MINDANAO, Philippines — Christians and others in the southern Philippines have expressed strong fears that legislation creating an Islamic sub-state on Mindanao Island will exacerbate religious tensions rather than resolve them, as the proposed law would give leaders sufficent independence to impose “sharia,” or Islamic law.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law, proposed by President Benigno Aquino III in September 2014 with the aim of ending decades of Islamist rebel violence in Mindanao, was approved by a House Ad Hoc Committee on May 20. The area already enjoys a measure of autonomy as the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
If Bangsamoro, or “Moro Country” with Moro being colloquial for “Muslim,” were ruled under sharia, non-Muslims would become second-class citizens with drastically reduced rights. Critics of the bill say it would render the federal government powerless to redress human rights abuses under Islamic law.
At press time the bill was being deliberated by 24 senators in the Southeast Asian country.
(MS)
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