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Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Honorable Speaker Atty. Mohammad Ali Pangalian Balindong, Bangsamoro Parliament
My distinguished colleagues in the Central Committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), honorable members of the Bangsamoro Parliament and staff members, my brothers and sisters – mujahideen and mujahidaat, energetic media people in attendance, enthusiastic observers , ladies and gentlemen. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatulllahi wa barakatuhu and good afternoon to everyone.
Alhamdulillah. Wassalaatu wassaalamu ala Rasulillah. Wa ba’d. Allah (SWT) says in the Glorious Qur’an, Surah Al-Shuurah, Verse 38-39:
“And those who answer the call of their Lord and establish worship, and whose affairs are a matter of counsel, and who spend of what we have bestowed on them. And those who, when great wrong is done to them, defend themselves”.
Today is indeed historical for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to have its first three day Parliamentary regular sessions, April 22, 23 and 24, 2019. And being historical likewise brings us back to the historicity of this occasion. For what has brought us forth here today and at this far abounds with historical antecedents even replete with annals of sacrifices and exemplary forbearance.
For without the blood of our martyrs, without the tears of the widowed mothers and orphaned children, and without the pains of families all sent to the evacuation zones and environs more scorching than the battlefield, more dehumanizing than prison camps, we would never come this far. We all owe to them, at whose expense we obtained what is today for the Bangsamoro.
The late Ameerul mujahideen and MILF Chairman, SHEIKH SALAMAT HASHIM (Allaho Yarhamoh) said “I have deep admiration for the faithful and courageous mujahideen who have never wavered and faltered in spite of all odds, and those whose tasks, as it were, exposed them to unimaginable danger. I know you will be ready for the momentous event we all covet. So stand firm, rearm your spirit, marshal your strength, your share of victory is awaiting us.”
But this is far from victory, or what we call as such, in as much as this is far from where our ultimate objective ends i.e. “to make supreme the WORD of Allah (SWT)”. However, this can also be deemed as so pyrrhic one though, because at where we are now is still embraceable, and through which we can express what we have been espousing as regards our age-old aspiration to live our own way. This is from rationalization and rationalizing as there remain discontented – and whose discontentment is reasonable, thus understandable. Hence seeing things constructively today, this occasion heralds a new day for the Bangsamoro.
The late Chairman Sheikh Salamat Hashim stated during his first press conference in the Bangsamoro Homeland on December 18, 1977, “The objective of the MILF is to regain the illegally and immorally usurped freedom and self-determination of the Bangsamoro people through peaceful means. The MILF will use all possible peaceful means to achieve its objective. Many countries in the world gained independence through peaceful means like Maldives, Brunei and Singapore. The MILF believes that there is no viable and lasting solution to the centuries-old conflict between the Bangsamoro people and their persecutors except to give way to the aspirations to the native inhabitants of the area – the Bangsamoro people and the Highlanders, and this is no other than the restoration of their usurped legitimate rights to freedom and self-determination”.
About fifty (50) years ago, we were brought in to a situation where there is no choice but grab and espouse the proposition of liberation than helplessly embrace the proposition of colonization the rest of our lives. When both historicity and legalism come to our backing, the zeal of emancipation and the passion for freedom is the call of the day. Besides, none in the vocabulary of our forefathers something that entertains submission upon colonization nor acquiescence to any hint thereof.
Almighty Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 193:
“And fight them on until there is no more tumult and oppression, and there prevail Justice and Faith in God, let there be no hostility except those who practice oppression”.
Or, about five hundred (500) years ago, our forefathers were beset with the same call to tread on in defense of what Abraham Lincoln the first President of the United States of America, had called as dedication to “the proposition that all men are created equal” when the tide of Spanish colonization and American Imperialism swoop the shores of the Moroland. The same dedication bequeathed upon our shoulders, which also compelled us to embark upon a protracted struggle, offering our lives and our properties, as well as our thoughts and skills.
Allah (SWT) says in Surah Hujuraat Verse 10, “The Believers are but a single Brotherhood”.
Now, our struggle toward that same end has transformed into another form where our former enemies before are now our present partners in treading the road to peace and development. Far from being the end, but our struggle has changed into a different scheme, yet towards the same course, where the enemy is ourselves: We are now in Jihad al-Nafs or Jihad Akbar. This is the sophistry, let alone the challenge, of being victorious in some way: we are now at the edge of our time when the course of struggle is not in proving what we fought for is worth-dying, but whether or not we are worth it. We then register our utmost gratitude to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for giving us the opportunity to prove our worth again. Ours is but an incremental step and continuous leap, which goes back to where our brethren- in-arms have left.
Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Hujurat, Verse 13:
“O mankind! We created you a single pair of a male and female. And made you into Nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most Righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things”.
At this juncture, this regional legislature is now mandated to double its efforts for the passage of laws for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to attain grand success of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as the years go by, InShaaAllah.
But, as we assume the mantle of Authority, being one of the resultant imperatives of the GPH-MILF peace agreement enshrined both in the Framework Agreement for the Bangsamoro (FAB) and in the Comprehensive Agreement for the Bangsamoro (CAB), a blizzard, nay, but lumped bulks of previous workloads are blitzed upon us instead than sailing toward immediate phasing in.
These, we take as part of those challenges in proving our worth. And to the eighty (80) members of this parliament invested of the tasks, I wish you good luck. With due respect, but the task loaded upon us – the appointed parliamentarians, today during this entire transition period is even greater than the legislative task of them – those elected parliamentarians, comes 2022.
May I conclude by quoting the late Sheikh Salamat Hashim, “We would like to remind the Ummah of the promise of Almighty Allah and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that Islam will prevail and that the Islamic Ummah will have to assume the responsibility for leading and guiding humanity to the Right Path, whether the world likes it or not. And whether the world likes it or not, HAQQ (Righteousness) will prevail over BAATIL (innovation, injustices, and evil deeds). However, this promise of the Creator of the Universe and His Messenger, peace be upon him, can be realized only after an intense and long Jihad in the Way of Allah which carries with it much sacrifice, suffering and adversity on the part of the Ummah.
Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh and a pleasant day to everyone.
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