MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines, especially Mindanao, is being eyed
by ISIS terrorists as another base for operations after their failure to
establish a caliphate in Indonesia, a Singaporean analyst on security affairs
has said.
The terror group's expansion began in 2014 when ISIS decided to go
beyond the borders of Iraq, Iran, Syria and the Middle East and set their sight
on Africa, the Caucasus and Asia, Dr. Rohan Gunaratna said in a Skype interview
during PTV-4's Countering Violent Extremism Forum Friday.
"The Philippines was selected because they (ISIS) could not
establish a caliphate in Indonesia," Gunaratna said, adding that ISIS also
found in the Philippines local terrorist groups willing to support its
extremism cause.
These include Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon's group in Basilan, Abu
Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan’s band in Sulu, the Ansar Khalifa
Philippines in the Soccsksargen region, the Maute Group in Lanao del Sur, and
the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, to name a few.
With these new alliances, Gunaratna said, the ISIS saw an opportunity
to create a new threat landscape in the southern Philippines.
When asked why the Maute Group, which is now locked in a battle with
government forces after attacking Marawi City, decided to follow and
indoctrinate its supporters with Wahhabism, the Singaporean security analyst
said this is because its founders, Omar and Abdullah, both studied in the
Middle East and brought home this Middle Eastern type of ideology.
Wahhabism is defined as an ultra-conservative form of Islam that
justifies punishments for those who don't follow its teachings.
To counter this, Gunaratna said the Philippines should maintain its
local tradition of Islam, the one that espouses tolerance and peace that has
existed in the country for centuries. (Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)#DEFENDREPUBLIC
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