Islam in the Philippines

Islam is the oldest monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the islands in the 12th and 14th centuries over two hundred years before the arrival of the Spaniards introduced Christianity in the Philippines. Islam was brought by Arab merchants and Muslim settlers from the Malay Archipelago. Islam in the Philippines has a population of 5%.

The advent of Islam in Sulu and Mindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi

The Islamic religion was brought by Persian Bengali and Gujerati or Arab traders to Sulu. When Muslim traders arrived in the southern Philippines from Malaysia and Indonesia, they came to see indigenous people practicing animism living in small autonomous communities. According to Tarsila, Tuan Mashaika came to Jolo, in Maimbung and married the son of a leading family. Although Sulu Tarsila does not openly claim that Tuan Mashaika is a Muslim, he is considered a Muslim because of his children's Muslim names such as Tuan Hakim and Aisha. In 1380, the Arabian Karimul Makhdum (Sharif Awliya) arrived and recognized the founder of the first Water-Indoor mosque in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi. About 1390, Rajah Baguinda arrived in Sulu from Sumatra or Borneo. The first official Sultan of Sulu is the Arab from Sumatra Syed Abu Bakr (Sharif Hashim) who married Baguinda's son. Like other Arab leaders, Abu Bakr established the legitimacy of his dynasty by claiming to be a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad.

Mindanao

The advent and spread of Islam in Mindanao is directed to Sharif Kabungsuwan who arrived in Maguindinao in 1515 from Johor. He was reportedly the son of the Malaccan prince and Arab Sharif Ali Zain ul-Abidin and came with his warriors to establish a principle. He has forged alliances through numerous marriages. He conquered and led the leaders and tribes to Cotabato. Tribes unable to lead Kabungsuwan by persuasion or violence were pushed into the cliffs. The non-Islamic tribes were the natives.

Another tradition states that before the arrival of Kabungsuwan there was a Sharif Awliya who introduced Islam to a place not far from Cotabato. Awliya married a woman from heaven who had a woman called paramour or princess. Awliya returned to her home but left her son. Another tradition is the arrival of a Sharif Maraja in Maguindano from Johor and marrying paramisuli.

The arrival of the Spanish Christians

When the Spanish Christians first arrived in the Philippines in the mid-1500s, they encountered strong opposition from Muslims. The Spaniards dismissed the Muslims of the Philippines as the Moorish corruption of the Moor word that Christians in Spain had expelled after nearly 800 years of strife. Although the Spaniards quickly led most of the Philippine region to Christianity by violence, they found it difficult to lead the Muslims to the southern Philippines. Muslims terrorized the Spaniards by often assaulting and capturing slaves in Central and other parts of the Philippines. The Spaniards were only able to resist the Muslims in the mid-1800s by advancing Spanish technology using gunboats. In 1878, the Sultan of Sulu signed a peace treaty with Spain and its subjects officially became Spanish autonomous protected.

List of Muslim terrorist attacks

Muslims in the Philippines make up only five percent of the Philippine population and most of its devotees live in Mindanao. The majority of Muslims in the Philippines belong to the Sunni Islamic sect. There is also a small population living in Quiapo, Manila. Existing Islamist groups and considered Islamic terrorist groups in the Philippines include the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF, Abu Sayyaf, [6] Rajah Sulaiman Movement and Islamic Congregation. These groups are involved in the rebellion against the Philippine government in order to separate themselves from a Bangsamoro Islamic state comprising all of Mindanao, Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan as well as Sabah and Sarawak of Malaysia. These groups have been involved in terrorism and bombing in various parts of Mindanao as well as Metro Manila, fighting, killing and beheading the captives of their Filipino soldiers, kidnapping and killing civilians and foreigners and extortionate money. The name of the Abu Sayaff group is derived from Arabic ابو, Abu ("father of") and sayyaf ("sword maker"). This group is considered by the United States a terrorist organization and is included in the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The Muslim expulsion or separation movement in the Philippines began in 1968 with the establishment of the Muslim Independence Movement. In the 1970s, the MNLF became the leading Muslim exile movement in the Philippines and received support from Libya and Sabah. Peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the MNLF resulted in the signing of the Tripoli Agreement in 1976 but differing interpretations on the issue of autonomy broke down negotiations and resulted in the return of disputes. In October 2012, the MNLF and the Philippine government reached a peace agreement. On 9 September 2013 the MNLF attempted to occupy Zamboanga City and kill 4 people and capture 200 civilians whom they used to defend in fighting soldiers and police of the Philippine government.