United Youth for Peace and Development: Pride of the Filipino Muslim Youth
The United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD) is a Muslim Youth Organisation which aims to develop young leaders who can eventually contribute to the society. They equip young people with the knowledge, skills and technology so that they become members of the society who can promote unity and solidarity, transparency and accountability. It is a partner in the present PEaCE for Good Governance project, working in six barangays in the municipalities of Pagalungan and Parang in Maguindanao.
UNYPAD’s Deputy Secretary General is Datuan Magon who is a strong believer of peaceful approaches to violence in his region. Throughout the years, he has been focusing on the “Reawakening of the Bangsamoro People” by organizing young individuals to become members of UNYPAD.
UNYPAD conducts humanitarian and peace building work by developing trusted relationships across all people where conflict divides. Datuan has also been very active in engaging with different working groups to ensure that everyone is united as they all focus on community security.
Source: https://www.c-r.org/news-and-views/stories/philippines-–-journey-moro-islamic-peacebuilder
Is Bacha Coffee Halal Certified?
Bacha Coffee is probably one of the most sought after cafes and coffee brands in southeast asia with its origins in nearby Singapore. Bacha is actually the name of a palace in Marrakech, Morocco. It is owned by the same group who started TWG, which can be easily distinguished with the similarity of its food offerings. Dubbed as a coffee experience like no other, the branding and marketing of Bacha Coffee has truly captured the hearts of people, making it a go-to, social media worthy place to check out. Its cafes are distinct with Moroccan-themed boutiques presenting a luxurious interior with marble floors and brass chandeliers. Completing the look are staff donned in classic European-style uniforms. Like the TWG with a number of tea variants, Bacha boasts of 200 types of coffee.
With inclusivity and diversity as the post pandemic world buzzwords, we aim to check how Bacha Coffee follows permissible or lawful traditional Islamic law. Apparently however while their bespoke coffees and teas are Halal friendly, not all their pastries and food are. Though they guarantee not using lard and pork in their dishes, discretion is encouraged.
But really, how has coffee changed the world? By itself an industry, and for most countries, a major commodity, coffee takes its roots from a humble story of a herd of goats and a shepherd. Referred to as al-qahwa (pronounced as kahwa), these berries created excitement among the herd and eventually made their way to household tables in Yemen. As a substance to keep them awake, the word traveled easily among the Islamic community reaching countries across the mediterranean in the 15th and 16th century.
If one was to ask how the coffee that we know today was prepared before, the answer is rather simple. Muslims used to boil these berries and mix them with sugar. The only difference was filters were unavailable before thus leaving residues in the cup. Apparently such way of preparing coffee was preferred among the Muslim communites before with its ability to help worshippers concentrate.
Ottoman merchant Pasqua Rosee (pronounced as Pasa Riza) brought the coffee to England in the 16th century, and the rest,a s they say, is history.
FILIPINO-MUSLIM FOODS THAT YOU SHOULD TRY
You can capture the hearts of the Filipinos through their stomachs. It means that Filipinos are food lovers and will forever be food lovers. In the Philippines, food is also being associated with religious, cultural, and regional preferences, one best example is the Filipino-Muslim foods. This will give you a brief discovery of the list of dishes that you must try.
First in our list is the Lokot-lokot. It is also known as “Zambo Rolls'' (Zamboanga Rolls) which is an indigenous food from Zamboanga. It is sometimes called “Jaa '' by the locals, depending on the area they lived in. Lokot-lokot is made of glutinous rice mixture poured in a halved coconut shell with holes directly to the hot pan, resulting in a crispy rolled mats of rice. It is famous during Hari Raya festivities during Eid Fitr. This delicacy is one of the foods you should look into as pasalubong when visiting Zamboanga.
Next is the Tiyula Itum which means “black soup” in Tausug. The etymology of its name came from the black and grayish color of the broth because of the burnt or blackened coconut meat. Tiyula Itum is considered as Filipino braised beef, goat soup, and stew which is likely associated with the viands like tinola or nilaga. Like Lokot-lokot, Tiyula Itum is served also in Hari Raya festivities of the Eid Fitr and is also known for the Tausug as “Food for the Royalty.”
The third from our list is the Beef Kulma of the Tausug people in Mindanao. It is a combination of peanut-based Kare-Kare stew and coconut-based beef curry, resulting in thick and spicy sauce. The dish may have a similarity in beef caldereta but with a twist having a rich flavor which is somehow associated with some delicious foods from Mindanao.
The fourth and last from our list is the Pastil which is popular because of its cheap price but worth it among Filipinos. It became trending in Muslim town in Quiapo but this dish was originally from Maguindanao and is considered as cheap and popular breakfast meal among Muslims in Mindanao. Pastil is made of steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves topped with shredded chicken, beef, or fish. The popularity of this dish in Manila became a stepping stone for the Muslim food to place in the spotlight.
No wonder Filipino-Muslim food can be a new trend in this coming days. Given its cultural and religious background, food from Mindanao is considered as of the best that might put it in the international spotlight in the future.
HURAMENTADOS: FEARLESS MEN OF MINDANAO
In our modern world, when our neighbor gets into a fight, we sometimes hear the word “huramentado” or phrase like “Naghuramentado iyong kapitbahay,” as a description to the person who gone mad or went out of control. In our history, huramentado refers to the Moro people who sacrificed their lives to protect Mindanao and their areas during the Philippine-American War and the American occupation of Mindanao.
Huramentado comes from the Spanish word juramentar which means “the one who took the oath,” they were also known as a skillful and fiercely Moro (Tausug tribe of Sulu) warriors who fought against the Americans. As they were known as “the one who took the oath,” they underwent rituals by way of shaving, binding their body parts of cloth to lessen the bleeding in battle and to allow themselves to withstand the enemy longer, and taking an oath, which is likely putting hand on the Quran. The huramentados were armed with swords only such as kampilan, kris, or any types of daggers aiming to kill the enemy, compared to advanced weapons of the Americans. They are most likely expected to die in a battle, believing that it is their sacred duty to perform to be included in paradise which is their road to salvation. This kind of sacrifice is associated with the Islamic way of jihad.
According to the historians, huramentados became invincible in battle because of their faith with a combination of their bravery and eagerness to defend their land against foreign invaders. When the US Army encountered the huramentados, they were shocked when it took almost six bullets of .38 caliber revolver to kill them in battle. Most American soldiers got terrified by the acts of huramentados which led to change their weapons into pump-action shotgun to easily kill them. It also resulted to change their service firearms from .38 caliber revolver to .45 caliber M1911 pistol which the word “stopping-action” known for, because it is said that it only took one bullet to kill huramentados with this gun. According to General John Pershing, the leader of the American Expeditionary Force at that time, huramentados were the fiercest men he ever seen in battle.
Aside from the Philippine-American War, the huramentados also participated in WWII, doing the same thing they did to Americans that outmatched the Japanese suicide attack known as kamikaze.
To this day, we likely associate the word “huramentado” to a mad man. In searching our past, we know that there are also heroes who fiercely defended our nations against foreign invaders like our known heroes. The bravery of our Muslim brothers will always be remembered as one of the most remarkable warriors in the battlefield and had a place in shaping the historical narrative we knew today.
PANDAY PIRA: THE LEGENDARY MUSLIM CANNON MAKER
When you go through a busy road in Tondo, you will notice the street name “Panday Pira.” Many are asking why is it named like that and some are wondering who is Panday Pira.
To give us a history, Panday Pira is a Muslim blacksmith. His name is translated as “Blacksmith Pira,” because panday is a Tagalog word for “blacksmith.” He is also a well-known cannon maker which no one in the Philippines at that time can match. Panday Pira was born in 1488 in one of the southern islands in the Philippines, probably in Mindanao. At young age, he settled in Manila and started to establish a cannon-forging shop in the banks of Pasig River. During that time, the Pasig River area was under the control of Rajah Sulayman. He ordered Panday Pira to create several cannons to serve as a protection to his kingdom’s vicinity along the Pasig River delta.
When Miguel Lopez de Legazpi attacked Manila, they are being bombarded by Panday Pira’s cannon for the defense of the city under Rajah Sulayman. The Spaniards fought back and defeated Rajah Sulayman. The Spanish forces under Martin de Goiti seized some valuable items, particularly the cannons made by Panday Pira in the devastated city. These cannons were subjected to rigorous test under Legazpi and was found superior over Spanish cannons. Meanwhile, Panday Pira survived and went Bulacan then to Apalit for settlement. During his stay there, he helped the community with their farming equipment like plowshare and mould board. He also trained natives there to make other farming and household tools like knives and bolos.
After the conquest of Manila, supply and the ammunitions for defense were depleted. This is the time where Legazpi sought Panday Pira’s expertise in cannon making for the defense of the newly conquered city. Legazpi extend privileges to Panday Pira and his family to work for him and Spain. These includes freedom to any government obligations, force labor, church duties, and liberty to live with Spaniards. After this, Panday Pira accepted the offer and became the official cannon maker of Spain and the Spanish Army. Until the death of Legazpi, Panday Pira continued his work under Governor-General Santiago de Vera while in his 80s. At the age of 88 in 1576, Panday Pira died and this served as a great loss to the Spaniards. They even wrote a letter appealing to the King of Spain that he is dead and they cannot find the same like him so they requested a cannon maker. Even the son Panday Pira cannot make a similar cannon patterned to his design.
Panday Pira’s foundry expanded 8 years after his death when a Spanish smith from Mexico came over to took charge.
Panday Pira’s expertise and efforts in cannon making defended our island against other invaders like pirates and served as great pride to our race. Even if the Spaniards called us “native” or “indio,” we outmatched them in the field of military equipment and was commended also by the King of Spain at that time.
DATU AMAI PAKPAK: THE HERO OF MARAWI
In 2017, Marawi City was devastated by the siege during the occupation of the Maute Group for the establishment of their so-called Islamic caliphate. The battle-hardened area in the siege was called “MBA” or Main Battle Ground, which is situated at the center of the city. One of the most affected establishments at that time and the witness to the dawn of the siege is the Amai Pakpak Medical Center. But did you ever wonder who Amai Pakpak is?
Datu Akadir Akobar, also known as Amai Pakpak, is a Maranao leader who bravely defended the Kota Marahui (known today as Camp Amai Pakpak) from the Spanish invaders during the Battle of Marawi in 1891 and 1895.
Amai Pakpak means “father of Pakpak” in English; It is his daughter’s name. He was born in Buadi sa Kayo in Marawi. He is also known as a fierce Muslim warrior who defended the Kota Maraui during the Spanish colonization of the area of Lake Lanao, which is known as Battle of Marawi in 1891 and 1895. The Spaniards wanted to conquer the rich Lake Lanao and the area around due to its strategic location and of being one of the centers of power in Mindanao.
The campaign was led by Governor-General Valeriano Weyler when he attacked that kota (fort) of Amai Pakpak. The Muslim inside the fort fiercely defended at all cost. Among the three kota, two fell from the Spaniards but luckily, Datu Amai Pakpak escaped.
Casualties were high on both sides but the Spaniards withdrew, fearing that the Muslim reinforcement via vinta will arrive. Using his decisive thinking, Datu Amai Pakpak quickly gathered his men. They rebuild the devastated Kota Maraui in a nick of time to fortify the fort and be prepared ahead.
In 1895, the second Battle of Marawi began when General Gonzales Parrado launched a massive attack in the fort. Again, the Muslim warriors bravely defended the fort at all cost like they were defending the whole Lanao area. Because of the fierce resistance of the brave Muslims, it delayed the Spaniards’ conquest of the region. Many Muslims perished in the second battle including datus. The Spaniards won and the fort was retaken but unbeknownst to them, Datu Amai Pakpak and his son Anggay escaped and were hiding in the fort’s secret chamber. At midnight, they launch a suicidal attack and make a final stand against the Spaniards but Datu Amai Pakpak perished on his heroic stand against the invaders.
Because of the heroic deeds of Datu Amai Pakpak and the brave Muslim warriors who defended the fort, the Spaniards withdrew their troops from Lanao and never had a chance to conquer the region again. The Battle of Marawi in 1891 and 1895 served as a proof that we can resist the invaders and the Filipinos can overcome them, this was prior to the prelude of the Philippine Revolution which happened a year after.
Like our known heroes, Datu Amai Pakpak stood for his countrymen, fiercely defended freedom from the ones who wanted to take it. It is somehow connected to the heroes of Marawi Siege in 2017, particularly Muslim soldier, civilians, religious leader and others who laid down their lives to resist the terrorist and bring back the freedom which Datu Amai Pakpak and his fellow Muslim warriors defended at all cost. These heroic deeds of our Muslim brothers will not be forgotten and as it is well written in our history.
SULTAN KUDARAT: THE FEARSOME WARRIOR OF MINDANAO
Independence Day reminds us to remember our history and the people who became part of it. Most of the people who became part of the history are considered heroes who fiercely defended our country against foreign invaders. One of these heroes was Sultan Kudarat.
Mohammad Dipatuan Kudarat, also known as Sultan Kudarat was born in 1581. At the age of 39, he became sultan and ruled the Sultanate of Maguindanao from 1619 to 1671. During his reign, Maguindanao’s Sultanate reached its peak. He held power over nine provinces under his sultanate which consist of Lanao del Norte and del Sur, Maguindanao, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur.
According to some historians, Sultan Kudarat was a strategist and wise politician. He forged alliances with local and foreign rulers, stretching from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, to control the rich trading ports where he also traded with the Dutch (Dutch East India Company) and Chinese. He saw this as an advantage so he gave importance to the development of agriculture, trade, and commerce where he helped to provide food for his people and attained food security in his domain.
As years went on, the Sultanate of Maguindanao was challenged by a series of Spanish invasions to Christianized Mindanao. Little known to the Spaniards, Sultan Kudarat already knew their plan when he realized after colonization of Luzon and Visayas, Mindanao will be the next target. With this in his mind, Sultan Kudarat together with the Sultanate of Sulu launched a coordinated attack which led to the invasion of some provinces in the Visayas and in Northern Mindanao, which were conquered by Spain. In retaliation, Spain attacked Lamitan Fort, a citadel situated in Basilan. The purpose of the attack was to bring down the Sultanate and conquer it. After the battle, Sultan Kudarat was wounded and forced to retreat.
Following his defeat, he learned his fellow Muslims helped the Spaniards to invade Mindanao. Knowing this situation, he gave a powerful speech to rally his fellow Muslims on his side to defeat the Spaniards.
Years after the capture of Lamitan, Spaniards tried to defeat Sultan Kudarat in a battle. In the aftermath, Sultan Kudarat tried to resist further and defeated the Spaniard and Indio and captured their leaders with the help of his fellow Muslims. This is one of the records where he defeated the Spaniards multiple times.
After the glorious victory of Sultan Kudarat against Spaniards, the Sultanate of Maguindanao experienced peace from 1665 until his death in 1671. Sultan Kudarat died at the age of 90, fulfilling his mandate by serving and defending his people and his faith in Allah until his last breath.
Sultan Kudarat is considered as the most powerful Muslim ruler of the Philippines and was considered as hero by the recommendation of National Heroes Committee on 1993.
Truly, Sultan Kudarat’s heroism and patriotism runs through the blood of our fellow Muslims who are always willing to serve and to contribute to our nation.
The Golden Age of Al-Andalus: Peace, Prosperity, and Religious Tolerance
Every kingdom that exists in this world has its own “golden era”. This is the period where they experience breakthroughs in arts and culture, business, education, and any aspect of the kingdom. According to Merriam Webster, golden age means great happiness, prosperity, and achievement. This definition is suited to describe Al-Andalus, a Muslim conquered land in southern Spain way back in 8TH Century.
Al-Andalus was the former name of Islamic States of Portugal and Spain during the Muslim conquest of Iberian Peninsula. It was conquered by Tariq ibn Ziyad, a Muslim general under
Abn al-Rahman, ruler of Umayyad Caliphate, a second caliphate after the death of Muhammad. During his rule, the kingdom experienced peace, harmony, and economic prosperity. It is the setting where the three great Abrahamic religion, which is Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, experienced religious tolerance and respect to one another. All of the major religions at that time were allowed to practice their faith without fear of being imprisoned or persecuted.
The non-Muslims were paying jizyah or a tax for non-believer in exchange for protection, Muslims were also paying their tax called zakat to the authority. Due to these shared responsibilities among people of religions, the kingdom flourished. During the reign of Muslim rulers in Al-Andalus, it became the melting pot of cultures from different parts of the globe. Advancement in arts, culture, science, education, medicine was also the trademark of its era. People from different countries visited the kingdom to acquire knowledge and expertise in different fields of learning. In relation to this, Christians, Jews, and Muslims helped each other in their field of expertise to help the kingdom’s advancement and for the common good. One of example of this was their joint contribution in publishing medical books and improving the quality of health of Andalusians, making a creative multipurpose structure like combining the used of glass in architecture, using mathematics for everyday concepts like geometry, calculus, and the introduction of decimal number system to the western world were among the bequest of Al-Andalus to the world. In addition, prominent artists and significant persons were produced from Al-Andalus like Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes who is a polymath and a widely known Muslim philosopher, Ibn Hazm, a Muslim historian, polymath, and a jurist,
Jabir ibn Hayyan who is considered as “The Father of Arab Chemistry”, and others. These are some of the reasons why Muslims and other scholars considered Al-Andalus as one of the “Golden Age of Muslim Civilization”.
Based on the context of the golden age of Al-Andalus, it served as an eye opener to us that we should not forget the past. It also counters the narratives of extremist groups that non-believers are considered as kafir to Islam and cannot live together with Muslims. It is not true, in fact, to the Andalusian people, they can live harmoniously and contribute to society no matter what religion you are practicing. There is no force conversion, threat, and useless spilling blood among non-believers as they mutually respect each other and live together in peace. Al-Andalus also reminds us that anywhere in the world, it is possible to practice religious tolerance and to govern by any religious authority, especially Muslims because they can contribute to the prosperity of nations too.
We hope that Al-Andalus may not only become a concept of what we read in books, that someday, there will be another of it, a golden age that we are waiting and longing for, where peace, prosperity, religious tolerance, respect, and love for one another are the common denominator of all people of religions.
The Esa Khattak Book Series; The Muslim’s Sherlock Holmes
Have any of you read the books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes? It is one of the best-selling novels in the world! It is also considered as one of the greatest books in the genre of thriller-mystery. Little did we know that there is also a book series like Sherlock Holmes that was written by a Muslim author and the main character was also a Muslim detective.
The book that we are talking about is The Esa Khattak Series written by
Ausma Zehanat Khan, a Muslim American-Canadian author of crime and fantasy novel. The six crime novels in the series are all about the main character, Esa Khattak, a Muslim detective who is dedicated to help his community by solving crimes and helping those who are vulnerable. He also helps to prevent terrorism plot against the community and handles minority-sensitive cases, probably Muslim-related one. Detective Khattak sees himself as “defender” of the “Ummah,” or the entire Muslim community.
If Sherlock Holmes has his famous assistant, Doctor John H. Watson, Khattak also has Sergeant Rachel Getty, a non-Muslim and a dedicated police officer who Khattak can count on when things get worse. Getty and Khattak symbolizes the strong bond and unity established between Muslims and non-Muslims’ capabilities to help the community and bring positive changes. It is also a manifestation that no matter what religion we are in, if peace is compromised, we can separate our differences to work for the common good.
The author, Ausma Zehenat Khan is the advocate of equality among Muslims and non-Muslims. She created the protagonist, Esa Khattak, to widen our awareness on certain issues faced by Muslims such as widespread Islamophobia, xenophobia, and anti-Muslim bias. Her work was a breakthrough in terms of topics and character, given that the series was in a western setting, it is uncommon to have a protagonist who is a Muslim. Another thing, she used her knowledge in contemporary history and controversial topics in Islam to create a scenario and a plot for the story. Example of these are the Bosnian War, Srebrenica Massacre, and the Golden Era of Andalusia, which are perfect stages for the main character given that he is a Muslim.
The author’s extensive knowledge in issues faced by Muslims and her book are helpful for us to really understand our Muslim friends and their culture, beliefs, and capabilities as human beings to solve problems and help our society.
Patience and Perseverance: Lessons Learned During the Holy Month of Ramadan in the Philippines
Ramadan is among the most sacred months in Islam. In the Philippines, Filipino Muslims celebrate this momentous event by remembering the Holy Qur’an and its revelation to Prophet Muhammad.
As Filipino Muslims, let us go back and examine our lessons learned during this month.
The month of Ramadan has showered us with numerous lessons, one of which is learning to coexist with the non-Muslims and realizing that this land is for every Filipino. This month has shown us that unity and living in harmony with people from all walks of life can be achieved. While we, Filipino Muslims, sacrificed and practiced Sawm or fasting, our non-Muslims brothers and sisters have respected us, and, in their own little way, sacrificed with us and joined our Iftar.
This month, we did not only learn to abstain from eating and drinking, but we also valued the importance of respect and tolerance. We nurtured humility and love, and avoided harming people with our words or violating anyone’s rights.
Ramadan has also taught us that material things are not important, as we focus our attention on more significant things such as doing good deeds, helping the needy, and giving charity or sadaqah. The needs of the people and the true essence of happiness are imbibed in the hearts of every Filipino Muslim.
Keeping the spirit of Ramadan alive in our hearts for the rest of the year is a must as this month has also trained us to be closer to Allah and improve our spirituality and religious practices. With all of these in mind, we now walk this world with a sense of responsibility and perseverance to radiate goodness and compassion.
To all our Muslims friends, families and loved ones, Eid Mubarak and may we all have a joyous celebration!