‘Hopelessness drives violent extremism’

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 10): ‘Hopelessness drives violent extremism’

What attracts people to embrace violent extremism and radicalism?

Dr. Saffrullah M. Dipatuan, chairman of Bangsamoro Development Agency, cited many reasons including injustice, poverty, graft and corruption, and the poor delivery of basic services.

But Dipatuan stressed that radicalism and violent extremism in the Philippines were being “driven by hopelessness,” adding that the government failed to address these long-standing societal problems

Dipatuan, who spoke at the Planning Workshop on Community-based Prevention of Violent Extremism organized by the BDA here last Tuesday, said the emergence of terrorism and violent extremism was being promoted by radical groups in the name of Islam.

Dipatuan explained Marawi City was chosen by the Maute group as a place where it could launch the siege because a rural setting would have been ineffective.

“Marawi is the only urban city in Lanao Del Sur that makes it a perfect site for the attack,” Dipatuan said.

Even government forces admitted facing a challenge in fighting terrorists in the five-month long urban war.

“Marawi City is home to more than 200,000 people with more than 90 percent of the residents Muslims belonging to the Maranaw or Maranao tribe, the second most populous of the 13 ethnic Muslim tribes in the Philippines,” Dipatuan said.

He also said extremists considered the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as a “major hindrance” in establishing a caliphate in this part of the region.

“This is because any group creating violence and chaos after the establishment of the Bangsamoro government will face a formidable alliance of the Philippine military and police, on one hand, and the combined forces of the MILF and MNLF, on the other,” he said. MNLF is the Moro National Liberation Front which is also negotiating for peace with the government.

The BDA, which was created in 2002 as the development arm of the MILF, said understanding the issue of violent extremism requires understanding the realities of religious, social, political,

“The complexity requires constant and deep analysis without ever being able to come to a final conclusion. This complexity should not lead us into paralysis as we need to act now before it will be too late,” it said in an article posted on luwaran.com.

To address the issue on extremism, Dipatuan urged the government to be serious in addressing the injustices experienced by the Moro people. He also said passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will address the “hopelessness and frustration” of the people.

Dipatuan said: “It will be a national disaster if the government misses this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission is set to hold the Bangsamoro Assembly to push for the passage of BBL on November 26 to 27.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/11/10/hopelessness-drives-violent-extremism/