Vol. XVIII, Nos. 2 Official Publication of the Institute of Islamic Studies July 2012—Dec. 2012

Vol. IX, No. 1 University of the Philippines Diliman January—June 2013

to generate commonalities which can be the meat of advocacy, policy, and concrete action programs particularly on the Sabah issue. This is in accord with the message of UP President

What’s Inside?

Sabah Issue

RTD in Basilan

Editorial

News/Events

Visitors

Faculty/Staff Update

Special Edition: Gradua-tion

Feature: Sintang Dalisay

Commentaries: The Role…

Synthesis: Sabah Issue

On March 18, 2013, the UP Institute of Islamic Studies organized an Inter-Agency Consultations on Sabah Issue among different government agencies and institutions attended by the Office of the UP President, House of Representatives Committee on Muslim Affairs, Office of the Presi-dential Assistant for Peace Process, and UP Cen-ter for People Empowerment in Governance. For-mer Vice President Teofisto Guingona also partic-ipated in the consultations including a number of scholars and experts, policy makers and leaders in various fields.

Dean Julkipli Wadi explained that the main ra-tionale of the forum was to explore perspectives and positions from concerned institutions in order

The Research Association in Islam-ic Social Sciences, Inc. in collabora-tion with the UP Institute of Islam-ic Studies (IIS), Basilan State Col-lege (BSC), and Bureau of Madaris Education (BME) of Department of Education - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao spearheaded the Fifth Round Table Discussion

on Islamic Research on December 17-19, 2012 at the BSC Campus in

Isabela City, Basilan. The prima-ry goal of the annual RTD was to strengthen Islamic studies units in Southern Philippines.

Among the participating institu-tions were MSU-GenSan, MSU-Tawi-Tawi, BSC, Notre Dame of Jolo College, Sulu State College, Mindanao Autonomous College, Basilan Ulama Council, Attaqwa

Institute, Abdulwahab Ak-bar Institute, Mubarakat Institute and Claret College of

RTD IN BASILAN / PAGE 11

SABAH ISSUE / PAGE 10

IIS Now offers Islamic Economics Courses

In response to the emerging trends and possibilities in Is-lamic Economics, the IIS now offers Islamic Economics on Banking, Trade and Investment (IS 293) and Special Topics on Islamic Economics (IS 198B), as part of the degree’s ma-jor courses. It aims to train the students in this alternative economic system. The institute invited Professors Ikram Tawasil and Esmael Ebrahim, to teach the courses and be part of the IIS faculty line-up. Tawasil was previously connected with the Ama-nah Islamic Bank (AIB) in the Philippines and received his academic training on Islamic Economic and Finance in Ma-laysia while Esmael obtained his Islamic Economics degree at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. On a related event, Division Heads of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) and AIB held an initial consultation with IIS Dean Julkipli Wadi on Islamic Finance. The said institu-tions eventually became the Technical Working Group (TWG) which later included the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) and Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The TWG is expected to draw specific programs and wider economic policies for the country. Simultaneous to this effort, according to the IIS Dean, is the continuous training of future Islamic Finance practitioners and experts. The institute, he added, has to take an aggressive step in developing the technical manpower.▲(see related story on page 3)

IIS and NCMF Send Marawi Student to

International Qur’an-Reading Competition

Through the efforts of the UP IIS and the National Commis-sion on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), Mohammad Dugasan Amin participated in the 2012 King Abdul Aziz Interna-tional Qur’an Recitation and Memorization Competition. It was held at the Grand Mosque of Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on December 3 last year. The compe-tition encourages young Muslims to memorize and study by heart the text of the Holy Qur’an.

2 SAHIYFAH

news/events

Recently, two issues have resonated very strongly in Muslim communities: the Frame-work Agreement and the Sabah Question. The signing of the Framework Agreement sent a positive signal that the long standing so-called “Moro Problem” is finally reaching an end. Solutions are at hand pending the comple-tion and approval of the annexes which will become the core body of the Bangsamoro entity. Much optimism and celebration occurred. The sudden emergence of the Sabah issue and the violence that accompanied it not only sur-prised but also agitated Moros especially those in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The confrontations between the Sultan of Sulus’ Royal Forces and the Malaysian Police, followed by the violent deportation of Moros from Sabah and other areas lent to the event a new drama. Much pessimism and wailings occurred. Some see these two issues as interconnected; and that the Framework Agreement can be a vehicle by which the Sabah issue can be re-solved as part of the concept of ancestral do-main. Unfortunately, it seems that the Sabah ques-tion was never included in the discussions, so that its exclusion gave the Sultan of Sulu the sense of a continuing “historical injustice” that must be addressed. The collision of these events whether intended or not put the Moros in a “hard” place faced with more questions than answers. Predictions of a bright future can still be possible if these questions are faced with real answers.

-The Editor

news/events

july 2012—december 2012; january 2013—june 2013 3

by Dean Julkipli Wadi and a presentation on Islamic Fi-nance by Mr. Mustapha Ha-mat. The Shari'ah TWG met again on November 29, 2012 with guest Mr. Eugene Agapay, Mr. Usman's business correspond-ent in the Philippines. The agenda of the meeting in-cludes PSE update by Mr. Leo Quinitio, and the presentation on Islamic Finance by Mr. Us-man focusing on existing Ma-laysian project called Sabah Development Corridor - Ban-dar Samudera Project. This project focuses on tourism, ag-rofishery, and palm oil. Mr. Usman said that he would like to see this same project evolve in the Philippine setting.

On November 30, the group assembled at UP IIS before proceeding to the Department of Agrarian Reform office to continue discussing unre-solved issues raised in earlier meetings.

Lunch was prepared by Mr. and Mrs. Benedicto Tutay, both alumnus of the IIS. The group is looking forward to productive years to come when Islamic Finance will be concrete reality beneficial to both Muslims and non-Muslims. (KBAM)▼

there were a series of meetings that took place among said major agencies discussing is-sues on Islamic Finance. Last August 30, 2012, repre-sentatives from the PSE; Secu-rities and Exchange Commis-sion; Central Bank of the Phil-ippines; Bureau of Internal Revenue; Amanah Islamic Bank; Asian Development Bank; National Commission on Muslim Filipinos; and the UP IIS met. A meeting was held in PSE office, Makati City. The group is referred to as the "Shari'ah Technical Working Group (TWG)." NCMF Secretary Mehol Sadain chairs the said TWG. The group discussed matters like Market Models, identification of other avenues or offices that can be of big help to the group's objectives, the need to hire a Shari'ah advisor or to organize a Shari'ah council, and the need to form commit-tees within the TWG. On November 9, 2012, the Shari'ah TWG met again with the presence of Mr. Mustapha Hamat known as the Father of Islamic Finance in Malaysia and Mr. Kamarul Osman, an expert in Islamic Finance. The meeting included a brief anal-ysis of the 2012 Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro

Amin, 19, competed against con-testants from Arab-speaking countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Morocco, among others. One hundred sixty-four (164) contestants from 54 countries competed in the said event. Although he came home without a win, he said he felt privileged and honoured to have represented the country consider-ing the Philippines is a non-Arabic speaking and a non-Muslim country.

Dean Julkipli Wadi said that the institute was happy to take part in giving opportunities and inter-national exposure to excellent stu-dents from the Muslim south.▼

Meetings on Islamic Finance:

The Philippine Initiative

Islamic Finance is a common no-menclature among Asian coun-tries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Sin-gapore, and Pakistan. Lately, a number of major agencies in the Philippines, showed considerable interest on it. They are spearhead-ed by the PSE under the leader-ship of Mr. Hans Sicat. In fact,

news/events

4 SAHIYFAH

to come together and ponder upon the significance of dia-logue as an important tool to bind and unite people togeth-er. Ms. Marites G. Africa, Execu-tive Director of Peacemaker Circle, also talked about “shared values” and remind-ed the listeners on how to cre-ate harmony amongst all cre-ation regardless of religious affiliation by focusing on commonalities and respect for each other’s differences re-ferred to as ‘lita’arafu’ in the Qur’an (S.49:13) that means to know and respect each other’s differences. She also ex-plained the importance of loving each other and cited the biblical injunction of love which says: “He who does not know how to love does not know God for God is love.” She ended her lecture by show-ing a picture of an imam, priest, monk and others in a group hug and asking the au-dience hopefully to join them in the near future.

Feb 5 at UST

Another forum was held at the University of Santo To-mas entitled Forum on Har-mony with Creation, an In-terfaith Perspective that aimed to highlight the moral climate of various religious traditions in addressing pressing issues and concerns about the environment. It advanced the belief that World Harmony requires unity of all religions to work together in healing the earth. More than 100 participants from different colleges and universities but comprising mostly students from UST, gathered at the UST Center for Peace Studies and Inter-faith Dialogue. The event was organized by the Uni-Harmony Partners Manila, under the initiative of Reli-gions for Peace Philippines and Silisilah Dialogue Movement. Venerable Mio Jing, Obis of Fuang Shaw Mabuhay Tem-ple in Manila and also the Dean of the FLG Manila Buddhist College, delivered the first lecture. Her talk en-titled “Mother Earth” re-minded the audience that

Feb 4 at Miriam College

The IIS together with the Miriam College Center for Peace Educa-tion, Peacemakers Circle Founda-tion spearheaded the fourth day celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week 2013 at Miriam College, Quezon City. More than 200 hundred faculty members and students from dif-ferent colleges and universities attended the forum. The forum sought to increase awareness of teachers, educators and the pub-lic about the World Interfaith Harmony Week and increase people’s appreciation for the shared values common amongst the different faiths. Prof. Morados, UP IIS College Secretary delivered the first lec-ture in the forum. Her talk fo-cused on some principles found in the Qur’an and Prophetic Tra-ditions that can also be found in the Holy Bible like the principles of love, justice, equality and so on. She affirmed that “these common universal values can be found in our daily lives as an in-dividual, member of a family, or society at large.” She asked the invited audience to act upon the-se principles as these are embed-ded in their holy scriptures and

news/events

july 2012—december 2012; january 2013—june 2013 5

both the Earth and Human Be-ings share common denomina-tors such as the four funda-mental elements: earth, fire, air, and water. She said that these are the elements that we cannot deny, the elements that reminds us of our connection to the Earth. Prof. Morados talked about “Harmony with Creation” from the Islamic perspective. She laid down the Qur’anic and Prophetic Traditions on environmental concerns through the concepts of Ibadah

and mu’amalah, the former refers to worshiping God and the latter on the ‘dealings among men’ to in-clude environment and other crea-tures. “In fact” she said, “one of the core principles of Maqasid al-Shari’ah is to protect other crea-tures and environment. At the end, she emphatically asserted that Is-lam is not only a religion of faith but also a religion of action. The last speaker, Rev. Fr. Pablo Tiong OP , Director for Justice, Peace and Care for Creation Com-mission of the Philippines Domini-can Province of the Philippines,

maintained that Christianity does not only focus on spir-itual aspects of life but also deals with socio-environmental issues. He mentioned that in Jan, 17 2001 Pope John Paul II made a proclamation that the Chris-tians should not focus only on physical ecology as what is at stake is also human ecology.” Questions about the continu-ing environmental destruc-tions and the reasons for the-se situations were raised dur-ing the open forum. The speakers all agreed that the calamities happening in our environment are the end results of our negligence to realize the importance of en-vironmental protection and our failure to act accordingly. The program was closed by Rev. Fr. Felimon Dela Cruz, Jr. OP, Vice Rector for Reli-gious Affairs of UST.▲

IIS Employees took Web Development Class

Last January 13, 2013 select-ed IIS employees finished their training on basic web development conducted at the UP Information Technol-ogy Training Center. The training was held on Sun-days December 2, 9, 16, 2012 and January 6, 13, 2013 at the

Vidal Tan Hall Building, Universi-ty of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. Lunch, snacks and training materials were also pro-vided for the trainees. IIS employees who have been giv-en the opportunity to attend the

training were Mary Cabacungan,

Leila Halud, Najeeb Rasul Sali, Russel Nassir, and Kam-aruddin Bin Alawi Moham-mad. With said training, IIS web-site is expected to have a fresh look - upgraded and always up-to-date. ▲

visitors

6 SAHIYFAH

the Americans, the establish-ment of the Philippine Republic and the inclusion of the Muslim in the Republic. He also dis-cussed the Moro resistance movement and the peace nego-tiation with the MNLF and the MILF.

After the brief introduction, sharing among the participants took place. Among them were the following:

Daniel who is from Italy shared his encounter with a Filipino which led him to realize how different European and Asian cultures are and that he does not have to change his culture to be able to get along with the others. “I do not have to change myself but I have to open a new way to understand others. This is my way to build a dialogue,” he said adding that “it is not necessary to go deeper or focus on our mistakes but instead see

others with different eyes.” Dan-iel said among his purposes of being here and living with other youth in Tagaytay is not only to focus in understanding his own religion but also to understand other people’s faith saying, “I want to understand how we live our daily lives.”

Soren, 18, a Lutheran from Ger-many, shared that there are a good number of Muslim mi-grants in his country, most of whom are from Turkey and the Middle East. He had a personal exchange with some IIS students over coffee break. IIS students said he was the first Lutheran they have met.

Jomar from Davao del Sur dis-closed that the dialogue with Dean Wadi was among the most intimate discussions he has had as a student of Theology. During the interaction, he pointed to the peaceful co-existence in the com-munity where he came from, but there was no unity. Jomar asked for Dean Wadi’s help to initiate a dialogue amongst his Muslim and non-Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao. “I want the people to understand how to move forward and live together” in peace and in unity, he con-cluded.

Richard, A Filipino student said, “It is very important to engage in inter-faith dialogue because we will be leaders in the future.

Close to fifty (50) foreign stu-

dents visited the IIS for an in-ter-faith exchange last October 2012. The students came all the way from Ecuador, Germa-ny, Switzerland, Italy, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand as well as the Philippines. The Focolare Movement, based in Tagaytay City hosted them.

Most of the visiting students were studying Religion and Philosophy while the others were studying to become priests. Some of them were here for six months to know the multi-cultural and multi-religious Philippine society.

Dean Wadi provided a brief historical background on Islam and its arrival in the Philip-pines. He talked on the rela-tionship of the Spaniards and the Muslims, and the 300 years of Moro wars, the coming of

visitors

july 2012—december 2012; january 2013—june 2013 7

Interfaith dialogue is important and relevant in our lives to-day.”

Sharing the same sentiment, Roberto Mussi, head of Foco-lare delegates said, “Our first struggle is to be close to one another and to never give up.”

Dean Wadi in his concluding remarks said: “We have to ex-plore more on our commonali-ties than that polarizes us.”▼

Visitors from Brunei

Darussalam

Two Bruneian professors from the Sultan Sharif 'Ali Islamic University visited IIS last No-vember 8, 2012. They were Dr. Abdurrahman Raden Aji Haqqi - Deputy Dean, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Shari'ah and Law; and Dr. Azme Bin Haji Matali - Faculty of Shari'ah and Law. They showed interest with the Majul collection on Muslims in the Philippines and bought books at the IIS and the UP Press. They also wanted to visit

other institutions serving Mus-lims in the Philippines such as the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.▼(KBAM)

UP CFA Students Visit

IS Library

On December 5 and 6 2012, UP College of Fine Arts Professor Lisa Tapang brought her stu-dents to visit the collection of Islamic Calligraphy and Arts at the IIS Library. The students, numbering almost 40 request-ed for a short lecture on basic calligraphy.

Russel Naser, a graduate of MA Islamic Studies and the Institute’s Education Research Assistant granted their request. “This is the opportunity to

show them the beauty of Islamic Arts,” he said. The short lecture was much ap-preciated by the students as much as they enjoyed the native re-freshment served.▲(NRS)

Visitors from the

Indonesian Academe

A group of Indonesian academics

visited IIS last December 19, 2012.

They were composed of Dr. H.

Mastuki as head of the delega-

tion, Dr. Azhar Arsyad and Mr.

Irwanuddin Abbas from Alaud-

din State Islamic University, Dr.

Jaenal Abidin from Syarif Hi-

dayatullah Jakarta State Islamic

University, and Mr. Mohammed

Saleem, an Educational Organiza-

tion Registration Officer from the

National Skills Development Pro-

gram.

The visit was made since one of

the delegates met Dean Wadi in

one of the conferences they both

attended.(KBAM)▼

"Be like the sun for grace and mercy.

Be like the night to cover others' faults.

Be like running water for

generosity.

Be like death for rage and anger.

Be like the earth for modesty.

Appear as you are.

Be as you appear."

-Rumi

“We can only learn

and advance with contradictions.

The faithful inside should

meet the doubtful.

The doubtful should meet the faithful.

Human slowly advances

and becomes mature when

he accepts his contradictions.”

-Shams Tabrizi

"You were born with potential

You were born with goodness and trust

You were born with ideals and dreams

You were born with greatness

You were born with wings

You are not meant for crawling, so don't

You have wings

Learn to use them and fly!"

-Rumi

News / events

8 SAHIYFAH

Nur-ain L. Sahibil Chairperson Liberal Arts & Criminology Department Notre Dame of Jolo College Jolo, Sulu

Abdelnazer A. Tagayan Chairman Islamic Studies Department Sulu State College Jolo, Sulu

Datuan Magon Deputy Secretary General for Administration United Youth for Peace and Development, Inc. Cotabato City September 16, 2012 to present

the audience, which were mostly composed of

leaders and members of labor groups from

different parts of the country.▼(KBAM)

Interfaith Breakfast with Cardinal Tagle

On December 5, 2012, Dean Wadi attended an interfaith community breakfast with the new-ly-appointed Cardinal, His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Tagle, held in Arzobispado Build-ing, Intramuros, Manila. Present during the occasion were people from different faiths like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikh-ism, Judaism, and the different Christian de-nominations such as the Catholics and the Protestants. Christian organizations like The Focolare, The Cosmopolitan, and The Silsilah from Zamboanga City. Also present were rep-resentatives from different Muslim organiza-tions such as the Salaam Police, Iranian Embas-sy, and the Turkish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.▼(KBAM)

Bangsamoro Framework Agreement and the Labor Groups

Recently, Bangsamoro Framework Agreement has been the talk of the town. Concerned Filipinos both Muslims and non-Muslims wanted a clear picture on this particular issue. So that many gath-erings that cater to such issue were held. One such gathering was the public session of the 32nd Alli-ance of Progressive Labor Council of Leaders' Conference entitled "Bangsamoro Framework Agreement: The Path to Lasting Peace?" held last November 8, 2012 at the SDC Conference Hall, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. Alli-ance of Progressive Labor (APL) organized said gathering in coordination with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO).

Dean Julkipli Wadi presented a paper entitled

"The Bangsamoro Struggle for Self-Rule and the

Framework Agreement: Prospects and Challenges

Ahead." During the forum, Datu Antonio Kinoc,

member of the MILF Peace Panel, dialogued with

Alkabir Pandi Accepted into Chaplaincy with the rank of Police Sen-ior Inspector Chaplain Service, Philippine National Police January 16, 2013 to present

Armi Evangel N. Peña Assistant Professor College of Liberal Arts, History De La Salle University, Manila June 2011 to present

Alnasser L. Kasim Executive Secretary Turkish Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines January 2, 2013 to present

Faculty/staff updates

July may – december 2011; january—june 2013 9

New Faculty Members and Staff

Mr. Mohammad joined the IIS Staff as University Researcher on July 2012. He used to work as research assistant both on foreign and local projects. He also worked at the Center for Moderate Muslims under the late Comm. Taha Basman of UNESCO. He has an MA in Islamic Studies graduated in

Esmael Ebrahim Serving as one of the commis-sioners at the National Com-mission for Muslim Filipinos, Ebrahim now also teaches Is-lamic Finance at the UP IIS. He obtained his Islamic Eco-nomics degree at the Interna-tional Islamic University, Is-lamabad, Pakistan. Ebrahim was previously a Technical Consultant at the Ministry of Hajj and Reli-gious Affairs in Kabul, Af-ghanistan, Shari’ah Advisor of Al-Amanah Islamic Invest-ment Bank of the Philippines, and Area Manager for ARMM of the United States Agency for International De-velopment (USAID).

Aisha Flores Ms. Analiza Flores finished her undergraduate degree at the Philippine Normal University (PNU) and her graduate degree at the UP Institute of Islamic Studies (IIS). She is now teaching Materials and Methods in Islamic Studies (IS199). Ms. Flores has ten years of teach-ing experience in various colleges and universities in Metro Manila. She is also highly active in exten-sion work whose beneficiaries are Moro women. Her latest ex-tension project is dubbed as the “Building Bridges of Justice and Harmony for Muslim Women in Jail and in Depressed Communi-ties in North Caloocan City.” It is funded by the Australian AID under the AusAID-Philippine-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP).

Ikram Tawasil Mr. Ikram Tawasil obtained most of his technical trainings in Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad and Asian Institute of Mana-gament. He was formerly the Assistant Vice President and concurrent Acting Senior Vice President for Operations and Treasury at the Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines. Tawasil has authored several banking-related papers which include Islamic Banking: A De-velopment Imperative, Basic Prin-ciples of Islamic Banking and Fi-nance and Structural Mecha-nisms to implement Islamic Banking, Introduction to Islamic Banking Operations, Basic Phi-losophy and Principles of Islamic Banking, and Imperatives of Is-lamic Banking.

April 2011. His thesis is entitled, “Salaah – A Tool for Personality Transformation: An Analysis on Selected Cases of Muslim in Zamboanga City.” His first jour-nal article entitled “Imam al-Ghazzali: Revitalizing Islamic Though in the Light of Ta-sawwuf” is published by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic

of Iran in 2008. The journal is called “Collection of Speeches and Lectures Delivered on Hu-manism and Theocentrism in Islamic and Western Thought.” He speaks Filipino, English, Tausog, Bisaya and Chavaca-no.▼

Kamaruddin Bin Alawi Mohammad

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10 SAHIYFAH

bah situation which she consid-ers as unfortunate since the cur-rent peace process is going quite well and about to complete the annexes that will form part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Abraham Idjirani, Spokesper-son of the Sultanate of Sulu, remarked on three areas: First-ly, should the Philippine Re-public fail to recover North Borneo after exhausting all peaceful means, the transfer document shall become null and void and the Sultan of Su-lu shall be free to assert its sov-ereignty over North Borneo. Secondly, the sultanate pro-posed to create a Sabah Refu-gee Desk, a permanent institu-tion to address the problem of deportation which has been happening since 1982. Thirdly, and most importantly, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III wants to end the issue peacefully but with martabat (dignity).

During the discussions, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona raised the issue of Hu-man Rights Violation happening in Sabah pointing to the “reckless and inhumane man-ner” of deportation procedures. He also suggested a revisit and restudy of the issues in order to formulate a good strategy. He

Alfredo Pascual as read by Vice President Prospero De Vera, which said in part: “As leaders and experts, our task is to provide context and rea-son when the temptation to violence is at its greatest. It is our duty to continue this great tradition of engage-ment.” First speaker Rep. Tupay Loong of Sulu showed con-cern on three issues: the con-dition of deportees mostly coming from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan who had left their jobs and livelihood including loved ones in Sa-bah; the effect of this inci-dent on the Malaysia-Philippine relation that may affect the “long history of barter trade and commercial relations with Sabah, the life-blood of many of our people in Southern Philippines”; and the killing of Muslims on both sides. He ended his remarks by saying, “they should settle their differ-ences with dignity, honor, compassion, understanding, fairness and justice for all.”

GPH Panel Head for GPH-MILF Peace Negotiations Prof. Miriam Colonel-Ferrer (represented by Hon. Yasmin Busran Lao) acknowledged the problem posed by the Sa-

ended by saying: “As Filipinos, as Muslims, as one nation, let us pursue the Sabah claim peacefully if we can, but fight if we must!”

Former UP College of Law Dean Merlin Magallona in-formed the forum that there was a legal battle for the Sa-bah claim pursued by the Phil-ippines and presented before the International Court of Jus-tice in 2001.

He further said , “this Sabah issue should be a turning point by which the Philip-pines can make a very clear affirmation as to its sovereign claim to Sabah. The claim is very clear.”

Atty. Leonard De Vera of VACC, on the other hand, proposed that the President meet Sultan Jamalul Kiram III because this is what the Sul-tanate was asking for adding that “They wrote the Presi-dent several letters, three let-ters that got lost in the bu-reaucratic maze. It only shows how little importance they gave to the sultanate.”

As a conclusion to the forum, Prof. Bobby Tuazon of CENPEG, provided the syn-thesis of the forum (see page 18 for the synthesis).▲

Sabah Issue, from page 1

news

july 2012—december 2012; january 2013—july 2013 11

volvement of groups in all levels of dialogue.

Professor Macrina Morado’s pa-per on “Exploring Ethical Milieu for Islamic Research Using the Prin-ciples of Maqasid Al-Shari’ah,” de-fined an Islamic Research as one that uses the primary sources of the Qur’an and Sunnah in the pursuit of the goals of Shariah, namely: life, intellect, faith, line-age/progeny and property.

Dr. Carmen Abubakar talked about the historical marginaliza-tion of women in her paper enti-tled “The Missing Link: Women in Local Historical Narratives.” She recommends the use of Oral His-tory, Ethnography, Creative Fo-cused Group Discussions, and Statistics as methodologies that can help address the problem of marginalization and thereby pro-duce a more holistic historical narratives that includes all sec-tors of the population.

Dr. Filemon Romero’s paper enti-tled, “A Case Study on the Applica-tion Fatwa on Environmental Man-agement in Coastal Resource Man-agement in Some Municipalities of Tawi-Tawi,” discussed the differ-ent fatwas (Islamic ruling) issued by the Local Government of Tawi-Tawi to protect the environment of the area which is one of the richest but still largely unex-plored biological regions of the world. In this connection, Dr. Romero, mentioned the discov-ery of a new specie in the form of

a 3.5” long squid worm found only in the waters of South Ubi-an and Tandubas. It was named Teuthidodrilus Samae in honor of the area and the people.

“Adopting Multi-Media Instruction System in Teaching Islamic Studies,” was discussed by Professor Ca- limba of MSU-GenSan who played a video clip produced by

Isabela.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Car-men Abubakar, former IIS Dean and RAIS President said that 5th RTD attempts to explore ap-proaches, methodologies and actual research conducted by the different units to determine the research gaps that need to be ad-dressed. The RTD was expected to stimulate and encourage re-search among the units.

This idea was reiterated by the BSC President Dr. Nasser Salain, Al Haj, in his Keynote Address when he informed the body that research output is now one of the criteria in the budgetary allot-ment of state universities. There-fore , having an RTD on Islamic Research was indeed a timely endeavor.

Among the papers presented were the following:

Prof. Alzad Sattar, Undersecre-tary at the Bureau of Madrasa Education, in his paper entitled, “The Contributions of Interfaith Organizations to Coexistence and their Possible Role in the Peace Pro-cess between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao, Philip-pines,” highlighted the continu-ing difficulties present in inter-faith dialogue but in spite of this, he said, interfaith dialogue has a “positive impact on the people.” Thus, he recommends the in-

RTD IN BASILAN / PAGE 19

RTD in Basilan, from page 1 Lecture-Forum on the Culture of Ashura

Lecture-forum on Culture of Ashura was held last Decem-ber 4, 2012 at the Bulwagang Salam, UP Diliman sponsored by the Iranian Embassy, Imamate Islamic Center and the IIS. Iran ambassador, Ali Asghar Mohammadi delivered the keynote address followed by five lecturers from different organizations, namely Dean Julkipli Wadi, Hon. Matanog Mapandi - Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy, Dr. Potre Dirampatan-Diampuan - Regional Director of United Religions Initiative, Ms. Zainab Javier from the Muslim Women's Center for Change, and Prof. Mahmood Tajar form Al-Mustafa Interna-tional College. A film on the story behind the culture of Ashura in Shi'a ver-sion was also shown. After the program, heavy meal was served for all.▲

12 SAHIYFAH

SAHIYFAH SPECIAL EDITION

Message to the Graduates

Bismillahirrahmannirraheem.

At the outset, we would like to congratulate our graduates and extend our commendation to our honor students on this memorable day.

To our graduates: today is your day. It is a presentation of a new feather in your cap. It is a fitting recognition of your new role as holders of Master’s Degree in Is-lamic Studies.

The degree in Islamic Studies is like any degree gener-ally offered in many universities both in the Muslim world and in the West. It is treated as a discipline or as a field of specialization where specialists and experts are both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars.

The main difference, however, is the added premium or responsibility into which our new scholars have to face and to play their role: their continuing task to un-derstand and to explain the stride of Islam today and the critical factors and forces that shaped Muslim socie-ty and the rest of the Muslim world as the ummah inter-acts creatively and engage harmoniously with others.

To our graduates: your time is, indeed, an interesting time. There has never been a stage of history where understanding and articulating Islam is not only oblig-atory; it has become very challenging and promising as well.

The Qur’an has a sublime reminder: “Soon will We show them our signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes mani-fest to them that this is the Truth… (41: 53).”

To our graduates: While your university life may end, your task in seeking knowledge continues. Your role in reading the wonders of creation and in deciphering Truth and its shades should remain even more intense, while selflessly sharing them to others in charting a better world.▲

Introducing Our Guest Speaker:

HIS EXCELLENCY WALEED AHMAD AL-

KANDARI

His Excellency Waleed Ahmad Al-Kandari is the Ambassador Extraordi-

nary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Ku-wait of the Republic of the Philippines. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in International Rela-tions. He shows an exemplary record of For-eign Service for his country since 1984 as-signed across Europe, Central Asia and South America. As a diplomat, he has participated in numerous international forums, confer-ences, seminars and diplomatic meetings held both in Kuwait and abroad .

The Ordem de Gran Cruz de Rio Branco (Order of the Grand Cross of the Rio Branco) was awarded to the Ambassador from the Brazilian government. Ambassador Al-Kandari speaks Arabic, English and a bit of Portuguese and Spanish.▼

ABSARI, DARWIN JALILUL Thesis Title: Pagtuhan: Tausug Gnosis and Living Tradition Abstract: Pagtuhan is defined as ‘pangila ha Tuhan’ recognition of God which requires knowledge and witnessing of the object of knowledge. It is practiced, transmitted, and kept intact by Taosug Mystics known as Mukali’ (literally, diggers). This paper is an

July 2012—december 2012; January 2013—june 2013 13

SAHIYFAH SPECIAL EDITION

Abstract: This study examined the role of the Asatidh in Madrasah Education, and the methods and strat-egies they employ to teach Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE). It also identi-fied the support the Asatidh get to enhance their teaching methods.

Conducted in ten (10) public elementary schools, the study showed that 96.66 percent of the re-spondents unanimously agreed that the Asatidh are the most important instruments to reduce illiteracy Mindanao wide, and, in particular, Zamboanga City. Majority of the Asatidh be-lieve that the integration of Madrasah Education will eventually resolve misunderstanding and conflict between and among groups of different cultural practices.▼

MACARIMBANG, ACMAD TOQUERO Thesis Title: Music in the Eyes of Muslims: Acceptance and Rejection of Music in Muslim Community

Abstract: This study examines the acceptability and non-

acceptability of music in the eyes of Muslims,

and defines the attitudes of today’s Muslim soci-

ety towards music. The study focuses on genres

of music, how music are accepted and rejected

by the clerics, and how these decisions and infor-

mation are perceived by Muslims. Such deci-

sions and information depend on various inter-

pretations of the Qur’an and the Sunnah by cler-

ics of different Islamic thoughts.▲

exposition of the philosophy, teachings, and meth-ods of Pagtuhan, from an exploration of its influ-ences since the 5th century, until the introduction of Islam to the communities of the Sulu archipela-go and Mindanao in the 13th century and onwards to the spiritual tradition as practiced today. In this thesis, Pagtuhan is identified as the essence of Taosug culture and society, the source of their knowledge, the reason for their bravery, and their hope for the future. ▲

DELMION, YUSUPER KALIH Thesis Title: Forging Peace through Community-based Shura: The Case of Selected Tribes in Muslim Compound, Tandang Sora, Quezon City

Abstract: This study reveals that while elders adopted mod-ern techniques in conflict resolution, the process of Shurah as a mechanism for consensus is still being utilized. Elders forged peace among the conflicting parties using the community-based shurah, which involves community level of consensus limited to settling communal disputes. The communal dis-putes in this study refer to marital problems such as divorce cases, simple collection of debt, rental collection, damaged to property and other minor disputes.▼

JALAD, PERRY MAHA Thesis Title: The Role of the Trained Asatidz in the Integration of Madrasah Education under DepEd Curriculum in Zamboanga City

RAIS CALL FOR PAPERS

What: 6th Round Table Discussion on Islamic Economics When: 26—29 November 2013 Where: Mindanao State University, Tawi-Tawi,, Philippines Submission of Abstract: 30 June 2013 For Inquiries, call 929.8286 or email uprais2011@gmail.com

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14 SAHIYFAH

nao.” (There is a place called Semporna in Sabah, Malaysia. The appropriation of this place name may have some-thing to do with the Sama-Bajau igal, the dance vocabu-lary employed by the chore-ographer. The real Semporna is known as a predominantly Sama-Bajau community in East Malaysia). As the play unfolds, the greatest challenge of the cast was to transport the audience to an imaginary place where the people cared so much for their cultural traditions; where maidens are bound to respect the will of their par-ents in choosing future hus-bands; where the fight of one family member is the fight of the entire family; and, where the word of the Sultan is obeyed without question. This is the (re)constructed cultural milieu of Sintang Da-lisay, a world where the de-cidedly Christian Romeo and Juliet gives way to the decid-edly Muslim Rashiddin and Jamila. As a student of Philippine Studies (and Islamic Studies), I do not see any problems in contextualizing the play in an

imaginary community that con-tains some visible Islamic refer-ences. I subscribe to the idea of prominent Muslim scholar Ce-sar Adib Majul who explained that when Islam came to the Philippines, it did not enter a cultural vacuum. The natives already have their own belief systems and traditions. As such, Majul came up with his concept of folk Islam in order to describe the amalgamation of indigenous and Islamic practic-es. Majul’s conceptual framework of folk Islam came to my mind when I heard the mention of the word Bismillah in the open-ing lines of the play. The word Bismillah is very sacred to Mus-lims. Literally, it means “in the name of Allah.” The entire Chapters of the Holy Quran starts with Bismillah (except Su-rah Tawbah), and Muslims ide-ally commence any actions by uttering Bismillah silently or loudly to invoke the blessings of Allah. When the character of the imam uttered the word Bis-millah it was a signal for me to see how far Islamic is incorpo-rated in the play. Academically however, we cannot do away with some issues concerning religious or cultural sensitivity.

Sintang Dalisay is a Filipino ad-

aptation of William Shake-speare’s Romeo and Juliet us-ing an awit version written by G.D. Roke in 1901 and text from a translation by the late National Artist Rolando Tinio. The Tanghalang Ateneo (TA) production is directed by Dr. Ricardo G. Abad and choreo-graphed by Dr. MCM Santama-ria. The production design is the last complete work of the late National Artist Salvador F. Bernal. The production presents a new dimension in portraying the classical play about the most popular tragic-love story of Ro-meo and Juliet through the in-fusion of some local and ethnic elements in its general design. This version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shows Filipi-no creativity at its best as well as potential of Philippine pro-ductions to be at par with those created by international outfits. The members of the audience are truly mesmerized as they witnessed the reinvention of the Christian context of Romeo and Juliet into one that is some-what Islamic. From Verona, the setting is transferred to Semporna, “an imaginary Is-lamic community in Minda-

By Prof. Macrina A. Morados

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july 2012–december 2012; january 2013—june 2013 15

recited that ought to be consid-ered “cultural” (or acts of li-cense) as they do not reflect ac-tual Islamic doa or prayer. Furthermore, during the wed-ding ceremony, the touching of the bride’s forehead by the groom’s (Rashiddin’s) thumb is supposed to signal the culmina-tion of the wedding ceremony. Jamila, however in the same scene, also touched Rashiddin’s forehead. The touching of the groom’s forehead is not done in the actual Muslim wedding. In the play however, this act may be considered innovation or artistic license, so cute that it caused some Muslim ladies in the audience to giggle with ex-citement. The free mixing of males and females during the dancing and rituals are clearly cultural. Muslims in the Philippines are very accommodating unlike Muslims in some other coun-tries where strict segregation is observed. However, rigidity is in an increase among some Muslim Filipino religious schol-ars. An unfortunate incident happened in Cotabato City. An aleem (religious scholar) stopped the dancing and sing-ing of Maguindanao folk ex-pressions amidst the enjoyment of the people who were attend-ing a wedding ceremony in the

residence of a prominent fami-ly. I personally enjoyed the dance movements in the play. The choreographer must be com-mended for his ability in incor-porating some modern ele-ments into the Sama-Bajau igal tradition. This affirms that cul-ture constantly evolves and can meet the demand of changing times brought about by the forces of modernization and globalization. The traditional igal movements like the Tausug pangalay is reflective of the peo-ple’s lifestyle and the environ-ment in which they live. The graceful and slow movements are intended to reflect the slow pace of communal life away from the bustle of cities like Metro Manila. The arm move-ments mimic the movements of the waves that the peoples of the sea encounter in their daily lives. This is the case even more so with the Sama Dilaut (aka Bajau), as most of them used to live in houseboats. They are keen observers of na-ture and appreciate the move-ments of the leaves of the trees, believing that trees are in con-stant dhiker (remembrance of Allah) as mentioned in the holy Qur’an (Surah Al-Hajj 18). In a higher epistemological level, Is-lam stresses the continuing com-munion with nature and things

I should say that there is nothing wrong in the mention of the word Bismillah, howev-er there are some actions in the play that do not go very well with Islamic teachings. For instance, when the imam performed prostrations in prayer, Rashiddin jumped over his prostrated figure, thus distracting him. The character of the imam thereaf-ter stood up, leaving his pray-er... which should not be the case. It is considered unethi-cal to distract someone who is in a state of prayer. Also, the act of multiple prostrations and bowing, in my mind, was like seeing people performing spirit or sun worship. (I have discussed these points with the choreographer, and he has assured me that these ac-tions will be modified in the next run... such is the beauty of learning in the process of inter-cultural theatre). The presence of the role of the imam in the play affirms the importance of the religious leader in the community. The actor (Brian Matthew Sy) playing the role of the imam is most excellent in his portray-al. He is indeed very talent-ed. He delivered his piece confidently and spoke like a native Tausug speaker. There are some incantations that he

SINTANG DALISAY / PAGE 20

commentaries

16 SAHIYFAH

ditions and are familiar with pedagogical and epistemological tools developed a thousand years ago. It is therefore not sur-prising that under the intellectu-al leadership of this class of scholars the Ummah has gone from one low to another lower low.

One area of knowledge that has been deeply neglected by Mus-lims is the arena of social scienc-es. Except for the Islamization of Knowledge project and the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, both initiatives launched by American Muslims in early 1980s, there has been very little attempt by Muslims to indegenize social sciences. Social sciences, unlike Islamic sciences, which are essentially normative paradigms, have an empirical focus. Social sciences are more interested in under-standing and describing the world as it is rather than on postulating on how it ought to be. Without be-ing prejudicial about what is more important, we must realize that while medieval Islamic sci-ences do provide a view of how the world ought to be a thou-sand years ago they do not equip our jurist-scholars with the training and tools necessary

to understand the world as it is. Ulema’s discourses on how

the world ought to be become meaningless and therefore in-effective because they are not grounded in contemporary re-alities. Very simply, if you do not understand where you are, even if you know where you have to go, you will go no where.

Hence you need social sciences to understand where you are and put religious knowledge of where to go to effective use. To put it bluntly, without so-cial sciences, traditional Islamic sciences are useless.

The Role of Social Scientists

The most important function that social scientists can per-form is provide our leaders and the attentive public with

The basis for happiness in this world and the next is

Knowledge (Plato, Al Farabi and Al Ghaz-

ali)

The Importance of Social Sciences

There is no doubt in my mind that the diminishing Muslim vision of knowledge and the knowledgeable is singularly re-sponsible for the decline of crea-

tivity, dynamism, vitality and power of the Islamic civiliza-tion. Today, without doubt, the Muslim world lags behind all other civilizations in its produc-tion and consumption of knowledge. Today most Mus-lims think of knowledge as that limited to the familiarity with medieval Muslim understand-ing of law and jurisprudence. Scholars are only those who “memorize” Quran and the tra-

Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D. This article was published in the May 2004 issue of Islamic Horizon (USA). It was previously published by Islam 21(UK) and The Globalist.

commentaries

July 2012—december 2012; January 2013—june 2013 17

the success of their social scien-tists. The Muslim world, which often looks to “the Ulema” to ask all questions such as is it halal to eat gummy bears or if one can one marry two sisters simultane-ously, and is it ok to join the WTO and is democracy a good idea, remains strikingly underde-veloped. While the Ulema are “trained” to answer the first two questions, contemporary reality is outside their domain.

The success of non-Muslims and the failure of Muslims in worldly matters can be explained only through the knowledge deficit that plagues the Muslim commu-nity. The Quran once again is so clear on this issue:

Allah will raise up to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge. [Quran 58:11]

While I cannot comment on the faith of anyone, I can understand that Allah has raised the West and the Far East to great heights and honor purely because of their commitment to freedom of thought and knowledge. The best universities and the most produc-tive work in knowledge accumu-lation is taking place in the West and the Far East. Actually every-where except in the Muslim World.

Social scientists must not only be consulted but also encouraged to research, speak and write freely

on the most important and pressing issues such as exter-nal and internal security, ge-opolitics, globalization, inter-faith politics, economics, so-cial and public policy and short and long term plan-ning. Other issues that they can enrich are normative dis-cussions based on empirical experience of institutions and polities that are best suited for our times. Social sciences are now very diverse, very complex and very advanced. They deal with issues all across the board and their findings impact policy at all levels.

Islamic sciences that were developed – remember they were developed by human beings not revealed by God – were quite advanced for their time and help vitalize the Is-lamic world and make it a dominant and thriving civili-zation. However they have enjoyed little development in over a thousand years. In Is-lamic Madrassahs syllabi have not been revised in over 200 years! All good social sci-entists revise their curricu-lum every time they teach their courses. While Islamic sciences have languished, social sciences have ad-vanced. While the former re-mains a dead tradition the latter is alive and growing.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL… / PAGE 21

an empirical understanding of our existential conditions. With-out an accurate analysis of where we are effective remedial policies cannot be articulated. Social scientists provide the in depth analysis necessary for in-formed decision making.

The Quran in a beautiful pas-sage praises those who reflect on the empirical realities of our world contemplate the creation – in Surah Al Imran:

Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day - there are indeed signs for men of understanding; Men who re-member Allah, standing, sit-ting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth. [Quran 3:190-191]

The Quran also exhorts Muslims to undertake empirical study in Surah Al Ankabut.

Say: Travel through the earth and see how Allah originated creation. [Quran 29:20]

Some countries such as Japan, India and China have developed indegenized social scientists who use advanced analytical and research skills in the interest of their nations and provide the necessary information to make effective policy. The progress and growth and development of these nations are indicative of

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18 SAHIYFAH

management response beyond a manifest intent to save the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which is being facilitated by the Malaysian government. In the inter-agency consultation, the member of the GPH panel, who is also from OPAPP, tried to be tactful by listening to the dis-course, reactions, and recom-mendations – as she said she would primarily – but such im-perturbation given the delicate peace process was disquieting, too, in its failure to offer any enlightenment on the various questions addressed to the state. At least the representative from Congress, who also hails from Mindanao, was candid enough to caution that the secu-rity tension could threaten dip-lomatic and economic relations with Malaysia but, nonetheless, the territorial dispute needed a peaceful resolution using the machinery of international bod-ies. The whole fiasco, however, ex-poses the lack of not only any crisis management system in the Aquino administration – which incidentally also suffers from a bureaucratic maze (a let-ter addressed to the president from Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in 2010 was lost and never reached

the presidential office) – but also a solid foreign policy governance particularly with respect to the Philippines’ Sabah claim. For 27 years after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship – which pursued aggressively the sovereignty claim – the territorial claim had been practically dormant. The issue was never pursued, nay, was dropped altogether: the 1987 Constitution practically removed any further claim; it was placed in the “backburner,” says Fidel V. Ramos even if his own sister-senator filed a bill officially ter-minating the claim. Sources from the Department of Foreign Af-fairs (DFA) indicated that the claim had been closed or that there was no intention of pursu-ing the claim any further. Ac-cording to the Sultan, such acts prompted the sultanate to with-draw the “power of attorney” entrusted to the Philippine gov-ernment – probably indicating that the Sulu sultan would fol-low up the claim by himself. Whether the SRA insertion into Sabah was politically motivated – Malaysia is slated for a national election and so is the Philippines with its mid-term elections in May while the peace process is in the crucial stage of drafting the Bangsamoro law and form-ing a transition commission – it

by Prof. Bobby M. Tuazon

The reported skirmishes

between Malaysian security forc-es and members of the Sulu Roy-al Army (SRA) at Lahad Datu in the disputed territory of Sabah have opened a divisive issue in the Philippines. The inter-agency round-table discussion on Sabah (March 18, 2013) spotted an ap-parent dividing line between on the one hand the Philippine gov-ernment – caught unprepared on the hostilities that involved Fili-pino Muslims and obviously cautious against antagonizing Kuala Lumpur when pressed to openly declare its stance on the Sabah issue – and public opin-ion, on the other, calling for a reinstatement of the Philippine claim on the disputed territory.

Discernible in the consultation are voices concerned that the skirmishes – however small-scale or even asymmetrical as they are – were becoming critical and thus warrant a decisive move by the Philippine government to protect the human rights of Fili-pino workers and residents in Sabah and prevent the conflict from deteriorating into a war-crime scenario. Indeed, the government was caught not only flat-footed but also without any crisis-

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july 2012–december 2012; january 2013—june 2013 19

both cases, the crucial role of Ma-laysia in facilitating the peace talks can be affected and could derail the process altogether. But the credibility of Malaysia’s role is now being questioned, e.g., it has lost its moral ascendancy in facilitating the peace talks be-cause of rights violations alleged-ly perpetrated against Filipinos in Sabah in the wake of the fighting and for its hard-line stance on the Sabah issue, i.e., that it is a dead issue. The mishandling of the Sabah issue attests to a failure of the state in upholding a sovereignty claim which is said to have a strong historical and legal basis anyway. High time, therefore, for harnessing a multi-stakeholders approach as an important mecha-nism in pursuing a territorial claim of national import. This should welcome the assistance in policy strategizing offered by the UP president through the univer-sity’s policy think tanks and oth-er resources. There have been concerns raised about the short-age of policy strategizing in the national government particularly in foreign affairs which has been found to be devoid of a compre-hensive policy.▲

•The author is the

Director for Policy Studies of CENPEG (Center for People Empow-

erment in Governance )

has just the same become a na-tional interest issue. There were strong sentiments in the consulta-tion including those expressed by former high-level and regional officials as well as Mindanao CSO leaders that the call for revisiting or reviewing the claim has be-come moot and academic - con-sidering that legal and policy-level deliberations had been done in the past – and what is most an-ticipated now is an action plan in pursuit of the claim. A number of modalities were raised including reactivating the Philippine claim before the ICJ, mediation, or even a military approach. The legal ad-viser to the Sulu sultan said gov-ernment had nothing to lose if it invokes the 1963 Manila Accord – signed between the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia – which provided that the inclusion of Sa-bah (formerly North Borneo) in the Federation of Malaysia was without prejudice to the Philip-pine claim. It was also observed that the peace process should not be made as a reason for abandon-ing the Sabah claim. The complexity of the territorial claim is borne out of the difficul-ties in reconciling the need to move the peace process forward and coming out with a definitive state policy on the Sabah claim. Views diverged on whether to put the territorial claim in the agenda of the peace process – the proposed Bangsamoro sub-state does not mention Sabah – or should be taken up separately. In

his students to demonstrate the use of modern technology in facilitating learning and kept IS students abreast with the latest software technologies.

Prof. Abdulgafur Taha of the Bangsamoro Development Agency discussed the Frame-work Agreement on Bangsamo-ro during this Public Forum, a section of the RTD devoted to discussion of important and critical issues, an events taking place in Moro society. The fo-rum raised many questions from the floor regarding the content of the agreement.

The different papers generated a lively open forum. Questions and comments from the partici-pants were both appreciative and probing regarding the dif-ferent topics presented.

A Business Meeting among RAIS members was held in the evening and was presided by Dr. Abubakar. The body agreed to hold the 2013 RTD on the third week of October and fo-cus on the topic Islamic Eco-nomics. Dean Magsaysay Wer-ble of MSU Tawi-Tawi told RAIS that the chancellor was already committed to support the next RTD.

The RTD was capped by a tour of the BSC campus in Lamitan organized by BSC on the third day.▼

RTD in Basilan, from Page 11

20 SAHIYFAH

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surrounding us in order to see and witness the essence of God in them. In short, nature speaks the pres-ence and existence of God.

As I recognize igal as an alluring form of sensual dance, I must also state that its practice contain cul-tural norms and values that dictate what is allowed and what is not. This is evident in the “dance of the stars” (sayaw ng mga bituin) where young women displayed their grace and beauty in order to find their future partners, in the same manner that the young men showed their manliness and agility, in order to win their future wives. However, in reality, young women cannot always get what they want because parents can arrange their marriages. This practice is more cultural than Islamic. In marriage, Islam teaches that the consent of the bride to be must be freely given and must not be forced or coerced. In Sintang Dalisay, this cultural tra-dition of arranged marriage is highlighted when Jamila’s father agreed to marry her off to Datu Pi-andao. In real life, this is still hap-pening especially in some remote areas in the southern Philippines.

Another depiction portrayed in the play which is more cultural than Islamic is the use of a female char-acter as Lakambini, the ruler of the community. For me this is a good twist from the reality of place where men are increasingly domi-nant. In reality, the spaces of pow-

er for Muslim women are restrict-ed and mostly confined to spaces at home. The gesture of bowing before the Lakambini and taking her words with fear and respect should therefore be taken as al-lowable forms of artistic license that deviates from the actual posi-tion of women in typical Muslim communities.

One of the good values depicted in the play which, in my opinion, the youth of today ought to emu-late is the return to that “morally commendable” way of looking at relationships between lovers. The decision of Rashiddin and Jamila to be wedded, even without the consent of Jamila’s parents, is for me a strong statement against pre-marital sex. The value given by Jamila to puri or, in this case, vir-ginity is likewise commendable from a Muslim perspective. Los-ing virginity outside marriage is something that is discouraged (Zina) and frowned upon, and is tantamount to besmirching the reputation of the family. Hence, Muslim girls are taught to be modest and to guard their chasti-ty at all cost.

In terms of portraying intimacy, which is unavoidable in a love story, I must say that the love sce-ne rendered in igal form in Sin-tang Dalisay is delivered with so much grace. It is, beyond doubt, artistically crafted, and it re-mained in the sensual level leav-

ing the members of the audi-ence free to indulge in the creation of seduction in their minds. Going through the scene is like engaging in jour-ney of passions where the ones sensual nerves are locked in suspension, just at the edge of reality and illu-sion. The suggestive motions of the lovers’ arms and their body movements personify igal at the height of enchant-ment. It is to date the most decent and the most passion-ate, yet very professional, in-timate scene that I have ever witnessed onstage.

The most touching part of the play is the lovers’ death scene framed by the remorseful imam, Jamila’s parents, the Lakambini, and the members of the Kalimuddin and Mus-tafa clans. This part truly captured the hearts of the members of the audience... not for the reason of approv-ing of suicide but for the pa-thos of the lovers’ ultimate sacrifice. Here love and loy-alty transcend the value of material things in this world. Its portrayal successfully crossed cultural taboos, even the supposed paramount val-ue of submitting to parental desires. Sintang Dalisay, therefore, poignantly reminds the pre-

Sintang Dalisay, from Page 15

July 2012—december 2012; January 2013—june 2013 21

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Social sciences have also added Is-lamic studies to their realm and have developed a more nuanced, more sophisticated and even em-powering vision of Islam by cri-tiquing and building upon tradi-tional Islamic sciences. Today it is easy to find Muslim social and hu-manities scholars who are also trained in traditions methods, who now empowered by new episte-mologies and are doing wonderful research that if the Ummah were to embrace would resuscitate the community.

Today the knowledge to revive and develop the Islamic Ummah is available. It is time the community recognizes that the for centuries we have failed to become leaders of humanity and fulfill our mandate as Allah’s vicegerents on earth (Quran 2:30) is because we have surrendered our vision, our faith and our reason to deadwood. Power is a function of knowledge.

Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? [Quran 39:9]

The Ummah is powerless because those who they consider as knowl-edgeable have failed for over 500 years to provide us with an em-powering vision.

American Muslims now live in times where the basic objectives and even values of the community are questioned. It is time American

sent generation of Filipinos of the richness of classical litera-ture expressing universal themes and empowered through the use of local perfor-mance traditions. (Yes, Romeo and Juliet or Sintang Dalisay is quite similar to the story of Ab-dullah and Putri Isarah in the Tausug Parang Sabil Kissa. This narrative will however require another article to discuss fully).

If I were to rate Sintang Dalisay as a work of inter-cultural thea-tre, I will give it a 9. I withhold giving the extra point towards perfection so as to pose a chal-lenge to the people behind the production to search for even more cultural contexts that they may include in the next run which I look forward to with great anticipation. Let us focus on issues that can help us pro-mote our rich cultural heritage as a people regardless of ethnic affiliations. Let us conquer the world with our beautiful tradi-tions.▼

Prof. Macrina A. Morados

is the College Secretary of the UP Institute of Islamic Studies.

(This article was originally pub-lished on “Some Lessons in inter-cultural theatre” in Business Mir-ror, 11 December 2012; can be a c c e s s e d a t h t t p : / /businessmirror.com.ph.index)

The Role of Social...from page 17

Muslim social scientists stepped up to the plate and addressed some of these is-sues. The community needs new vision and new direc-tion. In academic journals and conferences Muslim social sci-entists have provided sophis-ticated analysis of our condi-tion and also enlightening pathways for a better and more secure future for all. It is now up to the community leaders to connect the output of these scholars with the di-rection of the community.

Scholars by nature are isola-tionists. They need seclusion to think, research and write. It is not fair to expect them to come forward, some do like yours truly, but the communi-ty must also seek them and seek their guidance.

The future belongs to those who have thought the deep-est about it. ▼

-oOo- •M. A. Muqtedar Khan is

Director of International Studies & Chair, Political Science Depart-

ment at Adrian College. He is a non-resident fellow at the Brook-ings Institution. He is the author of American Muslims: Bridging

Faith and Freedom (2002) and Jihad for Jerusalem: Identity and

Strategy in International Politics (2004). He writes and maintains

www.ijtihad.org.

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22 SAHIYFAH

Reference: www.scide.net/science communication/sciencepublishing. Southeastasiannation

These developments are con-sidered to be a big challenge in the academic world to step up and be strong in the global arena, in terms of research and program offerings accord-ing to global standards. In a nutshell, Philippine universi-ties and colleges should be willing to embrace the so-called a Cross-Border Educa-tion as it leads to that direc-tion. On the part of the college, we are still strengthening re-search, but this administration through the effort of the Di-rector for Research and other faculty members, we were able to present and published five (5) researches both na-tionally and internationally for the SY 2011-2012. While we are still far behind in terms of research output since our college is small at least we have started and continue to enjoin everyone to undertake more researches.

Again, thank you for being here with us and I hope you will enjoy the atmosphere of our college and the province of Basilan. Welcome!

Thank you and good day.▲

Selected lines from

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it. And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky, Whereunder crawling co-opt we live and die, Lift not thy hands to It for help - for It Rolls impotently on as Thou or I. With Earth's first Clay They did the Last Man's knead, And then of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed: Yea, the first Morning of Creation wrote What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read. I tell Thee this - When, starting from the Goal, Over the shoulders of the flaming Foal Of Heav'n Parwin and Mushtara they flung, In my predestin’d Plot of Dust and Soul. The Vine had struck a Fibre; which about If clings my Being - let the Sufi flout; Of my Base Metal may be filed a Key, That shall unlock the Door he howls without. And this I know: whether the one True Light, Kindle to Love, or Wrath consume me quite, One glimpse of It within the Tavern caught Better than in the Temple lost outright. Oh, Thou, who didst - with Pitfall and with Gin Beset the Road I was to wander in, Thou wilt not with Predestination round Enmesh me, and impute my Fall to Sin? Oh, Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make, And who with Eden didst devise the Snake; For all the Sin where with the Face of Man Is blacken'd, Man's Forgiveness give - and take!

Keynote Speech, from page 23

July 2012 —December 2012; January 2013—June 2013 23

state in meeting the needs created by growth and changing technologies.

Hence, Research and De-velopment are important in any institution. For this will not only augment our institutional budget but al-so expand our linkages with other funding institu-tions both locally and inter-nationally. More significantly research output publish in national and international publica-tions is a gauge or a crite-ria in ranking universities and colleges. According to Times Higher Education (THED) 2012, no Philippine university entered the top 400 worldwide universities because 30% of the criteria are research volume pre-sented or published and another 30% for research influence. In other words, Philippine universities and colleges do not have enough significant num-bers of researches with quality standards com-pared with other universi-ties world wide. However, in the Asian Uni-versity ranking 2012, Hongkong University Sci-

ence and Technology, Na-tional University of Singa-pore and Seoul National University are in the top 1, 2 and 4, respectively; nev-ertheless, University of the Philippines was in the top 68, Ateneo de Manila in top 86, De La Salle top 142, University of Sto. Tomas 148 and 251—300 was the University of Southeastern Philippines of Davao City. Thailand and Malaysia showed the greatest in-crease in publication rate skill Indonesia and the Philippines had less. Here is the list of Asian countries and their publica-tion status:

Singapore 45% paper pub-lished Thailand 21% paper pub-lished Malaysia 16% paper pub-lished Vietnam 6% paper pub-lished Indonesia 5% paper pub-lished Philippines 5% paper pub-lished Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Mayanmar together produced 2% paper pub-lished

Sahiyfah Newsletter

is a bi-annual publication of the

Research, Publication & Extension Division (RPED), Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines

Diliman

Dr. Carmen A. Abubakar Editor

Leila A. Halud News & Feature

Maria N. Cabacungan Layout

Prof. Macrina Morados Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D. Prof. Bobby Tuazon

Kamaruddin Mohammad Najeeb Sali Contributors

This issue is sponsored by H.E. MOHAMMAD BIN JOBAIR, Late President, Majlis as Shura,

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Tel. No. 981-8500 loc. 3584 Email: iis@up.edu.ph.

Website: http://upd.edu.ph/~iis/

KEYNOTE SPEECH / PAGE 22

Keynote Speech, from page 24

feature

24 SAHIYFAH

Our distinguished guests headed by Dr. Carmen A. Abubakar, President of the Research

Association for Islamic Social Sciences, Inc. (RAIS), Prof. Julkipli M. Wadi, Dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies, Hon. Alzad Sattar, Undersecretary, Bureau of Madaris Education, ARMM, Prof. Macrina A. Morados, Secretary of the Institute of Islamic Studies, Dr. Aboukhair Tarasun, Ust. Al Basher Ismael, Dean, IIS, Basilan State College, Prof. Filemon, Director, Coastal Resources manager Center, MSU-Tawi-Tawi, Prof. Talib A. Benito, Professor, KFCIAAS, MSU Marawi, Prof. Maulawi Calimba, Chair, Islamic Studies Dept., MSU Gen. Santos, Prof. Magsayssay Werble, Dean, College of Islamic and Arabic Studies, MSU Tawi-Tawi, faculty, staff and participants, Good Morning. Assalamu alaykum warah matulahi taala wa barakatu! Today, we have two separate important events: the Orientation of the Accreditation and RTD Is-lamic Research. The college is very grateful and overwhelmed for this opportunity to host this Round Table Discussion on Islamic Research. It is our pride and honor to be part and to provide assistance especially in areas of research with these three (3) organizations namely; the Institute of Islamic Studies, Research Association for Islamic Social Sciences, Inc. (RAIS) and the Bureau of Ma-daris Education of ARMM. Research is one of our mandates as an institution of higher learning. It is important to universities and colleges, because continuing, adequately-funded research program allows us to build and maintain high-quality researchers as well as our human resources, and it opens the path for the graduate students to work on and learn from research projects. Most importantly, research can boost the level of our college to fulfill our humble ambition to be one of the universities in the re-gion Insha-Allah. According to Creswell—”Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue.” It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question. It is also the result of advanc-ing knowledge created in the past. Designed to solve a particular problem, requires time, effort, and sometimes money to have the evidence you need to make a sound decision that’s why many avoid it. It is very vital to our everyday decision making. It arms us from wrong information and save time and money. It is important to our success as we take on life’s challenges and career deci-sions making. It is also important to the society because it assists the

Keynote Speech

Dr. Nasser A. Salain, Al-Hadj

President, Basilan State College

5th Round Table Discussion on Islamic Research

17 December 2012 , BSC Student Centre

KEYNOTE SPEECH / PAGE 23