Introduction to International Politics
Foreign Event Analysis
| Locale | ![[]](http://www.kvasaheim.com/flags/flag15-ph.png "Flag of Philippines") | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Title |
Casualties result from religious revolt
| |
| Summary |
Fighting between Filipino government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has resulted in the deaths of 16 rebels and the promise of more violence in the region. The violence is a result of a 40 year movement by Islamic forces who have been attempting to form their own nation in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. MILF forces encompass 11,000 soldiers and represents a region whose beliefs and values differ greatly from that of the majority of the Philippines. The Islamic people of Mindanao have an internal identity separate from the rest of the Philippines; they desire freedom and the independence of their land rich in natural resources. Their movement for freedom has been offset by the Filipino liberal democratic government’s attempts to destroy this Islamic movement and, maintain their internal sovereignty.
| |
| Analysis |
MILF represents a movement of people who share a strong belief based upon a common religion and their own self-determination. The people of Mindanao and the southern Philippines feel no shared values or beliefs with their Catholic neighbors. Islamic citizens of Mindanao feel as though they are their own nation and should be recognized as such. To the government of the Philippines, Mindanao represents a part of their home territory and nationalistic sentiment. Two battling ideologies can be seen in the conflict between the MILF forces, along with their ideal of a society dominated by Islam, and the liberal democratic government of the Philippines who believes in the sovereignty of their territory.
The supporters of MILF have a set of values and beliefs that differ drastically from those of their Catholic neighbors. A large Dominionist movement can be seen with the Islamic fundamentalist in the Southern Philippines. The MILF movement is the armed portion of this fundamentalist ideology which includes the Sharia law. However, MILF supporters do share a relative identity with other Islamic people. The leaders of the Islamic fundamentalist movements worldwide include states and organizations, such as Iran and Al Qaeda, who represent a threat to the Philippine government and its allies.
The belief that the Nation-State is sovereign within its own borders has been the government’s conflict in regards to the MILF insurgency. The MILF movement represents a direct threat against the idea of the Nation-State as it undermines the government’s authority and monopoly of force. The Philippine government also shares a relative identity with the U.S. and many other Western democracies. The U.S. has identified many Muslim fundamentalist movements like MILF as a threat. Current U.S policy has labeled Al Qaeda as a threat moving to eradicate its forces, while identifying Iran as a member of the ‘Axis of Evil.’ The connection between the ideas of MILF and other Muslim Fundamentalist makes them an enemy to the U.S. and its ally, the Philippines.
Violence will continue to occur on the island of Mindanao as the two identities, Islamic fundamentalists and the idea of National sovereignty, vie for victory. The conflict transcends the borders of the Philippines and lies in the millions of citizens of Nation-States and the supporters of fundamentalist Islam. The shared identities of the two movements with outside forces have made the situation far more combustible. The Philippines now lay in a zero-sum situation, a result of conflicting ideas. | |
| Perspective |  | Identity |
| In-Region URL | ||
| Out-of-Region URL | ||
| Submitted | September 25, 2008 at 11:50 pm | |
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