Philippine army destroys Moro mosque, kills 30 in MILF camp





6 th June 2009









The Secretariate for the Ulama Assembly of Asia , SHURA condemns the recent escalated military operation by Philippine troops on the southern Island of the Philippine.

The Government's attacks across oil and gas-rich marshlands and nearby hills on the southern island of Mindanao which was escalated in the last six weeks had resulted in the displacement of more than 50,000 families.

This operation is pushing back prospects of peace talks stalled since August 2008.

SHURA is registering its abhorrence by the Sri Langka-like military operation by the AFP which has put the civilian in jeopardy.

The biggest new internal displacement of civilians last year was in Muslim region in Philippine, where 600,000 fled fighting with government and MILF in Muslim region, a United Nations-backed report said.

We are calling for a stop to the military operation and parties concern should come back to the negotiation table to end the 4 decades arm conflict. SHURA is deeply concern with the recent attack at the MILF camp near Guindulungan town, in Maguindanao province which was reported by Reuters quoting a Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Ponce as saying.

SHURA has received report of air bombardments until early morning of the day lasting in 48 hours of fighting before soldiers entered the MILF encampment.

We also register our condemnation for a mosque in Maguindanao which was destroyed by the powerful bombs unleashed from the air strikes of the Philippine troops on Friday as reported by an MILF website.

"Reports gathered from displaced civilians from the area said the Mosque was hit by 200lbs international bomb unleashed from the air assaults by the Philippine army."

SHURA stands firmly with the position that the Mosque is the center of worships and unity in faith of all the Muslims the world over. Attacked on this Mosque in Muti was an offensive against all Muslims.

SHURA adamantly urge that the four decades of arm conflict between the Filipino state and the Moro Muslims should end as the two parties had agreed to sign an agreement. It was only stalled when the supreme court of the Philippine declared the agreement illegal on August 4, and as a result caused the conflict to resume.

SHURA has fully supported the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) initialed by MILF and government peace negotiators on July 27, 2008.

We call for both parties to immediately resume the peace talk through an ASEAN initiated process and all military operation be halted so as to allow civilians to proceed back to their villages.We also call on the Philippine government to initiate a humanitarian aid to the victimised civilians .

Ustaz Hj. Abdul Ghani Samsuddin

Chairman , SHURA