Isis, Surprised This Hasn't Been Posted Yet.

[usa32]

 

So now my choice is to believe the corrupt Philippine government, or ISIS.  Hmmm

 

Who would you believe?

 

 

I want to side with the government of the Philippines but I'll have second thoughts. It's hard to distinguish, what is ISIS?  Could be the same sympathizers that have been there for ever. 

[Methersgate]

I want to side with the government of the Philippines but I'll have second thoughts. It's hard to distinguish, what is ISIS?  Could be the same sympathizers that have been there for ever. 

 

I have seen reports that the Abu Sayyaf have sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the "Caliph" of Daesh/ISIL  but I have also seen reports that some Libyans in the town of Sirte and some Nigerians in Boko Haram have also done so.

 

It does look like the same sympathisers with a new label. 

[Jake]

 

I want to side with the government of the Philippines but I'll have second thoughts. It's hard to distinguish, what is ISIS?  Could be the same sympathizers that have been there for ever. 

 

I have seen reports that the Abu Sayyaf have sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the "Caliph" of Daesh/ISIL  but I have also seen reports that some Libyans in the town of Sirte and some Nigerians in Boko Haram have also done so.

 

It does look like the same sympathisers with a new label. 

 

I don't think the typical Filipino rebel doesn't even think about any religious ideology or anything else that's considered humane or civilized.  It's the same ole' chit -- KFR (kidnap for ransom).  Although perhaps their false hopes are improved with a new ISIS flag, Filipino flavor.  

 

I have no doubt that US SOCOM along with the Filipino Marines will commence search and destroy missions if the rebel activities increase under that new flag.  May they all go to paradise with 70 virgin goats waiting for them.

 

Just sayin'........

Edited December 23, 2015 by Jake

[Methersgate]

And I think Jake is perfectly correct!

[Methersgate]

On 23 December 2015 at 11:21 AM, Methersgate said:

I have a few middle class Muslim Filipino friends. Their mindset is definitely different to that of Christian Filipinos, and not only in the matter of their non-consumption of lechon baboy and San Miguel.

 

Generally, they all dislike being "ruled from Manila"; they would prefer either autonomy within a Federal system or to join Malaysia. They are notably cynical about the news sources that we Caucasians take for granted and they are as likely to believe the Russian RT news agency as they are to believe CNN or the BBC, to say nothing of wild and wacky Internet "news sources". These are peaceful well educated doctors, engineers, accountants, and suchlike and very far removed from supporting terrorists, but we have to recognise that they are very different.

 

Muslim Filipinos are not all the same; there are three main groups:

 

The Tausug. The "people of the current" - the original citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu.  Live mostly around Zamboanga and in the islands of the Sulu Sea.  Nur Misuari of the MNLF  is a Tausug but so, more surprisingly, is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Lourdes Sereno, though her family are Christian converts (she is an evangelical)

 

The Maguindanons - "people of the plains"  - the original citizens of the Sultanate of Buayan (now General Santos City) Live, of course, mainly in Maguindanao. Murad Ibrahim of the MILF is a Maguindanon.

 

The Sama - Badjao (the "sea gypsies" - these unfortunate people have seen their way of life wrecked but are despised by other Muslims as not being "properly Muslim" and by everyone else in the Philippines because "they are not rice farmers so they don't work hard". You are most likely to come across a Badjao begging, because they really are sea people, born in boats and living all their lives in boats unless they are forced ashore by some personal or tribal disaster.

 

Edited to add:

 

You will notice that the Tausug (who, as a people, extend into Malaysia and Indonesia) align with the MNLF, and the Maguindanons align with the MILF.

 

The MNLF was started after the Jabidah Massacre in 1968 - Marcos had a secret plan to invade Sabah, claimed by the Philippines as the successor state to the Sultanate of Sulu by President Macapagal, using Tausug troops, who were secretly trained for this on Corregidor but who mutinied when they found that they had been recruited not, as they had hoped, as the first regular Muslim troops in the AFP but to attack their fellow-Tausugs in Sabah - they were shot out of hand but one man survived and was picked up by a local fishing boat so the story got out. Not a good day's work by Marcos. The entire Muslim insurrection dates from that event..

 

... and the MILF separated from the MNLF in 1976 because they disagreed with the Tripoli peace agreement between the Marcos Government and the MNLF... the MILF subsequently gave rise to the Abu Sayyaf...

 

in 2014 the Abu Sayyaf swore allegiance to ISIL...  I think the "training camp" in the video is actually Abu Sayyaf, as the Government indicate in JGF's post no.6.     

Did I write that? Gosh, how sensible of me!

Perhaps an update on the Sama-Badjao - these are some of the unluckiest people on this planet.

By and large, they have been driven ashore by Tausug pirates, and reduced to begging .

So here is a BBC film clip narrated by David Attenborough showing a Badjao diver in his element:

 

 

Edited June 11, 2016 by Methersgate

[robert k]

Yes, it must be tough to be preyed upon by your fellow muslims.

[Methersgate]

Thai documentary (in English) on the Badjao - they are usually stateless but this was filmed mainly in Sabah...

 

 

[Methersgate]

And a bit more - this little girl is welcome on my boat any time...

 

 

[mogo51]

how clever and such great balance.