MAY THE LIGHT OF ISLAM SHINES UPON THE LAND OF PHILIPPINES ONCE AGAIN
Manila, or its original name Seludong City derived its origins from the Arabic word ‘Amanillah’ or ‘Fi amanillah’ which means City of Peace Under Allah’s Safekeeping.
Whenever the word Islam is mentioned in the Philippines, the first thought that comes across everyone’s mind are Mindanao, Sulu and its surrounding islands. Unbeknown to many is the fact that before the Spanish invasion, 98 percent of the inhabitant around that region islands are already Muslims.
There was, at one point in time an effort to make Manila the capital of Islamic region for the South East Asia. Unfortunately, the Spanish invasion that bear so much hostility and animosity towards Islam and its Muslims inhabitants in consequence to what happened in their homeland, has apostatized Manila and all of Philippines to this present day.
From the once 94 million Islamic population, only 5 percent are still left as Muslim! How Islam faded away from Andalusia, so was fate that had befallen upon Islam and Muslims in the Philippines.
One fact that was covered up in the long history of Islam in the Philippines was the majesty of the Islamic Sultanate of Sulu Darus Salam hundreds of years ago. Post Spanish and American occupation, has left the region in continuous conflict, poverty and suffering. To add insult to injury, there is an attempt now to strategically associate the Southern Philippines region as the new stronghold for terrorist movement that is linked to Daesh.
Henceforth, any effort towards the peaceful and harmonious wellbeing of its citizen free from any sort of violence must be supported and championed by all not only for the stability of the Philippines moreover the stability in the region.
