for a 3-unit course in Notre Dame University Peace Program, we arrived conclusively at the root cause of the Mindanao conflict: land. I still believe a lot of scholars would agree with this assessment. Even before the arrival of Islam in the Philippines, indigenous Filipinos from north to south had been brothers and sisters. Historically, ‘Christian’ Filipinos and ‘Muslim’ Filipinos were one people. The Christian –Muslim conflict was an imported issue from Europe and Middle East and still been currently portrayed by politicians and religious leaders on both sides. Nevertheless, the recent creation of the Bangsamoro, though long overdue, is still welcome. In Gaza however, religion and land are still inseparable issues. For example, Israel was created as a state for theological reasons. Jewish scholars were even sent out to locate the birth place of Moses, to justify their occupation of Israel, but did not find anything. Like the Muslims, Jews believed that Israel is their Promised Land ordained by Yahweh. Again this is not the case in the Bangsamoro.
So while it is notable to condemn violence in Gaza, it must not be done for religious reasons. It is a religious falsification that religion promotes peace when in fact it has mostly been the cause of wars. Bangsamoro leaders may well heed this fact as they walk the path of progress and peace.
Read the Inquirer.net version: http://opinion.inquirer.net/78070/religion-not-root-cause-of-mindanao-strife
Read the Inquirer.net version: http://opinion.inquirer.net/78070/religion-not-root-cause-of-mindanao-strife
