WHAT if the Daesh or IS narrative will win in this battle or borderless war of humanity and world order? We can expect chaos and disorder will happen in the world. I ask, what is Islamic in this kind of situation? How can that be aligned in the real meaning of Islam and the message that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) gave to humankind?
In my recent studies on global threat of violent extremism, the data shows that the war has become borderless. Daesh sympathizers and combatants no longer need to go to Syria or Iraq. They can conduct acts of terror within their local setting. This is not good. It gives more negative impression on Islam and the Muslims. It divides further our society because of the century old prejudices and biases against the Muslims continue to linger in our minds and hearts.
How many foreign fighters joined the Maute in the recent Marawi Siege? How much do we really know about Dr. Mahmud bin Ahmad, the Malaysian militant who helped lead and finance the siege of Marawi? How many more like him are in Mindanao helping the violent extremist groups?
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We truly salute our Armed Forces of the Philippines for neutralizing Hapilon and Omar Maute. But killing the violent extremists is not enough. We need to address the idea, the ideology that they carry. The best way to address the ideology is to come up with a better ideology that truly addresses the legitimate grievances of our people.
I remembered the words of Malala Yousafzai — "With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism." How do we ensure that their ideology will die along with them? How do we prevent the violent extremists from hijacking Islam and the narrative of the Bangsamoro people's struggle for right to self determination?
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Based on what happened in the Marawi Siege, the need to come up with a national security plan (NSP) to prevent and counter violent extremism is as important in the passage and ratification of the Enhanced Bangsamoro Basic Law. The EBBL addresses the vertical path of the peace process. The NSP will handle the horizontal track in which we will build our nation and provide space for the Bangsamoro narrative to be part of the Filipino history.
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Time and again, my office in Ateneo has been labeled as a Shia institute by groups who do not have any engagement or interactions with us. The sectarian divide is actually growing fast in Mindanao today and if we cannot address this problem soon, we will be facing another source of conflict within the Bangsamoro communities. The Al Qalam Institute is not a Shiite center. In fact, it is an institute that adheres to principles of the Amman Message and the Common Word. It put emphasis on inter religious and intra religious dialogue.
I do recognize the fact that "sectarianism reflects real religious differences and defines “otherness”, but it has always been linked to power, resources and territory". Because of our work in Al Qalam Institute, we provide space for young Muslim to become critical thinkers. The youth are becoming more actively involved in the current issues and concerns that their communities are confronting now, especially the Bangsamoro peace process. Unfortunately, there are groups that do not like this. They are afraid that our youth will become more vigilant, active, and progressive in developing an Islamic faith that is rooted on our own identity and not the identity as espoused by any other nation.
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As we discuss the Sunni - Shia divide, let us review the Different Schools of Islamic thought (madhahib) that are present today. These madhahib are the paths people follow to the Noble Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad. Obviously, these schools of thought were founded considerably after the death of the Prophet. According to Islamic history, they never took shape until the time of the Umayyid Caliphate.
The Al Islam website stated and elaborated that the common phrase ahl al-sunnah wal-jama-ah, for example, became prevalent during the third century of the Hijrah. By the year 250H, the four Sunni schools of thought were being popularized and patronized during the Abbasid Caliphate. The Shi‘a school of thought on the other hand, continued its growth and progress after Imam ‘Ali through his descendants who were connected to each other through a chain of narration and knowledge. Prophet Muhammad and the designated imams in the Shi‘a school of thought were shielded by Allah from any sin, religious error, or forgetfulness.
The Bulletin of Affiliation” Al-Madhhab Schools of Thought Statistic - Dec. 1998, Vol. 17-4, states that "Today, the five schools of Islamic thought accepted by all Muslims are the Ja‘fari, comprising 23% of the Muslims; the Hanafi, comprising 31% of the Muslims; the Maliki, comprising 25% of the Muslims; the Shafi?i, comprising 16% of the Muslims; and the Hanbali, comprising 4% of the Muslims. The remaining small percentage follow other minority schools, such as the Zaydi and the Isma-ili."
The Muslims are also diverse compared to the Christians and Protestants. The diversity is a sign human uniqueness. It is in this diversity that we must have strength to practice our faith and embrace others.