Islamic da'wah of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the south of the Philippine: evaluation and suggestion

Abstract

This paper attempts to evaluate the Islamic da'wah activities in Mindanao, based on the case of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which uses armed struggle combined with da'wah activities. It will be followed by the suggestions and recommendation by the writer. Mindanao is situated in the south of the Philippines with its 10.2 million hectares as a total land area. It is the reaches part of this region in term of natural resources which is classified as uranium, gold, coal, petroleum and other fossils of fuels, mineral oils and sources of potentials energy, lakes rivers and lagoons as well as forest and watershed reservation. Hence, 65 percent of the overall Philippines's income comes from Mindanao. Originally, Mindanao is the native abode of the Bangsamoro people of both Islamized and non-Islamized Moro. Due to the continued migration of Filipino Christians from Luzon and Visayas to Mindanao as part of the so-called resettlement policy" the Moro people have become minority in their own native place. Mindanao is the main base of the military and religious activities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF is the liberation movement which is currently operating in Mindanao using armed struggle and da'wah activity as its approach to solve the centuries-old problem in Mindanao. It is currently negotiating with the Philippine government for a negotiated political solution to the problem."