SULU ARCHIPELAGO: THE ISLANDS OF PEARLS

SULU DINAR AND DIRHAM IS COMING

2012-01-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

A. THE SULTANIYAH SULU DARUL ISLAM

The country the currency

Sulu Archipelago was ruled by Raja Baginda through Raja system of government. It was 24th Jumadil Awal 808 Hijrah, equivalent to 17th November 1405, Sayyid Abu Bakar Ibni Sayyid Ali Zainal Abidin established Sultanate of Sulu to put Sulu different ethnicities under one banner of Islam that right now known as Tausug.

Upon enthronement as Sultan, he became known as Paduka Batara Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Sharif Al-Hashim Sayyid Abubakar. Sultanate of Sulu was the first institutionalized system of government that became part of Dar Al-Islam of the Islamic world supporting Khalifah Usmaniyah.

This unconquerable country ruled by amphibian warriors never fade their courage to face the Spanish invader until it was illegally annexed by United States of America upon granting the Philippine independence to the Filipino in the 4th July 1946. This was after 10 years of transition given to the Filipino in the commonwealth government started in 1935 amidst vehement protests by the Tausug.

The last Sulu Sultan was Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Kiram II that died in 1936, after his death never one of the descendants was recognized by the masses until 2009, now known as Tausug Citizens.

Tausug Citizens is lead by Datu Ladjamura Bin Datu Wasik Aranan - Bantilan from the lineage of Sultan Muhammad Muizzuddin Bantilan I. After the Tausug Citizens installed him as Sultan on 19 March 2009 at Banua Buansa, he became known as Paduka Batara Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Bantilan Muhammad Muizzuddin II.

17th November 17 2010 marked the 605th anniversary and declaration of reassertion of independence and sovereignty by the Tausug Citizens known as Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam or Sultaniyah Sulu Darul Islam from decades defending from the colonial strangulation and subjugation by the foreign invaders.

Having matured over the years, Sultaniyah Sulu Darul Islam is now ready to embark on the full building of her sovereignty as an independent country, free from the colonial stranglehold of the Republic of the Philippines.

The unification of Shaykh and the Sultan. Graphic: Yazir Rajim. Photo: Asree Sug

This embarkation period is taking the old tradition of currency usage known as pisita or kusing dublun and pilak; that is to use the dinar and dirham as the legal currency of the country as part of the world Dar Al-Islam.

Tausug called coins as pisita or kusing, dinar as dublun and dirham as pilak. Through these coins everyone is very much welcome; only those who don’t believe with the truth and justice are not welcome. This usage of the coins was reminded by the dinar and dirham warrior, Shaykh Prof. Dr. Umar Ibrahim Vadillo. The Sultaniyah Sulu Darul Islam coins will be in the market soon. Insha Allah.

B. DUBLUN (GOLD DINAR) AND PILAK (SILVER DIRHAM)

Introducing the Islamic Dinar & Dirham

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maryam reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: "A time is certainly coming over mankind in which there will be nothing [left] which will be of use save a dinar and a dirham." (The Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal)

1. History of the Dinar & Dirham

In the beginning the Muslims used gold and silver by weight and the dinar and dirhams that they used were made by the Persians.

The first dated coins that can be assigned to the Muslims are copies of silver dirhams of the Sassanian Yezdigird III, struck during the Khalifate of Uthman, radiy'allahu anhu. These coins differ from the original ones in that an Arabic inscription is found in the obverse margins, normally reading "in the Name of Allah". Since then the writing in Arabic of the Name of Allah and parts of Qur'an on the coins became a custom in all minting made by Muslims.

Under what was known as the coin standard of the Khalif Umar Ibn al-Khattab, the weight of 10 dirhams was equivalent to 7 dinars (mithqals).
In the year 75 (695 CE) the Khalifah Abdalmalik ordered Al-Hajjaj to mint the first dirhams, thus he established officially the standard of Umar Ibn al-Khattab. In the next year he ordered the dirhams to be minted in all the regions of the Dar al-Islam. He ordered that the coins be stamped with the sentence: "Allah is Unique, Allah is Eternal". He ordered the removal of human figures and animals from the coins and that they be replaced with letters.

This command was then carried on throughout all the history of Islam. The dinar and the dirham were both round, and the writing was stamped in concentric circles. Typically on one side it was written the "tahlil" and the "tahmid", that is, "la ilaha ill'Allah" and "alhamdulillah"; and on the other side was written the name of the Amir and the date. Later on it became common to introduce the blessings on the Prophet, salla'llahu alayhi wa sallam, and sometimes, ayats of the Qur'an.

Sample new designs. courtesy of Shaykh Umar Vadillo

Gold and silver coins remained official currency until the fall of the Khalifate. Since then, dozens of different paper currencies were made in each of the new postcolonial national states created from the dismemberment of Dar al-Islam.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

“And amongst the People of the Book there are those who, if you were to entrust them with a treasure (qintar), he would return it to you. And amongst them is he who, if you were to entrust him with a dinar would not return it to you, unless you kept standing over him.” Qur'an (3: 75)

Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi, the greatest authority on Qur'anic Law wrote in his famous "Ahkam al-Qur'an" about this ayat:

"The benefit that can be taken from this is the prohibition of entrusting the People of the Book with goods".

Qadi Abu Bakr said: "The question concerning entrusting property is legislated by the text of Qur'an." This means that the ayat is a legal judgement of absolute validity and of the greatest importance to the deen.

Entrusting wealth to non-Muslims is not allowed, but furthermore, taking a non-Muslim as a partner outside Dar al-Islam (where we stand over them) is extremely restricted, because they might cheat or might use our wealth in forbidden transactions.

Since paper-money is a promise of payment, can it be permitted to trust the issuers while they hold the payment (our property) outside our jurisdiction? History has also demonstrated repeatedly that paper money has been a permanent instrument of default and cheating the Muslims. In addition, Islamic Law does not permit the use of a promise of payment as a medium of exchange.

2. What are the Dinar & Dirham?

According to Islamic Law...

The Islamic Dinar is a specific weight of 22k gold (917.) equivalent to 4.25 grams.

The Islamic Dirham is a specific weight of pure silver equivalent to 3.0 grams.

Umar Ibn al-Khattab established the known standard relationship between them based on their weights: “7 dinars must be equivalent to 10 dirhams.”

“The Revelation undertook to mention them and attached many judgements to them, for example zakat, marriage, and hudud, etc., therefore within the Revelation they have to have a reality and specific measure for assessment [of zakat, etc.] upon which its judgements may be based rather than on the non-shari’i [other coins].

Know that there is consensus [ijma] since the beginning of Islam and the age of the Companions and the Followers that the dirham of the shari'ah is that of which ten weigh seven mithqals [weight of the dinar] of gold. . . The weight of a mithqal of gold is seventy-two grains of barley, so that the dirham which is seven-tenths of it is fifty and two-fifths grains. All these measurements are firmly established by consensus." Ibn Khaldun, Al-Muqaddimah

How are the Islamic dinar used?

1. The Islamic Dinar can be used to save because they are wealth in themselves.
2. They are used to pay zakat and dowry as they are requisite within Islamic Law.
3. They are used to buy and sell since they are a legitimate medium of exchange.

3. Using the Dinar & Dirham

Gold and silver are the most stable currency the world has ever seen.

From the beginning of Islam until today, the value of the Islamic bimetallic currency has remained surprisingly stable in relation to basic consumable goods:

A chicken at the time of the Prophet, salla'llahu alaihi wa sallam, cost one dirham; today, 1,400 years later, a chicken costs approximately one dirham.

In 1,400 years inflation is zero.

Could we say the same about the dollar or any other paper currency in the last 25 years?

In the long term the bimetallic currency has proved to be the most stable currency the world has ever seen. It has survived, despite all the attempts by governments to transform it into a symbolic currency by imposing a nominal value different from its weight.

Reliability

Gold cannot be inflated by printing more of it; it cannot be devalued by government decree, and unlike paper currency it is an asset which does not depend upon anybody's promise to pay.

Portability and anonymity of gold are both important, but the most significant fact is that gold is an asset that is no-one else´s liability.

Sample Sulu coin design. Graphic by Asree Sug

All forms of paper assets: bonds, shares, and even bank deposits, are promises to repay money borrowed. Their value is dependent upon the investor's belief that the promise will be fulfilled. As junk bonds and the Mexican peso have illustrated, a questionable promise soon loses value.

Gold is not like this. A piece of gold is independent of the financial system, and its worth is underwritten by 5,000 years of human experience.

4. The Importance of Paying Zakat with Dinar & Dirham

"Islam is based on five: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, paying the Zakat, the Hajj and the fast of Ramadan."

Zakat cannot be paid with a promise of payment.

Zakat can only be paid with tangible merchandise, called in Arabic 'ain. It cannot be paid with a promise to pay or a debt, called in Arabic dayn.

From the beginning the zakat was paid with dinars and dirhams. Most significant is that the payment of zakat was never allowed in paper money during all the ottoman period right until the fall of the Khalifate.

Shaykh Muhammad Alish (1802-1881), the great Maliki Qadi, said that if you were to pay zakat with paper-money only its value as merchandise ('ayn), that is, its value as paper can be accepted. Therefore, its nominal value is irrelevant as payment of zakat.

"If the Zakat was obligatory by considering its substance as merchandise, then the nisab would not be stipulated according to its value but according to its substance and its quantity, as is the case with silver, gold, grain or fruits. Since its substance [paper] is irrelevant [in value] in respect to the Zakat, then it should be treated as the copper, iron or other similar substances."

Fatwa of Shaykh AlishPayment of Zakat is perfectly explained and regulated in the Islamic jurisprudence. For centuries when Islamic Law was enforced by a Caliph or an Amir, the Zakat was collected in gold and silver. When paper-money was being first introduced, during the last century by the colonial powers the traditional ulema rejected it as being opposed to Islamic Law.

According to them paper money was to be treated as fulus or lower category of currency with limited used, basically just as small change. It is, for example, not allowed to make a qirad with fulus. Among those ulema, stands out the famous scholar of magrebi ascendance, Shaykh Muhammad Alish (1802-1881) who was the Shaykh of the Shaykhs of Maliki fiqh in the University of Al-Azhar in Egypt. He wrote in his Fatwa.

"What is your judgement in respect to the paper with the stamp of the Sultan that circulates like the dinars and the dirhams? Is it obligatory to pay Zakat as if it was a coin of gold or silver, or merchandise, or not?"

I responded exactly in the following way:

"Praise belongs to Allah and blessing and peace upon our Master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah."

"Zakat is not to be paid for it, because Zakat is restricted to the flocks, certain type of grains and fruits, gold and silver, the value of rotational merchandise and the price of the goods withheld. What is referred previously does not belong to any of these categories."

You will find an explanation by comparison with the copper coin or fulus with the stamp of the Sultan which is in circulation and for which no Zakat is paid since it does not belong to any of the categories mentioned. It says in the "Mudawwana":

"Those who possessed fulus for over a year for a value of 200 dirhams does not need to pay Zakat unless are used as rotational merchandise. Then, it should be treated as if it was merchandise."

In the "At-Tiraz", after mentioning that Abu Hanifa and Ash-Shafi'i obliged to pay Zakat for the fulus, [is stated that] since both affirm that the payment of Zakat is from value, and considering that Shafi'i has two contradictory opinions about the subject, the opinion of the school is that there is no obligation to pay Zakat for the fulus since there is no discrepancies about the fact that what counts with respect to the fulus is not its weight or its quantity but only it’s given value.

If the Zakat was obligatory by considering its substance as merchandise, then the nisab would not be stipulated according to its value but according to its substance and its quantity, as is the case with silver, gold, grain or fruits. Since its substance [paper] is irrelevant [in value] in respect to the Zakat, then it should be treated as the copper, iron or other similar substances.

And Allah, ta'ala, is the Wisest. And may Allah bless and give peace to our Master Muhammad and his family. (Translated from the "Al-Fath Al-'Ali Al-Maliki" pp. 164-165).

This Fatwa considers paper-money to be fulus, because it only represents money and does not have value as merchandise. It follows that since Zakat cannot be paid in fulus, which has no value as merchandise, it cannot be paid in paper-money, which value as weight of paper is null. On this basis, it becomes clear the urgent need to restore the use of the Dinar and the Dirham as payment of Zakat.

If the millions of Muslims who now make their payment of Zakat in paper money would do it in newly minted Dinars and Dirhams, they will put in circulation millions of gold and silver coins into the mainstream of daily commercial activities of our communities.

That single act will became the most important political act of the century, opening the path towards the establishment our own halal free currency breaking away from the usurious financial system.

The return to the payment of zakat in gold and silver is an essential part of the reestablishment of Islam.

C. THE LEGAL SOURCES REGARDING GOLD DINARS & SILVER DIRHAM GOLD AND SILVER IN THE QUR'AN

The Quran points to the importance of Gold and silver in various ayats: ‘To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colours: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of the dunya.The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah’ Sura Al Imran, 14.

In other words our attachment to gold and silver is not something ephemeral and which will be supplanted by paper [money] – it is a part of our fitra, our natural make-up. To deny it is to deny this natural love for it. This appetite for it is tempered – and purified - of course by the payment of part of it in zakat. This purification can only take place if gold and silver are freely available in the form of gold dinars and silver dirhams.

Dinars and dirhams are explicitly sanctioned in the Qur’an by the following ayats: in sura al-Imran 74: ‘Among the People of the Book there are some who, if you entrust them with a pile of gold, will return it to you. But there are others among them who, if you entrust them with just a single dinar, will not return it to you, unless you stay standing over them.’ And in Sura Yusuf, 20: ‘They sold him for a pittance, a few dirhams, considering him to be of little worth.’

Gold and Silver in legal judgments

Dinars and dirhams form the basis of a great number of legal judgements in fiqh, from matters of marriage to commercial contracts. In other words, without these coins justice cannot be established in many aspects of Islamic law. Imam Malik, radi Allah anhu, for example said that ‘I do not consider that women should be married with less than a quarter of a dinar’ Muwatta, Bab an-Nikah.

Gold and Silver as currencies

Ibn Rushd makes it clear that money ensures fluidity in transactions, as a means of evaluation, but is not in itself a negotiable commodity: Ibn Rushd, Bidaya al-Mujtahid, K. al-Buyu’: ‘Since it is difficult to establish equivalence between things which are different in essence, dinars and dinars have been instituted as the means of attaching prices to them, or in other words of evaluating them.’

The importance of dirhams and dirham – as the preferred means of evaluation and payment is clear from all the works of law: Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawaani in his Risaala for example immediately begins the chapter on sales with a discussion of dinars and dirhams.

Gold and Silver in Zakat

Ibn Ashir says in al-Murshid al-Mu’een: ‘Zakat is a fard obligation on everything which has been laid down (in the shari’at): gold and silver, grains and fruit, and grazing livestock.’ It is well known that zakat on livestock and on agricultural produce is payed in kind but as Ibn Ashir in al-Murshid al-Mu’een notes: 'on goods for trade, and on a credit incurred (as capital) to buy and sell (on a daily basis), the amount due is the same as gold and silver '. In other words the goods one trades in are also evaluated in terms of gold and silver when assessing their zakat.

There is no zakat on fulus [copper money], and so by extension none on paper fulus. See Imam Malik, Mudawwana al-Kubra K. Az-Zakat al-Awwal, and Shakh Muhammad Ahmad Ileesh, Fath al-‘Ali al-Maalik, K. az-Zakat.

The inviolability of Gold and Silver

Gold, silver and storable, measurable foodstuffs are all commodities subject to riba. As such they are currencies against which other things not subject to riba are valued. These commodities admit of no exchange which entails an increase. When gold is exchanged for gold or silver then it must be like for like and immediate, from hand to hand.

If there is any delay it is riba, usury. In other words riba is not merely ‘interest’ but a far more radical interdiction. See Malik Muwatta K. al-Buyu’, bab as-Sarf. Again, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the fourth Umayyad Khalif forbade the buying and selling of chits of paper [used to distribute foodstuffs to specific persons] denouncing it as riba.

See Malik’s Muwatta K. al-Buyu’, bab al-‘Ina. This too clearly demonstrates that riba is not merely ‘interest’. It was not the chits of paper as such that were forbidden as riba but the buying and selling of them as if they were a commodity.

Another of the meanings of riba is that you exchange one thing for something of less value: Ibn Rushd declares in his Bidaya that one would not sell a horse for a shirt for there would be an unjust excess of profit for one partner. Likewise the exchange of a piece of paper [as ‘paper currency’] for something of worth is an example of riba. Gold and silver ensure the abolition of these aspects of riba.

Ibn Rushd says in the Bidaya al-Mujtahid: ‘It is obvious from the law that the purpose of the prohibition of usury is prevention of the fraud that usury entails, and ensuring equity in transactions consisting in close approximation and equivalence between the goods exchanged.’

Gold and Silver and Leadership

The essential nature of gold and silver currencies in Muslim society is emphasised too in the link between authority and currency. One of the seven responsibilities of the person in authority is to ensure the minting and purity of gold and silver coins. Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir al-Jaami li Ahkaam al-Qur’an cites the first of the seven matters in which the leader of the community is to be obeyed as ‘the minting of dirhams and dinars.’

In other words not only is the establishment and overseeing of bimetal currency a duty of the person in authority but also obedience in accepting and promoting it is a duty of the people. The importance of the mint lies in its reviving the means of purification of society from riba and from its denial of fitra.

Thus tawhid manifests in the aqeeda but also in the myriad aspects of the mu’amulat: Allah has prescribed how to act in every situation. To deny that Allah and His Messenger have prescribed the necessity of the mint, the dinar and dirham, the market and just trade is to deny tawhid.

People without tawhid make a split between this world and the next – the Muslim ruler joins, unites and establishes tawhid: in his capacity as the safeguarder of the mint, the bayt al-mal, the markets, the currency and trade he ensures that tawheed extends into this world.

The Muslim ruler is responsible for the purity of the currency in his realm. Therefore he is also responsible for setting up a mint. Only coins of pure gold and silver are legal currency, and only those sanctioned by him.

The mint ensures the flourishing of trade, and as we know from the Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa salam, nine tenths of wealth is from trade. The mint is a ‘grounding’ of finance – instead of the fantasy world of figures in the stock exchange and on paper currency, the production of dinars and dirhams purifies and legalises the gold and silver extracted from the earth.

Ibn Khaldun points out in the Muqaddima that the degree of power of the ruler is reflected in the purity of the gold and silver coins minted under his authority: only the purity of the gold and silver can safeguard his rule. The impurity of the coins in a realm indicates the imminent collapse of the ruler.

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maryam related from the Rasoul, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that ‘a time is certainly coming over mankind in which there will be nothing else which will be of use to pay other than a dinar and a dirham’.

The mint ensures the flourishing of trade, and as we know from the Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa salam, nine tenths of wealth is from trade. As Umar Vadillo has pointed out in the End of Economics - in this society trade is forbidden and usury is permitted, the exact opposite of Allah’s ayat.

Sources:

1. http://www.suludarulislam.org

2. http://www.theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com

3. http://www.alltausug.blogspot.com

4. http://www.tausug-global.blogspot.com

5. http://www.islamicmint.com/dinar_dirham/index.html#history

6. http://www.islamicmint.com/dinar_dirham/articles/legalsources.html

TAUSUG: “THIER SPIRIT IS INCONQUERABLE”

2012-01-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

I have been looking for any book that tackles about the Japanese Army in relation to the Tausug warriors in the Sulu Archipelago. Here is it. I got one. I am very thankful to Kah Abdel and his wife Auntie Mhar for extending a gift far from the State of Qatar and ordered it from the Amazon.com. Although I do need to finish reading the book, I was ignited to share the importance of the article below this.

While browsing the book written by Helen Follet, “Men of the Sulu Sea”, published in New York in 1945, I came across with the name “Willard Straight Agricultural School” that was operating in rural Indanan, Jolo Island, Sulu Archipelago in the late 1920’s.

Upon curiosity with that school name, I googled it until I found the magazine Boy’s Life and contain herein an article “Barongs and the Scout Staves” written by Henry F. Phelen. It is about the courageous Tausug and about the Tausug Boys Scouts who made the Scoutmaster happy with the hospitality and kindness of this people.

Follet’s book was published after few years in memory of the World War II in the land of the “master warrior of the Sulu Sea”. Japanese landed for the first time to Jolo in 23 December 1941 during the war. This is the year that Japanese launched a Kamikaze attacked burned the Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, the American territory.

I retyped the article from the “print screen” picture of the magazine because there is no available copy in a text form. I will not write much about it but let us read the article and judge it with our own conscience.

Hopefully, the young Tausug generations could get lessons from this article on how the foreign invaders respected their forefathers of which to die in defending the truth is their joy. The memory of the courage in the heart of our forefathers shall not vanish.

--------------------------------Start and End Here----------------------------

BARONGS AND THE SCOUT STAVES

By Henry F. Phelen

Boy’s Life: For All Boys Published by the Boys Scouts of America

June 1929 Vol. XIX, NO 6

Pages 26, 67, 68, and 69

In the Sulu Archipelago, the home of the Sulu Moros, once the most fierce and dreaded pirates of the Far East, is a Boy Scout Troop, unique in many respects. For one thing it is the only Mohammedan Troop commissioned by the Boy Scouts of America.

The three hundred or more tiny islands that form this archipelago, lie a very near the cost of the great island of the Borneo. They form the most southerly group of Uncle Sam’s great island empire in the Far East, the Philippine Islands. The early Spanish explorers named the people who inhabited Sulu, Moros, because they were Mohammedans, like the Moors or Moros the Spanish had been fighting for centauries in Europe and Africa.

These Sulu Moros are a proud race of fighting men and sailors. Before the Spaniard Magellan had landed in Cebu the might of these Moslem Sulus had been felt for to the north. The natives of the Visayas, of Palawan, of Luzon, knew them and feared their power. The vintas travelled as far north as China and Japan, and as far to the south and west of Java and Sumatra.

The Moros fought most ferociously and tenaciously against the might of Spain. Time and again Spain secured a foothold in Sulu, only to be driven out again by the dauntless Moros. Masters of the Seas, in their swift sailing vintas, the Sulu warriors carried the war up among the northern islands, ravaging the coasts and sacking towns. With all her might, Spain was never able to conquer the valiant Joloano Sulus who at no time in their history numbered more than 70,000 people.

It took the American Government nearly fourteen years to establish itself completely among the Moros. Their spirit is inconquerable. They were, and are, ready to stand up against any odds. They love a fight for itself, and being Mohammedans believe that a short cut to Paradise is to kill an infidel and be killed.

Some years ago in a combat a small group of Sulu warriors rush a much larger force of soldiers armed with modern rapis0fire rifles. The Moros had no guns, only their terrible fighting knives called barongs. The last Moro attacker died within three feet of the blazing rifle muzzles. Not one of that little band stopped, not one turned back. The wounded dragged themselves on until killed.

Consider the spirit behind the well-authenticated story of the Moro warrior who was struck in the breast by the bayonet of an American soldier. The bayonet did not penetrate deeply enough to kill. Vainly the Moro swung his terrible knife at the soldier whom he couldn’t reach.

Finally the desperate Moro seized the muzzle of the rifle in one hand, leaned on it, pushing bayonet through his body, giving him one instant of life in which to strike down the soldier. He died while killing and infidel and Allah’s Paradise was his. It is such magnificent and ruthless courage that made the Moros the terror of the Celebes.

It is from the youth of this remarkable people that the Moro Boy Scout Troop is formed. The grandfathers of many of these Scouts were fearless sea-rovers, and the fathers of some of the boys died fighting against the soldiers Uncle Sam. The Moro Agricultural Foundation, organized by Bishop Brent, Mrs. C. Lorillard Spencer would be an excellent supplement to efforts to bring more peaceful ideals to these people, who, for hundreds of years, have known only warfare and piracy.

Every boy in the school attended the first Scout meeting. When I had explained in simple English what a Boy Scout was, what were the ideals that he stood for, and asked how many desired to study and train to become Scouts, the answer was a roar as a hundred young voices shouted, “We all do.” But what a Boy Scout really was, only a few had the remotest idea at the time, for in the whole archipelago of over three hundred islands there was not one Boy Scout.

After the meeting one young boy, who had come from the distant island to attend this school in order to “better his condition of life” as he quaintly said the day he enrolled, asked me what color the Boy Scout uniform was and if I thought he was big enough to carry a gun! Another young Moro boy, a Samal from Tawi Tawi, wanted to know if, after he became a Boy Scout and had earned his uniform, ideas on good turns would come into his head, for he wanted to do as many good turns as he could.”

Knowing that it would be impossible to train one hundred boys all at once, I picked out twenty who looked as if they might become leaders. I concentrated on these boys. Result as were astonishing good. With one exception they came through splendidly in their tests, which were purposely made rather difficult. From this group I selected my Patrol and Assistant Patrol Leaders, and three Assistant Scoutmasters, and formed a temporary skeleton troop.

I explained carefully to the boys that only thirty-two could become registered members of the first troop, but that I would train them all and that hard and meritorious work would determine which would be the lucky thirty-two. Surely there never was a troop of the Boy Scouts of America who came to Scouting with the greater keenness than these thirty-two boys who formed the Moro Troop – No. 155 of the Philippines.

When I left the Philippines a few months ago our troop had been in operation only eight months. Already the boys have a striking record. They seem to have grasped the real spirit of the Good Turn. A part of the Scout Law is in their very blood.

Perhaps the most striking tribute that could be paid to the thoroughness of the Scouting they practice, and the value it has been to them in the development of the responsible and public-spirited citizenship, is shown in the fact that six of the eight Patrol Leaders, because of their Scout experience, have been chosen for work in the Government schools. Fifty boys have since qualified in their Tenderfoot tests and will be formed into troops.

The country is ideal for the practice of the auto door activities of Scouting. Because the boys themselves are handy, and water-and-forest wise, the troop has had a hiking and sailing record, remarkable for an eight-month-old troop. Here is part of it:

A hike of 25 miles to the village of Silangkan, formerly pirate town.
A climb up Mt. Tumantangis, an extinct volcano – 3, 100 feet – distance, 8 miles.
Fourteen-mile hike into the crater of the Bud Tukay volcano, whose crater is a lake. The Scouts cooked their meals and made camp on the banks of the lake inside the craters. Excitement was furnished by presence of the crocodiles in the lake.
To the town of Maimbung on the coast, former residence of the Sultans of Sulu, and once the most important town in Sulu. 18 miles.
A week’s sea-trip in the vintas. 150 miles.
Hike of 20 miles to Parang, the largest Moro village in Sulu. Most of the houses are constructed over the water piles.
A five-day hike to Timpuak Crater Lake and Bud Bagsak Volcano, Total distance over 100 miles. It was in Bud Bagsak that the battle of Bagsak Cota was fought in 1914. In it America and Filipino soldiers crushed the Moro warriors in a fierce two-day engagement in which hundreds of the Moros perished.

The first important hike of the troop was made about six weeks after the first meeting. It was to quaint Moro village on the coast of Jolo Island called Silangkan once a famous stronghold of the Sulu sea-rovers. The houses of these sea-Moros are built out over the sea on wooden piles which allow their boats to be tied at their doors.

The hike was rather a stiff one, nearly twenty miles under a broiling tropical sun; one that would prove a test to a group of American tenderfoots, but one of which these sturdy Moro boys thought nothing.

The principal diversion on this hike was a Scoutmaster being treed by an enraged carabao, a native work-buffalo, which seems to have an inherited dislike for the white man. It was great entertainment for the Moro Scouts to see their Scoutmaster perched on a limb, minus his hat and resembling, as the boys later told him, a Kukao – a large native bird whose call suggests a person in a sorrow.

Carabaos rarely molest the natives. One of the smallest of the Scouts walked up to it, and hitting it on the nose with a piece of bamboo drove it away. These animals weigh about 2,000 pounds. They have been responsible for the death of quite a number of white people, although they rarely bother the natives.

As we neared the coast we attracted quite a bit of attention in the neighborhood. Moros often travel about the islands but usually in groups of two or three and with a set purpose. Large bands of people were usually looked on with suspicion as perhaps a war party or a group of outlaws. To see a gang of young boys making a long hike for no particular purpose was a source of amusement and surprise to the people.

After a swim in the sea the boys found a lovely white sand beach in the shade of the tall coconut palms. Each patrol cooked its own lunch, which it had carried.

One of our longest hikes was a five-day trip to Bagsak, the scene of the decisive battle between General Pershing and the Moros. This hike proved to be one of thrills and surprises. On the first night we had planned to camp on the banks of a stream running through a teak forest. When we arrived at our chosen over-night camp site about 3 P.M. a Moro boy appeared on the opposite bank of the river and ran towards us.

As he neared he seemed quite excited. Still panting for breath he rapidly poured out his tale in the Tausug dialect. My boys immediately translated what he was saying . . . it wasn’t safe for us to stay here, there had been a fight between the Constabulary and a large band of outlaws that morning, the outlaws had defeated the Constabulary and driven them off. . . as the outlaws were very near it wasn't safe to stay here. Without waiting to be thanked he ended his tale and dashed into the forest.

A halt was called, and a troop-in-council held. To stay there was dangerous, and to turn back difficult. The best thing would be to push on in a forced march to the coast. One of the boys said he knew a place on the coast where we could hide. We had travelled fifteen miles since morning, carrying full packs and blanket rolls.

Without a single complaint, in perfect order we pushed on, a long line of khaki clad Scouts, in a single file, followed by ten big Bengali Bulls carrying food, water, lanterns, and extra baggage, travelling along a narrow trail, at times in thick forest, sometimes in dense jungle, through open grass lands, uphill and down, we must have presented quite a sight. If any outlaws were watching us from nearby hills they must have thought the staffs were guns and mistaken our unarmed Scouts for a reinforcing column of soldiers!

It was nearly dusk when we reached the coast and halted on a white sandy beach; we had covered eight miles in two and a half hours or a total of twenty-three miles since morning. After a ten-minute rest we pushed on along the beach led by the Scout who had been there before.

We soon reached the place he had in mind, an ideal hiding place mad to order for us in this emergency. A tiny grass and tree covered island barely 150 yards by 100 wide, surrounded on three sides by deep swamps infested with crocodiles on three, and on the fourth by sea. That night the tide came up and closed the beach trail so that we were safety locked in for the night.

With the aid of their sharp bolos (knives) which the Moro boy always carries, grass lean-toss were soon constructed. Patrol fires were started and dinner cooked. A tired, famished but cheerful lot of boys answered mess call that night. As they ate their dinners, the talk was all on how we had out-witted the outlaws and found a fine camping site Patrol sentries were set and the rest turned in for a will earned rest.

As I made my turn of the sentry posts I thought how different our night’s slumber might have been had not that Moro boy warned us. We never found out who he was saw him again; nor even now do we know why he did us such a good turn. Surely he is another “Unknown Boy Scout.”

Six months later I met the Chief of this outlaw band, after he had surrendered to the officials. I asked him if they remembered our passing through the teak forest long months before. The old Chief smiled grimly.

His fierce eyes bored into mine: “Yes, I remember well. My men reported a force of soldiers entering the teak forest, and had you camped there that night, we would have rushed you at day break!”

How the boys of your Scout Troop might attend an Athletic Meet held on another island, eighty miles from the school, was rather a problem until the boys asked to be allowed to sail in their own vintas there and back. Sons of a sea people, the toys are home at sea as on land.

The start was made from the Moro village of Parang on the South Coast of Jolo Island, early Thursday morning. Despite the early start great crowds of Moros gathered to see the unusual sight – a group of Moro boys dressed in the attractive Boy Scout Uniform with their red Fez hats setting out on a trip to a distant island, twenty-seven of them accompanied by three Assistant Scoutmasters and the Scoutmaster, in five fleet vintas.

There vintas are long narrow boats cleverly fashioned out a very light wood, with long bamboo out-riggers on both sides to prevent capsizing under the tremendous expanse of sail they carry. In a good wind they are swifter than steamboats and are a most picturesque sight with their brightly colored sails, the white water curling under their sharp bows. A vinta under sail in fresh breeze is a sight one never forgets.

It was in just such boats that the famous Sulu pirates, the forefathers of these boys, cruised the Sulu, Celebes, South China Seas, and inland waters of the great Philippine Archipelago. One can picture the fear aroused in the breast of northern natives who saw approaching their shores, fleets of swift vintas, crammed with fierce Mohammedan warriors armed to the teeth, who laughed as they died.

The Sulu Sea dotted by some 300 islands and hundreds of reefs, is traversed rarely by large steamers and one which captains dread. Very few light exist to guide the mariner. The Sulu mariner seems gifted with an inborn sense of direction, and travels at night as we as in a day time.

With a skilled boatman at the helm of each vinta, and the Scouts as crews we sailed on through the night in as single file. A lantern was hung over the stern of each vinta as a beacon. The gurgling of the water under the sharp prows, the creaking of the sails, the subdued voices of the boys ads they chatted in Sulu, the warm fragrant air, were soothing. But dangers lurked on every hand.

Unseen reefs dotted these seas, and to capsize or swamp is a serious thing in a sea teeming with sharks; where low banks are the abodes of the fierce crocodiles, the one creature feared by all Moros. This anecdote may illustrate the danger from crocodiles found in salt water as well as in fresh water.

Not very long ago a young American Officer in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, while engaged in a charting one of the low coral banks, every nearly lost his life while travelling in a motor launch very close to the beach.

A large crocodile rose out of the water and seized his leg in its tremendous jaws. The young officer was standing on the rail with his leg pressed against a stanchion. Fortunately the crocodile grasped the iron stanchion as well as the leg. This saved the officer’s life, since pulling with all its might the crocodile could not pull him over the side, but the cruel teeth mauled his leg terribly, breaking the bones in several places.

Luckily, an armed constabulary soldier, whose business was to protect the working parties from crocodiles was in the launch. He immediately emptied his rifle into the crocodile. Crocodiles often seize people who are wading, but this is an actual case of one trying to pull a man out of a moving motor launch.

Our trip lasted twenty-seven hours. These boys are born Sea Scouts. They are natural sailors, and their skill brought us through a dark night without even the suggestion of an accident. They were without aid of compass or light house. Often on his trio and on its return through the velvet blackens an island or a reef would loom up before my untrained eye, and it seemed a miracle that these boys unfailingly found the exact channel.

The Meet was a most successful one. The boys won numerous events and carried back with them the thought that they had been the first Boy Scouts to take part in a Sulu Athletic Meet. To say that these boys are at home on the sea is putting it very mildly. They are at home even under the sea!

In the Troop are six boys who can dive over ten fathoms, or nearly ninety feet, in search for pearl oysters. With only rock to carry him swiftly down and a knife between his teeth this boy would dare the dangers of sharks, octopuses and giant clams, time and again, for pearl-diving is a profession in Sulu, and many boys are trained from infancy to dive to great depths.

For centuries these Sulu Moros have led an existence of almost continual warfare. The youths of the race were trained to warfare, for those who unskilled in the use of arms quickly fell in battle.

To-day the Moro children are anxious to go to school and fit themselves for a life of peace. Only the facilities are not adequate. So very much remains to be done. These Mohammedan subjects of the United States look to Uncle Sam for aid and guidance.

Being so far away, so few in number, they are apt to be overlooked and forgotten. Yet of all the peoples in the great Philippine group, whose population totals over ten millions, the Moro of the South (about 300,000 all told) are perhaps the most loyal subjects of Uncle Sam in the Far East.

Through the efforts of the Willard Straight Agricultural School in starting a Boy Scout Troop, a new outlet has been opened to Moro boys. Moro youths can spend their surplus energies in a field where; as I pointed out at the beginning, a harvest is already being reaped.

Instead of learning to handle weapons to kill, they are endeavouring to live up to the Scout Laws, to bring into the life of their communities the Scout ideals, and to learn the many useful things which are so useful in our country, but which mean infinitely more to these Mohammedan boys of Sulu.

SULU: NEVER PART OF THE PHILIPPINES!

2012-01-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

I chatted this morning with a Tausug young artist and musician, who composed songs with rap genre. He is indeed a guy of hope and a model to the new generation of Tausug who has a good talent in music. He is from the group known in Zamboanga City as “Upshot Krew & Top Dog”. He is a proud Tausug. He and his brother are still finishing the new track called jolo sulu.

Their music somehow can change people’s mind and heart towards awareness to love their homeisland. Insha allah. I was touched when he extolled about my article he read somewhere and inspired him to write. When we chatted this morning, 12 January 2012 via facebook chat, he said:

“nung nabasa ko article mo, i was like man bigla nlg ko nag sulat”.

That’s the inspiring message that this young talented guy uttered. There should be many young guys that must follow their steps. This artist has a great influence to any social awareness to develop the minds and hearts to the young Tausug generations.

I would like to share to everyone to enjoy the overwhelming writes of this guy. There is less young Tausug guy that could express this way, thinking that the foreign elements have infiltrated the traditional culture of Tausug and the Sulu archipelago.

With this guy, there is nothing left to teach him that he campaign through his music and lyric. This is somehow will reopen the Tausug youth hearts and minds in the Sulu Archipelago to fight the ignorance of the peoples’ origin and identity: TAUSUG.

Jan Zeyryad with his metal-rap music gear.

This guy is none other than: JAN ZEHRYAD, a heavy metal-rap music guy. His kind heavy metal music doesn’t only mean characterized by loud distorted guitars, emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound, and vigorous vocals but a sense of patriotic message of hope and peace to the psyche of the other heavy metal rock aficionado. Indeed an ARTIVIST (artist-activist).

The Tausug youth is for peace and no to terrorism.

Here is the current work to finish and take off your soul from the Filipino colonialism:

jolo sulu سوگ

by Jan Zehryad on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 11:13am

Saaaaaaalam!

welcome to the hood jolo sulu land of the pearls, the land of the brave the oldest battle ground in the world, haven of the true brawler, this is the place where mahardika and warriors are made, we raisin the sword of honor!

straight out from the south coz we the bangsamoro (bangsa mindanao and bangsa sulu) we fight for dignity and pride stood not to be oppressed we cant be x-out by no one, coz we are united as one.

gyeahh!

so heres some history son lets come look back time when the spaniards is about to invade our land man they failed with pride and fame.

our ancestors fought and none of em became slave remember the bloody battle in bud daho back in 1906, man they fought til the last drop of their blood.

and yesss jolo sulu was never been colonized by no one now we are fighting for the true history so fuck ya historians and fuck the rays of the sun, j slu was never been part of the philippines.

well i dont give a shit i never been proud to be called a filipino cuz i aint a filipino im a moro (tausug), i was born this way, i was never been part of your citizenry.

fuck ya system coz with the help of the west they deprive and demean us of our culture, histories, territories, and privileges to the law. freedom is what we need, and justice for all our brother who fell.

links of some of their works:

http://soundcloud.com/kidnamedjzod/bangsamoro-hidwaan

http://soundcloud.com/kidnamedjzod/upshot-krew-ft-top-dogz-1

http://soundcloud.com/kidnamedjzod/upshot-krew-ft-top-dogz

http://soundcloud.com/kidnamedjzod/upshot-krew-anthem-of-the

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euTXWu3AFcE&feature=share

SULU CURRENCY DINAR AND DIRHAM START OF TOTAL INDEPENDENCE

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

“Assalamu Alaikum, this is Umar Vadillo, where are you now, can we meet?” said Shaykh Prof. Dr. Umar Ibrahim Vadillo in the phone on afternoon of 27 December 2011.

We went to meet to him with SDDI Foreign Affairs Minister cum Executive Minister, Datu Habi Sakiral Daie with the author of the book Tausug and Sulu Sultanate, Asree Sug.

After some briefing about the development in Sulu Darul Islam and about Washi or Sendong Typhoon, Shaykh Umar Vadillo feel sad and wanted to extend some help. It was from his friend that he got the story of Sendong victims before we met.

Shaykh Umar Vadillo with Tausug Kandit Siyabit or Tausug Weaved Kandit (hanged on his neck) during the visit to Jolo, Sulu Darul Islam with partners, Mr. Muhammad Esfih and Mr. Okawa. 2 January 2012. Photo by Asree Sug

It was in the evening of 28 December 2011 Shaykh Umar Vadillo met up with us again. He decided to visit Jolo, the capital of Sulu Darul Islam. In this meeting he introduced us to his friends.

They left for Sulu Darul Islam on the night between 31 December and 1 January 2011 via Manila, Philippines. They arrived to Zamboanga City, one of the Sulu Darul Islam’s capital cities.

On the 4 January 2012, TGM Staff Zamboanga reported in the SSDI Official Website, www.sulu-darul-islam, that the foreign visitors “were officially received by the SSDI Prime Minister, Datu Habib Sattiya Amilhasan and Minister of Planning Datu hadji Julmari...and ...were brought to the Astana’ Sultan or Sultan’s Palace at Banua San Roque before departed to Jolo in the evening boarding a ship”.

On 2 January 2012, Shaykh Umar Vadillo told the Tausug that "Starting today, the currency of the Tausug Citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam will be Dinar and Dirham."

Shaykh Umar Vadillo with Sulu Darul Islam Puntukan Mantiri (Prime Minister) at the Astana' Sultan, Zamboanga City. Photo by TGM Staff Zamboanga City.

Shaykh Umar Vadillo’s wife, Alawiyah Abdul Rahman Vadillo shared the thought of the Shaykh on their way to the airport on 31 December 2011, when he says “In travelling, you only yearn to gain proximity with Allah.”

On the 29 December 2011 meeting, Shaykh Umar Vadillo says “We will free Nusantara start from Sulu Darul Islam. Gold dinar is your weapon”.

In 2010 posted at www.alawiyahabdulrahmanvadillo.blogspot.com before we attended the launching of Dinar and Dirham in Kelantan, Shaykh Umar Vadillo about Sulu Darul Islam and wanted to reach its shores for Dinar and Dirham in the future when he said:

“I was looking for the true sultanate of these lands. I wanted to find who are the people who had never surrendered. Who never said YES to the colonialist package. I looked and looked and looked and I found this in two areas, its Sulu and Acheh. And well, a little bit in Kelantan.”

“To become a state-hood (nation-state) according to the United Nations, it has nothing to do with independence or freedom. It is in fact slavery. In order to attain freedom or independence in the first place is to attain it FROM United Nations, NOT WITHIN the United Nations.”

“The issue of sovereignty cannot be demanded from someone who does not have it. The United Nations does not give sovereignty. It does not have it. Sovereignty belongs to Allah (swt). We ask Him for sovereignty.'”

“The Darul Islam in Nusantara will start with the independence of the Sultanate of the Sulu people.”

“The only reality that I believe in is the one in which is ' La hau la wa laa qu wata ila bilLah'. It stands out first. This is what matters to us. This is our strength. This is what we live for and this what we die for. This is our gain. It is our loss if we miss it.”

“Most important is that Allah has granted us success. As the Moro (Muslim) people of the west in Al-Andalus once wrote in the walls of Al-Hambra - 'La ghaliba ilaAllah' when they established the Deen of Islam in the Al-Andalus. We will inscribe the same.”

Before leaving, Shaykh Umar Vadillo posted in his Facebook wall on 31 December 2011 at 9:00pm and English and also Spanish:

“Tonight I travel to Jolo, capital of Sultanate of Sulu -Dar al Islam. Tomorrow we shall meet the Sultan of the newly independent nation. In the Name of Allah we shall mint their own Dinar and Dirham of Dar al-Islam, set our brave people free from Riba and preparing the basis to root out the Philippine Central Bank and their corrupt banks and from here all Nusantara. Inshaallah. We set our goals high because we are nothing on our own, but Allah is the Akbar and with Him we are His lions. If we are sincere we might get closer to Him, that's our secret goal. Now we place our affairs with Him. Allah is our Protector and He is enough for us. You always start a fire on the edge, we are going to the edge. And Victory belongs to Him.”

On January 4 2012, the Foreign Affairs Minister cum Executive Minister, Datu Habib Sakiral Daie was saying about the visit that:

“I must emphasize that Shaykh Umar Ibrahim Vadillo and company are doing great efforts in helping SSDI restore her sovereignty and independence without creating any trouble with anyone along the way. The sincerity of their efforts can be read even between the lines of what they are saying and doing.”

He continued to express his regrets that some Tausug do wanted the independence, he said:

“Sadly, some of our very own breed of Tausug who have been nurtured under colonial institutions seemed to love to be always a Filipino than to be who really they are and supposed to be. But it’s alright for the moment as there are still more time for them to reconsider and as there are no compulsion in Islam.”

He just put to their will if ever they wanted to have the independence sooner or later and say:

“They have the right to remain as they are, of their own choice, and in like manner, SSDI have the right to choose who should be her "ra'yat" in future. The important thing is the doors are always opened for everyone to come in or get out until such time the law determines otherwise. Lucky and happy would be the faces of those who get benefits out of their own volition, and sadness or sorry would be for them who went the other way. MashaAllah!”

A Kazakh economist, Abdalghany Aoueskhanov has written few years back about the meeting of the Tausug and Shaykh Umar Vadillo:

“I was amazed with these people: they saw and touched gold dinar and silver dirham first time in their lives and yet I saw neither fear nor doubts in their eyes about the possibility of restoring them in Sulu. And these people face machineguns of Filipino soldiers on a daily basis.”

“I was also amazed how they treated Umar Pasha, with total respect and trust, as their own brother, although it was the first time they ever met with him. I felt I was witnessing a scene of some 500 years ago: Muslim warriors from far lands of Dar al-Islam meeting, with open hearts, with love, ready to die for each other; back then they had only one passport - La ilaha ill Allah”

Datu Habib Sakiral Daie wrote in the Facebook wall:

“At the meeting with Sultan Bantilan Muhammad Mu'izzuddin II, I could sense that if there be anyone outside the circle of Tausug affinity who should be given honorary citizenship, Shaykh Umar I. Vadillo, Mohamed Esfih and Mr. Okawa would lead the pack.”

Sultan Bantilan II, Shaykh Umar Vadillo and Mr. Muhammad Esfih. Photo by Asree Sug

“The trio went there only to ask how they could be of help, not for anything to make them great amongst men. And the Sultan couldn't hide his tears of joy for the God-sent emissary of love and development that every Tausug in SSDI have prayed for all these years. For many have the sympathy and desire to help but only them have the guts to make it a reality, Mashaallah!”

Shaykh Umar Vadillo has been telling the people of Nusantara in the muammalah website about the existence of the Tausug and Sulu Darul Islam as independent people and country:

“Sultanate of Sulu was one of the most beautiful and prosperous states in Nusantara from 1405 up until the late 19th century; stretching over Sulu Archipelago (also called Islands of Pearls) and part of Northern Borneo it had splendid culture, extensive trade system and profound Sufi traditions that brought fame to the Sultanate in the entire Muslim world and beyond.”

“The kufar wanted to bring Sulu empire on its knees for a long time: first, Spaniards tried to break Tausug people - ethnic majority of Sulu Sultanate - for more than 300 years, then Americans for nearly 50 years, then Japanese and now Philippines for over 60 years, but all in vain - Tausugs continued to fight.”

“Despite massacres perpetrated by Spanish, American and later Philippine troops, the Tausug people couldn't be christianized or subjugated, they never abandoned their language and religion, indeed the Tausugs defended the Deen with their lives when everybody else surrendered. And they still do.”

Sulu Prime Minister Datu Habib Sattiya Amilahasan, Executive Minister Datu Habib Sakiral Daie with the foreign visitors. Photo by TGM Staff Zamboanga City.

“You don't need United Nations to grant you independence; Allah has already given it to you. Malaysia or Indonesia can't help you to become an independent state because they themselves are not free states; one day you will have to free the Malay World from the oppression of Capitalism and Democracy and you'll have to free Filipinos from their horrendous and corrupt regime and make them Muslims.”

”You have the spirit of success in your genes, it were you and Aceh who fought until the end. Nationalist state under the auspices of the United Nations is not your goal and can't be your goal if you want to win; because if you say ‘nation state' then I am a foreigner in your land but if you say ‘Darul Islam' then I am one of you and your fight is my fight.”

Datu Habib Sakiral Daie tells the Tausug of his personal view on the independence of Sulu DArul Islam:

“If my judgment did not miss the point, I believe there should be no trouble between SSDI and the Philippine Government with regards to the former's desire to exercise its independence and sovereignty. The only problem encountered is the fact that many Tausug have still maintained their colonial mentality that they could no longer think of themselves as a free people and that they are already free if they wanted to.”

In the name complete brotherhood, religious affinity never matter to the Tausug. The Tausug was happy to receive their visitors as their brother. The departure of the visitors from the Jolo International Airport was bringing with them the hope and trust as well loyalty of the Tausug to Islam.

This is another beginning to the ending flight of the hegemony of the Republic of the Philippines relating to status of Sulu Darul Islam as totally independent island country of Southeast Asia.

TAUSUG POSSESSES RARE COURAGE

2011-11-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

As a renowned Muslims, Tausug are fierce warriors that have been defending their faith since the era of Spanish Conquistadores, American Imperialist, Japanese Colonial-Asiatic and Filipino Neo-imperialist.

Tausug engaged in continuous defence war with Spanish for more than 300 years left a heinous scar in the face of world military history of resistance. Tausug being known as one of the finest, valiant and ferocious freedom defenders of the world is also famous as the best divers in the world, especially for pearls.

By Rameeta (Rameer Tawasil)

The Tausug indigenous belief in relation to the unseen creatures like jinn (genie) and saytan (devil) is interconnected with Islamic belief. The sinner dead will be held in hell to serve the sentence of the sins acquired while still alive. The Tausug also believed in a sort of karma boomerang to human while still alive, that goes “suli iban kisas di maraa mapatay”, roughly means “whatever person did in life cannot be brought to death”.

There are different choices of Tausug tawal-tawal (whisper-chant) and charms that has a significant element for their daily lives. This is to hope for success and luck, especially when going to the battlefield and visiting any social-economic gatherings and activities.

By just turning the face from the enemy, even more fatal if it is running away from a defence fight, thus a memory-engraved shame. Tausug will never submit to defeat until death succumbed.

As a heterogeneous identity of people, Tausug are found mainly in the three areas: coastal areas (ha higad or parian), hinterland areas (ha gimba), and island areas (ha pu’).

Tausug Maligay by Rameeta

Tausug as the communal identity of the citizens of the nation Sulu Archipelago and of the state of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam speak Sinug called Bahasa Sug. Sinug is spoken as lingua franca with other dialects such as: Sinama, Binisaya, Tagalog and Malay as well as English.

The legendary mountain known Bud Tumantangis is still alive in the hearts and minds of the Tausug folklorist. The existence of Bud Tumantangis as the highest peak in the Sulu archipelago other than historic Bud Dahu, Bud Taliapao Bud Kaha, Bud Bungau ad Bud Tapul is a tale of the Tausug valiant ancestors.

Bud Dahu is seen from the Jolo port.

Tausug will be feeling the nostalgic renditions the Bud Tumantangis when start sailing from and to the place. The drama of the silhouette could be seen from far away sight upon leaving and approaching the port of Jolo. Bud Tumantangis derived from the Sinug words “bud” mountain, “tuman” mark or true and “tangis” cry that deciphers as “true-crying-mountain”.

Tausug edifying belief can be seen in their rites and dances; these are reflecting nature of the ebbs and waves flowing back and forth that signify their sails at sea. A traditional Tausug dance is popularly known as pangalay, accompanied by a kulintangan and agung with the janggay, metal-made accessories put in fingers of the dancer. Pangalay is derived from the Sinug word “langay” means “gesture” and “alay” means “offer” hence, “a gesture of offering” for the Tausug foreign and local visitors.

Sulu Darul Islam Flag is right now flying in the different place in it territories, courtesy of Yazir Rajim

Tausug acquired courage from Islam is afar doubt and bravery is believed to be indisputable, “Tau Maisug” or people of the courage became their venerated forename everywhere. Be it in writing and in oral traditions still possesses rare courage. Maisug was drawn from the root word “Isug” that is for courage and bravely. Maisug literally mean “possessing courage or bravery”. Yazir Rajim, a Tausug author revealed in his book “Kakaun Sug, Beyond Recipes,” that it is from the food “where the courageous Tausug starts”.

Tausug is a collective name to the various ethnics and sub-ethnics thriving in Sulu archipelago regardless of faith but mostly are Muslims. They are: Buranun, Tagima, Baklaya, Champan, Banjar, Ilanun, Sama, Subanun, Chabacano, Bisayan, Palawani, Mulbug, Jama Mapun, Laumsuba, Arab, European and many others. Due to the intermarriages between them, they could hardly distinguish their ethnicity and sub-ethnicity.

Tausug is also known as Sulug, Suluk and Solok to the people around likusantara (Southeast Asian region). Tausug was derived from the Sinug words Tau “people” and Sug “sea current”; hence moniker “people of the current” was natural. It is the Tausug ancient tradition to sail, dive pearls and trading, because their ancestral home-islands are having strong tidal currents that were been receding back and forth to South China Sea to the Celebes Sea from Sulu Sea.

TAUSUG IRREDENTA

2011-11-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

TAUSUG IRREDENTA*

Nelson Dino Sulu

I am called what I am to be and identified as such, why call me the name that described hates in me? Did I ever agree to be called with that name? I never think so. You like me to be so because you hate me with that name. I am proud that I was born on this identity of mine – so call me such – the right one. You know what it is.

The first time you touched my shore, you called me Moro because of my faith to distinguish my identity from Indio - you changed their belief too. You replicated their doubled identity.

"I promise from whatever ethnicity I may belong, I was Tausug, I am Tausug and I will be Tausug. I am not “a good Moro is a dead Moro” but a good Tausug is a living Tausug till the death will die!"

You said your belief is good for me as you assure, but why should you kill me? I was defending my rights to live in my belief until you vanished then banished from my homeland after more than three hundred years – the years that’s not too long to count and to wait.

Then the eagle perched on me and befriended me while fighting the people identified from the further north of Sulu archipelago. I should not be mistaken: were they not the people that I learned named after syphilis-died King Philip II? So they were Filipino – not ME?

Because I was so sincere, I penned ink to the unprecedented tricky paper. I was so sincere but some of my kin abused it later. They wanted to grab me out of the throne and they created their own.

I was known as cosmopolitan when you “civilized human” embraced my homeland with “education”. Am I not educated with my own respect when the time you arrived? I was so indeed.

No, I never learned the odium until I became topic in the podium. It was because I was in the mountain; the clouds hug me and comfort me as my dead body lying in the crater. My blood drained to the ground as witness to my own soul.

Ants, flies and other creatures witnessed my slain body – as you do. I was left burlesque in the eagle eyes and was beheaded but still a guy.

I never say goodbye to the identity and belief I swore to die, until Yamato spirit launched to do kamikaze-banzai by the descendants of daimyo but I never perished but I did a similar belief – a parang sabil spirit.

Then you are mistaken again: I am not juramentado of your definition but at least you fear me. I oath to die for an honourable defends of truth that you put in falsity – you never frightened me of my being so.

The remnants of your cowardice still remained like the scars in your rotten flesh. You have no soul - you betrayed and swindled me but I was not deceived.

Why do you assumed me to be good when I am dead? Who are you to say that? You are not God that created me and so you – the whole humanity.

Why do you compare me to be “a good Indian is a dead Indian”? Do I? It is all up to you. Anyway, I will fight for what is right and “to write and to say” is my right, as you do.

You made a play of the name you gave me – “Moro-moro” as what was known to be and other one was “Sultan of Sulu”. But at least you made it out of nothing that you can do – but frustrations over my effects to you.

I defended my homeland, the treasure of the treasured culture. I was nurtured and scribed with the sweat and blood as well as tears – tears of the mujahidins, the orphans and the widows. Their tears were the ink that can never perish until forever comes to expire.

It doesn’t matter if you mocked me as such; as long as you feel my feeling that you too had felt under the foreign government. You wanted to be free as what I was leading to be. The freedom that I have been longing for is here without you giving. I was indeed free.

I was born with nostalgia found at every misty peak of mountain ranges by the Sulu Sea; the Bud Tumantangis, Bud Datu, Bud Dahu, Bud Bagsak, Bud Talipau in the island of pearls, facing the breezing sea, the Bud Bungau in the strong current of bay.

The Bud Mantalingahan in the island known with beautiful sanctuary of nature, Bud Matangal and Bud Sinangkapan in the known as the island of hope, the Bud Batulampun in the garden of flowers and the Bud Kinabalu in the land below the wind.

I am the homeland that was led by the religious strongman: Sayyid Abubakar. He eventually became Sultan Syarif Al-Hashim, the episode that cum gives birth to my nationhood and statehood.

It began with the sweet lullaby of scenery on 17 November 1405. Then he was succeeded by the honourable men in the battle – the Tausug Gagandilan that linger forever in the heart of young minds further.

That was it. I promise from whatever ethnicity I may belong, I was Tausug, I am Tausug and I will be Tausug. I am not “a good Moro is a dead Moro” but a good Tausug is a living Tausug till the death will die!

*Declamation dedicated to the Tausug Citizens that were administered by multiple foreign governments but right now reactivating their own government.

http://www.sulu-darul-islam.com/2011/11/tausug-irredenta.html?spref=fb

STORIES BEHIND FAMOUS SAYINGS: THUS GOOD TAUSUG IS DEAD TAUSUG!

2011-11-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

The similar saying, “good Indian is a dead Indian was introduced to Minsupala (Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan) to discriminate the inhabitants whom Spanish, American and Filipino called “Moro” – Hulabangsa Mindanao and Hulabangsa Sug (Tausug) assumed by American soldier as “a good Moro is a dead Moro”, thus a good Tausug is a dead Tausug.”

Arata Awata wrote in his blog: “Forget that Filipino Indios says "a good Moro is a dead Moro" and in Spanish, the cognate moro is considered a racist and derogative term.”

According to Spencer Tucker, “The American civilizing efforts applied both might and persuasion in altering sequences. Many American soldiers, however, operated under the assumption that “a good Moro is a dead Moro.”

"a good Tausug is a dead Tausug"

Stories behind famous sayings

The Saying:

Who Said It: Gen. Philip Sheridan

When: 1869

The Story behind It: In January, 1869, General Sheridan held a conference with 50 Indian chiefs at Fort Cobb in the so-called Indian Territory (later part of Oklahoma). At that time, Sheridan, who had gained recognition as a Union officer in the Civil War, was in charge of the Dept. of the Missouri. One of his duties was to oversee the Indian Territory, making sure that the Indians remained on their reservations and did not harass the white settlers. When Comanche chief Toch-a-way was introduced to Sheridan at the conference, the Indian said, "Me Toch-a-way, me good Indian." Sheridan reportedly smirked and replied, "The only good Indians I ever saw were dead." Later on, the remark became "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." - http://www.trivia-library.com

“He (Sherman) is one of the three individuals to whom the bluntest of all policy statements – the only good Indian is a dead Indian – has been attributed. The first to say it was probably the Montana congressman James Cavanaugh; then (Philip) Sheridan picked it up, and finaaly Sherman who (according to Meneken) said it to an Indian who was panhandling at a railway station as Sherman was disembarking. Me good Indian,” the old man said, to which Sherman replied, “So far as I know the only good Indian is a dead Indian.” It is doubtful that the old panhandler received a cent.” - Larry McMurtry (The Colonel and Little Missie. Pg 69)

“There is an anecdote told concerning Sheridan during his campaign against the Indians. Comanche Chief Tosawi, or Silver Knife, reputedly told Sheridan in 1869, "Me Tosawi, Me good Indian," to which Sheridan is said to have replied, "The only good Indians I ever saw were dead.”...This was then misquoted as "The only good Indian is a dead Indian". Sheridan later denied he had made the statement to Tosawi. Earlier that year, on May 28, (1869) Rep. James M. Cavanaugh said in the House, "I have never seen in my life a good Indian ... except when I have seen a dead Indian." That remark may have been mistakenly attributed to Sheridan.” - Wikipedia –

Photo credit:

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/3ppp_tribalpictures.htm

"...WHY MORO IS NEVER THE TRUE NAME OF UR PEOPLE ...?

2011-11-13T03:50:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

A friend named 'aN asked me about Tausug and Moro and Sabah. Here are the questions:

'aN

Assalamualaikum, how r u ...?? lama menyepi...is everything ok..??Hope not too late to wish u, Eid Adha.. May Allah Bless u and ur people in a good Dignity always..amin! can i ask u something...?? based on ur status 30mnt ago..

Rayyan Makno: "Islam teaches the truth and nothing but the truth. Moro is never the true name of our people." i agreed with the first statement.. but for the "Moro is never the true name of our people." its confusing me... can u help me to expain that...??

Dalam buku Tausug & Kesultanan Sulu, "Bangsa Moro membawa maksud kesatuan semua etnik yang menganut islam...."(Bab 2, pg16). and one of ur comment stated that Tausug-Muslim.. Tausug dalam buku pula "Bangsa ini telah gemilang dan terbilang setelah mereka KESEMUANYA menganut islam" maknanya...Tausug senonimnya beragama islam...then why Moro is never the true name of ur people..??and why should people said TAusug Muslim..??

another thing that i can't imagine until now... how Sabah can be part of Malaysia if yearsss back, Sabah is part of ur land...i asked bapak, n he ask me to read about sejarah Malaysia...i know about sejarah Sabah masuk Malaysia but i want to know from ur perspectives, from ur point of view as one of perjuang kemerdekaan Tausug…

sorie... im still reading this book and its hard to understand n imagine it.. its a HISTORY dude...!! huh...!! pening.. .but i promise, ill finish this book as soon as i can..now im trying coz as i reach the middle of the book, the story become more interesting... hope i can finish by this week.. pray the best for me…

Neldy Jolo

hehe…thanks for the question...let me clear it to you from the basis of history...

'aN

owh... pls give me the simplest way for me to understand... why should U said thanks... im the one who asked u.. :

Neldy Jolo

MORO is nowadays a term given to the Muslims way back the coming of Spanish to the Sulu Archipelago (Sultanate of Sulu) and Mindanao (Sultanate of Maguindanao) in the year 1578...So Moro is not the original name for the people of Sulu and Mindanao. Moro is just to identify the Muslim from Christian called Indio and eventually became Filipino.

TAUSUG is a collective term for the people of Sulu Archipelago (Tausug means Sulu People - Tau is people, Sug is Sulu.)

North Borneo was part of the Sulu Sultanate and was leased by British North Borneo Company in 1878. North Borneo got independence on August 31, 1963 and eventually join Malaysian Federation in September 16, 1963 as State of Sabah...

Neldy Jolo

In the spirit of historical account, North Borneo still part of Sulu Sultanate but as Sabah it is already part of Malaysia no doubts to that. Malaysian Government pays yearly in the name of North Borneo lease to the Sultan heirs of the Sulu Sultanate based from the judgement of British Judge or North Borneo Macaskie...

Neldy Jolo

Yes Tausug is synonymous to Muslim but in the context of name or citizenship Tausug is name of the citizens of Sulu Archipelago (Sultanate of Sulu). Tausug is called Suluk in Malaysia...

Neldy Jolo

In summary:

Moro is a religious identity for the Muslim people of Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago. When you say "Moro" u would mean Muslim - refering to religious identity.

Tausug is national identity of the people of Sulu Archipelago (Sultanate of Sulu). When you say "Tausug" u would mean people of Sulu Archipelago - referring to national identity...but Tausug is Muslim based from their religious identity (Moro as Spanish called them such).

'aN

ok. thats mean, Tausug people is not 100% muslim..ist?? coz its referring to national identity... while Moro = muslim (given name by "them")..than, its mean muslim there prefer to call them Tausug Muslim, where they will get clearer identity..?

and its real that Msia gov paid RM5,000 yearly to Kiram's Family..?? and where r those people (Kiram Family) stay now??

Neldy Jolo

Yes "Tausug" as national identity is referring not to religious identity…but if you say Tausug it is synonymous to Muslim - because before the coming of Islam to Sulu Archipelago they have been as Tausug or Sulug (Sulu People or People of the current)...

Like when say Malaysian, it doesnt mean Muslim. but If you say Malay it would Muslim in Malaysia...In Indonesia when say Malay or Melayu, it doesnt mean Muslim. Right?

Kiram Family are scattered all over the world, but the one that recieved the payment are staying either in the Philippines and Sulu Archipelago...Yes Malaysian Government paid them.

Neldy Jolo

When Tausug embrace Islam in 11th century their name as Tausug/ Suluk/Sulug never changed...That is why West called them Moro of Sulu or Muslim of Sulu or simply Sulus who embraced Islamic Faith...We have to identify the National Identity and the Religious Identity. Like the Word "Melayu" in the broader context doesn't mean Muslim or religious, but Racial Identity. Right? It is only in Malaysia that" Melayu" is synonymous to Muslim or Islam.

To make it more clear: Tausug is both National Identity for All of the inhabitants of Sulu Archipelago at the same time synonymous to Islam. We have to look at the different ethnics of the Sulu Archipelago as part of the collective national identity, Tausug...

Ethnics that are within Sulu Archipelago (Sulu Sultanate) collectively called Tausug are:

1. Buranun (Muslim)

2. Baklaya (Muslim)

3 Tagimaha (Muslim)

4. Banjar (Muslim)

5. Sama (Muslim)

6.Dampuan (Muslim)

7. Yakan (Muslim)

8. Subanen (Mostly Christian and No religion)

9.Kalibugan (Muslim - former Subanen)

10. Mulbug (Muslim)

11. Jama Mapun (Muslim)

12. Bisayan (Christian and some embrace Islam)

13. Palawani (Muslim)

14. Bangingi (Muslim)

15. and many other...

'aN

ok! cleared than.. thank u so much Mr Neldy!

Neldy Jolo

You are welcome…if u have clarification let me know...

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150393697538826

MEETING WITH GREAT BANGSAMORO REPUBLIC PRESIDENT

2011-10-28T03:01:00.000-07:00

Neldy Jolo

I am reposting my first article about Maas Nur Misuari, after meeting him in person. I just wanted to remind myself how did I started to write about him, in the black book: Maas Nur Misuari. I wrote this article and posted in my old blog on 29 October 2006 @ neldy.wordpress.com.

It was a great pleasure to meet the great Bangsamoro Leaders and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Founding Chairman Professor Dr. Nurullaji Pining Misuari in his house in New Manila, 6th Street, # 27, Quezon City, Philippines where he is put in house arrest transferred from Laguna after his medical treatment.

He was granted a 3 day open house to allow people to visit him without seeking permit from the government for the celebration of Eidl Fitri Almubarak last October 23-25, 2006.

It was my first time to see and talk to him in person for many years of his existence as leader of the Bangsamoro. For me he had already reached and achieved the status of being one of the great leaders of the world.

His statement struck me when he said,” by my detention all Bangsamoro are detained including those still in the womb of their mothers”. It gives me strength to work for peace. I also felt and realized that I am included in the detention.

I am very optimistic that conflicts in Mindanao will be solved, because according to him (Misuari) being optimistic is a praying- praying that war will end one of these days in Mindanao.

I am already tired of war in Mindanao, particularly in Sulu, as I usually called myself the “child of war sufferer”. After the 1974 burning of Jolo my parents migrated to Sabah to find sanctuary that they can live peacefully. Their experiences in war challenged me to finish my study.

Because of war my father did not able to finish his schooling. If he happened to finish his study he will have a stable job to sustain my study and I might not suffer during my study in terms of expenses and other matters.

So much for that I am still very thankful. My father was an MNLF combatant, his father and uncle said to him,”mag-uno pa kaw mag iskul sin yari kita nagbabaugbug sin hulah, bangsa iban agama” (for what you are going to school even we are here to defend our land, people and religion) by this statement my father joined MNLF and stop schooling.

Maas Nur Misuari started the revolution not because of his personal interest but for the interest of the people of today and tomorrow. He doesn’t want to let the people to feel the pain and suffer for a lifetime. He is thinking the children after him that might experience another suffering from colonization and aggression.

Maas said in front us” I am willing to die anytime and anywhere for I had laid the ideas of national liberation, self determination and decolonization that the young generation after me may continue”.

Despite of his experience in leading the war he is not encouraging the youth to make war as he said with a low tone voice” I am a man of peace I don’t want anybody to experience the suffering from past to be repeated”,”I don’t encourage you to go to war to experience the pain”. As it is understood he is promoting the non-violent act of protest.

This coming December 2-3, 2006, he will be attending meeting per invitation of OIC in Jeddah. Hopefully the government will allow him to go for the sake of lasting and sustainable peace in Mindanao. Insha Allah.

LETTER TO PRESIDENT P-NOY - TAUSUG NURSING STUDENT

2011-08-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Neldy Jolo

This is the letter of a Tausug Nursing student expressing her sentiment to the president of the Republic of the Philippines, P-Noy. She has a good write. She is a young talented girl that understands and experience the chaotic condition of the people around her, whom she belong – the Tausug. This Tausug young generation is aware of what is happening - the history, culture and the real identity that she is part. This was sent to the President this month.

This letter writing was their requirement. The instructor required his student to write a letter to the president according to the issues they wanted to bring. He started requiring student since the time of Marcos.

Her instructor commented:

“...The entire content deserves to be fully respected. And I think I am not in a position to edit your ideas as presented...What is most important is the substance which I think should be answered by the Office. Hope the President will really consider those points in your letter. Anyway, let me know whatever would be the response.”

The letter runs this way:

August 23, 2011

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III

President Republic of the Philippines

Malacañang Palace

Compound J. P. Laurel St., San Miguel

Manila City

Dear Mr. President:

Good morning your Excellency. My name is CUJ, 18 years of age, an ordinary student of Western Mindanao State University-Zamboanga City. I am writing to ask for your support and help for the TAUSUG people living in Sulu. I am a Tausug. And I cannot afford to see the situation of my land like this.

Let us be frank and practical to solve our respective problems. Filipino is for Filipino, Tausug is for Tausug.

Sulu people or Tausug have been put as one of the tribes of the Philippines, hence they are now called Filipino per legal document of the Republic of the Philippines. The word Filipino was coined during the invasion of the Spanish to group of Islands that were known as Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago.

The known “FILIPINO” was address to the Christianized people of Luzon and Visayas which were known as INDIOS – natives of the islands. Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago people were called MORO by Spanish before their religion - ISLAM. The real identity of the Sulu People is called Tausug, thus made them distinguished from FILIPINO and Tausug were never Christianized as Indios do. Tausug already exists before Spanish set foot to the Sulu Archipelago in 1578. They have their own government and system, the Sultanate of Sulu that was established in 1405 led by Ahlul Bait, Sultan Syariful Hashim Sayyid Abubakar.

The inclusion was started after the “mock battle” between America and Spain then signed the Treaty of Peace in Paris, France in 20 December 1898, known today as Treaty Paris. Through this treaty that Sultanate of Sulu was included as part of the Philippine Islands. After around nine months, America and Sulu signed treaty called Bates Treaty in 20 August 1899.

Sultanate of Sulu started forcibly became part of the Republic of the Philippines when the United States of America gave independence to the Philippine Islands (that is Luzon and Visayas only) in 1946, without the consent of the citizens or people of Sulu, the TAUSUG.

Present Endeavour

After four decades of movement for independence in Mindanao and Sulu brought about by MNLF for Bangsamoro Republik of which ended to “autonomy” and now MILF is on the table bargaining the “sub-state” for Bangsamoro Homeland that is previously also wanting independence.

Every human heart in Mindanao and Sulu is now put in vain and frustrations with the directional changed of these two big fronts from independence to something else – autonomy and sub-state. Since Tausug has separate history and government from Mindanao, they moved to reassert their independence last 17 November 2010 by bringing the issue of citizenship and sovereignty rights aside from religious right as Muslim.

That is because sovereignty is permanent and perpetual and citizenship or nationality movement is one of the peaceful or the alternative movement other that armed movement. It is according to the legal rights and basic human rights – as mention in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – The Rights to Nationality.

Tausug still owns the de jure government (sovereign government) and right now running their de facto government (government of the fact) even though Philippine de facto government is still in the playing in the Sulu Archipelago.

Tausug, the citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu have been struggling for years of their right of self-determination. They have then defended their island country of Southeast Asia from the Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and right now the Filipinos who have tried to colonize and subdue the Sultanate of Sulu – UNCONQUERED!

In this, I am asking the Philippine de facto government to withdraw from the territory of the de jure Sultanate of Sulu government thus FILIPINO IS NOT TAUSUG!

With this I am glad to hear a positive response from you Mr. President.

~LET SULU GOVERN HER OWN~

p.s: pls pull AFP out from Sulu. Plentiful of PNP-SAF were already visible in our place.

Sincerely,

CUJ - Student Nurse.

TAUSUG: CHINESE STRONG ALLY

2011-06-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

Neldy Jolo

The question on Spratly Islands between China and the Philippines are right now the in the world’s circulation. The two governments are defending to each other of their own claims. But the real holder of the islands is silent?

Darwin T. Wee of Business World Online wrote recently, a team from Sulu archipelago was invited by Chinese government via Philippine government to design museum in the Royal Tomb of Sulu of Sultan, Sultan Paduka Batara, who died in Dezhou City, Shandong Province in 1417.

Sultan Paduka Batara is said to be Sultan Kamaluddin Ibni Sultan Syariful Hashim Sayyid Abubakar, the second Sultan of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam.

Darwin Wee wrote, “The Chinese government has proclaimed the tomb under the state’s protection in January 1988 for its valuable and symbolic recognition of the friendship between...China.”

Mr. Loong said the Chinese government recognized that “there is a sultanate blood among Chinese people.” “There is one sultan who died in China that is to prove that during that time, China and the Sulu Sultanate are already in a diplomatic relationship in term of recognition of the sovereign authority of the Sulu Sultanate," Darwin Wee wrote.

The only international renowned Tausug Visual Artist, Rameeta (Rameer Tawasil), who just had back from his exhibition trip to Sweden and other European countries would be the one to design the museum – “design that emphasize on the Sulu Culture” Rameeta said, quoted by Darwin Wee.

Rameeta’s state of craftsmanship is beyond the art itself, thus honouring him as Sulu National Artist is not enough – indeed he is the modern art hero of the Tausug as well as the Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam.

Rameeta, a Tausug Singing-Painter rendered a song at a certain resto in Zamboanga City. He would be the one to go to China to design the Museum for Sulu Sultanate there..

This is again to carry back the glory of the Sulu Sultanate as the haven of pearls and as the island country back then, as had been known as such in the early century. American journalist John F. Bass wrote in the Harper's Weekly, 18 November 1899:

‎”The Sulu Archipelago seems to have become the dumping ground for the Oriental world. Here you find renegade Arabs; native Indian soldiers, for whom India has become too hot; even the Sudan, bad as it is, occasionally has a man so bad, he has to drift to Sulu. Like a Western mining camp of old, Sulu is full of adventure.” Chinese may have been present here at that time.

15 January 2010, News Strait Times, Malaysia published the article of Prof. Datuk Dr. Shaharil Talib, of the University Malaya commenting about Tausug:

“It was the Tausugs who were the undisputed mariners of the Sulu Sea whose seat of power was on the island of Maimbung on the Sulu Archipelago, the Tausugs blocked...the south from access into the Sulu Sea and into the Eastern Sea following the Palawan Passage, the main artery leading to the China market”.

This is true that Sulu and China diplomatic and trade ties back then when Darwin Wee quoting Habib Tupay Loong, the trip to China today is the “sign of recognition of the sovereign power of the Sultanate (of Sulu) in the past and want to preserve it...Chinese culture has been embedded in Tausug’s customs particularly in trade.”

In reference to the ownership of Spratly Island, Christopher Johnson wrote that Chinese official was saying that according to the Tausug forefathers, the Tausug great-great-grandfathers had already given the Spratly Island as a gift to the Chinese emperor. But the Chinese government cannot any more claim it through words because it is not accepted by the international community.

If the Tausug government, the Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam can certify that truly Tausug great-grandfather had already given that island and will sign the certification the Chinese government is committed to help the Tausug.

Subanun Prof Emmanuel Mangubat in his series of articles at Zamboanga Peninsula Journal in 2008, Zambaonga City usually argued, “Sulu Sultanate was established in the 14^th century when Republic of the Philippines did not yet exist. So who owns Spratly if not Sulu Sultanate?”

For the interest of peace and harmony, the circumstance like this must not be taken for granted. Chinese and Tausug government shall take the opportunity to talk further on the matter before anything else.

Somehow this would be for the good of the region – retrospect to the area of “Sulu Zone” as peaceful and harmonious international trading zone – beyond racial boundaries. Tausug even has the own name to the Chinese. They called the Chinese, Lannang and China called Turisina.

The Tausug is hoping that through the courtesy of Chinese to build a museum of Sulu Sultanate somehow would resort to the reestablishment of the diplomatic and trade ties between them.

Eventually China will formally recognize the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam’s independence reasserted and declared last 17 November 2010 at Jolo City, the state capital of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam with Paduka Batara Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Bantilan Muhammad Muizzuddin II.

The date of the reassertion was synchronised with the Sulu Sultanate establishment on 17 November 1405. And enthroned Sayyid Abubakar as the first Sultan and called him Paduka Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Syarif Al-Hashim.

*FILIPINO IS NOT TAUSUG!

2011-05-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

Neldy Jolo

Overview

Sulu people or Tausug have been put as one of the tribes of the Philippines, hence they are now called Filipino per legal document of the Republic of the Philippines.

Filipino was coined during the invasion of the Spanish to group of Islands that were known as Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago. The known “FILIPINO” was address to the Christianized people of Luzon and Visayas which were known as INDIOS – natives of the islands.

Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago people were called MORO by Spanish before their religion - ISLAM. The real identity of the Sulu People is called Tausug, thus made them distinguished from FILIPINO and Tausug were never Christianized as Indios do.

Tausug already exists before Spanish set foot to the Sulu Archipelago in 1578. They have their own government and system, the Sultanate of Sulu that was established in 1405 led by Ahlul Bait, Sultan Syariful Hashim Sayyid Abubakar.

The inclusion was started after the “mock battle” between America and Spain then signed the Treaty of Peace in Paris, France in 20 December 1898, known today as Treaty Paris. Through this treaty that Sultanate of Sulu was included as part of the Philippine Islands. After around nine months America and Sulu signed treaty called Bates Treaty in 20 August 1899.

Present Endeavour

Every human heart in Mindanao and Sulu is put in vain and frustrations with the directional changed of these two big fronts from independence to something else – autonomy and sub-state.

Since Tausug has separate history and government from Mindanao, they moved to reassert their independence last 17 November 2010 by bringing the issue of citizenship and sovereignty rights aside from religious right as Muslim.

That is because sovereignty is permanent and perpetual and citizenship or nationality movement is one of the peaceful or the alternative movement other that armed movement.

It is according the legal rights and basic human rights – as mention in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – The Rights to Nationality.

Tausug still own the de jure government (sovereign government) and right now running their de facto government (government of the fact) even though Philippine de facto government is still in the playing in the Sulu Archipelago.

The Sultanate of Sulu flag are now hoisted in the different towns and cities of Sulu Archipelago that Philippine de facto government cannot stop!

In this movement, the Tausug was asking the Philippine de facto government to withdraw from the territory of the de jure Sultanate of Sulu government thus FILIPINO IS NOT TAUSUG!

*This article was written for the “Critical Writing Workshop” at Yan, Kedah, Malaysia on 13- 18 May 2011.

ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS ABOUT SULTANATE OF SULU DARUL ISLAM (SSDI)

2011-04-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

What About SSDI?

Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam (SSDI) is a Muslim Kingdom founded by Raja Baginda in 1405. The first institutionalized Sultan was Paduka Batara Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Shariful Hashim @ Sayyid Abu Bakar bin Ali Zainal Abidin Al-Husseini. The last internationally recognized Sultan was Jamalul Kiram II who died in 1936. Although unconquered by foreign invaders, SSDI was colonized by the USA through other means from 1900 and passed on to the Philippines in 1946 amidst vehement protests by the Tausug citizens of SSDI. SSDI recognizes all International Humanitarian Laws and the United Nations Charter.

What is the Form of SSDI Government?

SSDI shall adapt the Parliamentary Sultanate form of government. Parliamentary system is a responsive government, accountable to the people at all times, an accountability that is not subject to popular caprice, rather, one based on major issues of national policy and readily adapts in the people. When issues are debated in Parliament, thorough scrutiny and fiscalization of administration, policies are assured. This form of government is predicted to show the viability of political and economic development for the entire Tausug peoples – free from all forms of foreign domination and subjugation.

How will SSDI derive Her Sustenance?

SSDI is known scientifically to be rich in various valuable minerals and natural resources, such as Oil beneath the Sulu Sea, Gold, Silver, Manganese, Cooper, Kerosene, etc. in different parts of the archipelago. These, not to mention the wealth and assets of the SSDI stashed in several banking institutions worldwide, are enough to ensure the viability and sustainability of the government and sovereignty of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam.

What is a Tausug and who are the Tausugs?

Tausug is the nationality of the citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam, whether they are ethnically: Bajao, Baklaya, Banjar, Bisaya, Buranun, Chavacano, Idaan, Iranun, Jama Mapun, Kalibugan, Molbog, Palawanon, Sama, Subanon, Tagimaha, Yakan, and others (in like manner that Filipino is a mixture of scores of ethnic groups throughout the Philippines).

What is UTC and UTP?

UTC or United Tausug Citizen and UTP or United Tausug People are ‘two faces of the same coin’, both of which signify the citizens of the sovereign Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. The only difference, (if at all it is) is that the UTC was originally formed in Sabah (Malaysia) while the UTP was coined by a SSDI worker in Jolo to distinguish the Tausugs of Sulu archipelago from those in Sabah (who are also originally from Sulu). SSDI has resolved not to recognize those who claimed to be UTP but identified themselves with splinter groups other than the main or legitimate SSDI led by HRH Sultan Bantilan Muhammad Muizzuddin II.

What is the Difference Between UTC and other Groups?

Basically a non-combatant group and an advocate of non-violence, the United Tausug Citizens are the supporters of the SSDI who only want to see a peaceful transition of their national sovereignty and independence from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) to the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. The UTC, however, reserved the right to retaliate to every kind of provocation being hurled against them.

How to Achieve SSDI Independence through Peaceful Transition?

SSDI has been issuing Birth Certificates to all Tausugs, Citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam, who want to reclaim and reassert their independence from the GRP. SSDI Independence can be achieved when the TAUSUG CITIZENS unite with one voice to reassert the sovereign status of the SSDI, and demand the withdrawal of the GRP from their territory. All historical accounts point to the fact that the SSDI is an unconquered Kingdom and therefore retains her inalienable rights of sovereignty, self-determination and independence.

What is the role of the USA in SSDI?

The Americans have a great responsibility to rewrite the history of Tausug and to give justice where it is due. Not only that the Sulu Archipelago contains valuable minerals and resources vital for USA and SSDI mutual interests, the USA have a responsibility to right the wrongs they had done in this part of the world. They violated bilateral Agreements between SSDI and USA (Bates Treaty and Carpenter Agreement) by unilaterally abrogating both and by ceding SSDI without the consent of the Sultan and the Tausugs to become a colony of the GRP in 1946.

Will the UN Entertain the Tausug Demands?

The world, through the United Nations, is not averse to the fact that the Tausugs of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam are victims of colonial subjugation. As an unconquered people and kingdom forced by circumstance to be colonized by the GRP in 1946, amidst vehement protests and resentments along with other Moro groups in Mindanao, SSDI’s history is alive in the archives of many older UN-member nations, especially the superpowers and members of the UN Security Council. The UN Commission on Decolonization of 1960 fits hand-in-glove with the status of SSDI that deserved to become independent along with the new States of East Timor (Timor Leste), Kosovo and others. The UN is a highly esteemed world organization which will not swallow back a policy that has been already accepted by its member-nations.

Why SSDI Advocated Non-Violence, No-War Policy?

The Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam is cognizant of the fact that war or violence has been the main cause for the Tausug being uprooted from their homes that resulted in the proliferation of internal and external refugees with as many as half-a-million having crossed over the border to Sabah and other neighbouring countries. War also gives ample opportunities for the adversary to decide on whatever course of action deemed necessary by the colonial government to suppress the inalienable rights of its colony like the SSDI. The war advocated by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) against the GRP did not achieve any positive gain or relief to the Tausug and Moro Causes. On the contrary, it only brought more pain and misery to the SSDI and Moro struggle for self-determination and independence.

Why SSDI Should Lead the Way to Independence?

The Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam is the only recognized sovereign entity of the Tausug and Moro people of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Spain and USA should never have included SSDI in the transactions of the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Spain never had complete sovereignty over the SSDI. The Bates Treaty and Carpenter Agreement between SSDI and the United States of America (USA) in early 1900, which the latter unilaterally abrogated, are testimony to the fact that SSDI is a sovereign state. For that matter, it is only logical that SSDI lead the Movement for Independence of her own predetermined parameters and territory.

Why Mindanao Cannot be Included in SSDI?

Mindanao is not a part of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. It belonged to a separate kingdom, the Maguindanao Sultanate which, for around two centuries, was ruled contemporarily with SSDI by the Sultans of Maguindanao. The Maguindanao and Maranao peoples of Mindanao are the proud descendants of the once sovereign Sultanate of Maguindanao, the coverage of which stretches almost over the whole of Mindanao up to parts of the Visayas and was highly recognized by European and Western powers of that time.

Who Should Govern the SSDI?

Where SSDI is concerned, it should be governed by the legitimate Sultan of Sulu, as was always the case since its inception in the 15th Century. The Sultan has always been acting as the vicegerent of Allah within the territory. Therefore, unless the Constitution is overhauled, to change the form of government, the Sultan should always be the head of government and commander-in-chief of the Rosul Armed Forces, not as any Royal lineage claimed to be, but as the Constitution and majority of Tausug citizens indorse and/or decide for themselves.

Who Should be the Legitimate Sultan of SSDI?

No one has the monopoly to be the legitimate Sultan of Sulu. The succession and the right to ascend the throne have to be determined by both the Rumah Bichara (Parliament) and the Council of Ministers in accordance with tradition. For now, the Sultan that the Tausug citizens have supported is Sultan Bantilan Muhammad Muizzuddin II @ Datu Ladjamura bin Datu Wasik Aranan, from the lineage of the Second Heir to the SSDI Throne.

What or who is the Council of Ministers?

The Council of Ministers is composed of senior leaders, prominent Datus and Sharifs of SSDI who are either nominated by a group of citizens and/or appointed by the Sultan to the Rumah Bichara or Parliament. They legislate laws based on the Holy Qur’an, Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and cultural tradition of Tausugs for the benefit of the people and government of SSDI.

What is the Status of Sabah within the Sovereign SSDI?

Historically, Sabah belongs to the Sultanate of Sulu. But as it has been administered and developed by Malaysia for over four decades, its status shall be the subject of a bilateral negotiation between the brotherly States of SSDI and Malaysia, in relation to the “Lease Agreement” entered into by the Sultan of Sulu and the British Company or Institution in the 18th century or so ago.

What is the Territory Covered by SSDI?

1.Basilan Islands

2.North Borneo and islands

3.Palawan Islands (including the Spratlys)

4.Sulu Islands

5.Tawi-Tawi Islands and

6.Zamboanga Peninsula and islands

What is the Significance of November 17, 2010 Declaration?

As a matter of fact, the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam has always been a Sovereign or Independent nation since inception in the 15th Century, but was submerged under colonial subjugation, treachery and deceit from the dawn of the 20th century until formally colonized in 1946. November 17, 2010 marked the 605th Anniversary and Declaration of Reassertion of Independence and Sovereignty of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam from decades of colonial strangulation and subjugation. Having matured over the years, SSDI is now ready to embark on the full restoration of her sovereignty as an independent Constitutional Sultanate, free from the colonial stranglehold of the Republic of the Philippines.

What is the Prospect of UN Recognition of SSDI Independence?

The UN recognition of SSDI is a certain reality. In fact, the UN must be wondering why SSDI has not made any effort to reassert her independence, since the Decolonization Commission was set up in 1960. But whether the UN recognition of SSDI Independence comes sooner or later, the SSDI has already resolved to implement the government of her choice within her territorial integrity and national sovereignty mentioned above. Due to the fact that there are several Tausug citizens living in quandary as refugees in diaspora abroad and as “internally displaced people” all over the Sulu archipelago, who the GRP seemed to have no more concern over their resettlement for good, SSDI can no longer rely on the GRP whims and caprice to change the course of the Tausug people’s future, the great majority of whom no longer wanted to be identified as Filipinos.

What Currency will the SSDI Government Use?

Praised be Allah, the Most Beneficent, Most Merciful, the Government and People of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam have decided to use Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham as her official currency to be known as “PILAK TAUSUG” or ‘PL’ for short. One Pilak (PL) Dinar is approximately equivalent to US$200; and One PL Dirham is around US$5.00. The exact rate of exchange of which shall be fixed later.

What About the Status of Non-Muslim Minorities within SSDI?

Christians and the non-Muslim minorities within the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam shall have their rights and privileges duly recognized and protected as citizens of SSDI. As a matter of policy, no citizen of the SSDI shall be discriminated against on account of religion and ethnicity. Those who have been born and living within the SSDI at the time of Independence for at least five years and who apply for citizenship on their own accord, shall be accepted as citizen of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam upon the recommendation, concurrence or approval of the State Minister where they live, with equal rights and privileges as all other Tausugs.

Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam

Banua Buansa, Jolo, Sulu

Email: sulusultanate9@gmail.com

For further info, please log on to the following websites:

http://tausug-global.blogspot.com
http://taymanghud.blogspot.com
http://theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com
http://alltausug.blogspot.com
http://camlun.multiply.com

http://tausug-global.blogspot.com/2011/04/questions-and-answers-about-sultanate.html

SUGBUANON CONFUSION OVER SINULOG OR SINUG:TAUSUG HAS THIER OWN DEFINITION!

2011-02-09T02:40:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

Cebuanos are debating the correct name to the Cebu Sinulog Festival honouring Señor Santo Niño at Cebu every third Sunday of January according to tradition. Sinulog is also celebrated at Digos, Davao del Sur.

A more than 80 year old lady Estelita Diola or known as Nang Titang pronounced Sinulog as Sinug. Nang Titang is being acknowledged as “the Keeper of the Sinulog Beat” by the Cebuano Studies Center, University of San Carlos.

Jobers Bersales concluded in his article “Sinug or Sinulog?” that “Sinulog is Sinulog and has never been “Sinúg’” Mr. Bersales was surprised as said that Sinulog was once exist as Sinug in the pre-Spanish period.

Mr. Besales also simply said that it was the penchant of Cebuanos in the urban areas to remove letter ‘L’ from almost every Cebuano word.”

Mr. Bernales stressed that, “Whatever the case, the practice has stuck but to say that “Sinúg” is the older word is untenable. No dictionaries of the early missionaries down to the end of the Spanish period ever mention any “Sinúg””

Nang Titang called her dance as “Sinug Dance”, of two steps forward and one step backward. The dance steps are depicting the movements of the sea current called “Sulug” which is the original steps of Sinulog steps.

Mars G. Alison writes, “Sinug is the traditional prayer-dance for people seeking personal intentions...Back then, it was not a contest but purely offering”.

The possibility of the word “Sinulog” to exist accordingly was from the earliest photograph of the “Sinulog” found in Felix Laureano’s “Recuerdos de Filipinas” published in 1895.

In the exact reproduction of the photo in 2001 in the translated book by Felice Noelle Rodrigues labelled it as “Sinulog or Moro-Moro”. It was even describe that “Sinulog or Moro-Moro” as performed during fiestas.

The Cebuanos traces the Sinulog dance from the Raja Humabon’s wife Nuyla or Juana. She dances upon receiving the image of Señor Santo Niño as gift from the group of Ferdinand Magellan after accepting Catholic faith.

Accordingly, historians assumed that traditionally, Cebuanos dancing the same upon seeing the image of “anito.” They also trace the dance in the story of Baladhay; saying while Baladhay was sleeping in the Nuyla’s room suddenly wakes up and dances with Santo Nino.

Sinug in Sulu Archipelago does mean “utterance of Bahasa Sug or Sulu language.” Sinug was a short form of Sinulug from the word Sulug also means sea current. Sinug also mean as “Of Sulu”, “Of Sug” or "Of Sulu language". Like “Of Samal or Of Sama” as Siamal, Sinamal or Sinama.

Sulu people or Tausug is commonly to silent the letter “L” in the middle of the word, thus Sulug shortened to Sug. Sug referring to the sea current and people’s collective identity and Sulu to the country based from the sea current of the Sulu Sea along Sulu Archipelago, thus signifying Sulu as the “Island Country of Southeast Asia.”

To clear out the uncertain origin of the word Sinulog or Sinug in Cebuanos, the Tausug has the point view based from lingual and historical interpretations. It could be interpreted that Sinulog or Sinug dance was performed by the Sugbuanon in the pre-Spanish time when the Sulu diplomat are coming to Sugbu (wave) that time.

The dance could be derived from the dance offering of the Sugbuanon to the Sulu people or Tausug and named it Sinulog or Sinug. They honoured the arrival of the Tausug with the dance as they perhaps then part of the Sulu dominion. They dance with personal intentions to thank the visit of their leaders coming to their island.

While Sinulog dance was labelled as “Moro-Moro” by the Spanish, the possibility of the named Sinulog was taken from Tausug or Sulu is confirmed per interpretation.

The ambience of the happy offering was changed the perception of the Sugbuanon towards the Tausug. This was happened when the Spanish turned the move of Tausug to combat Spanish colonialism as “Piracy”.

The Spanish colonialism to Visayas was so intense until everybody converted to Christianity. That’s how Spanish changed the culture of the Cebuanos, but failed to subjugate and Christianize Tausug.

Source: http://www.travelph.ganiboi.com/

When the Tausug arrived to Visayas Island, the people there will be shouting “El Moro! El Moro!” and ran towards the mountain.

The called “Moro Raids” is depicted in the dance in Salakayan Festival being celebrated in Iloilo. Salakayan for Tausug is “Sakayan” meaning outrigger boat.

The legend of Sulu Sail or Layag Sug will be coming soon as independent film. Let us witness and be part of its making. You could be producer, co-producer and many more!

LUNTARSUG: A LOST ANCIENT SULU WRITING SYSTEM!

2011-02-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

Pre-Spanish Philippines has said to be known of having the ancient writing system known as Baybayin. It was noted by a Spanish priest Pedro Chirino in his “Relación de las islas Filipinas” in 1604 and Antonio de Morga in 1609.

There was no mention of specific place where Baybayin was discovered. Spanish called Baybayin as “Tagalog letters” while Bikolano called it “Basahan”. To the Tausug, Basahan or Bassahan means a “place to read, a manner of reading or will be reading” from the word “Bassa” meaning “to read”.

Baybayin was used generally to write personal writings; poetry and diary. William Henry Scott argued that there was no literacy was first achieved and no historical record of the writing system itself because some Datu from 1590’s could not sign affidavits and oaths in 1620’s.

Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler Antonio Pigafetta wrote that Visayans were not literate in 1521, but Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reported that Visayans have letter and characters learned from Malay.

This was supported by Francisco Alcina, a century later that Visayans learned it from Tagalog and Tagalog learned it from Bornean known to them as “Moro Writing”. Baybayin was perhaps learned from Sulus or Tausug because Sulu was in the height of its civicultural influences as well as politico-economic power in 1500’s.

At least five theories about the origins of Baybayin, such as: Kawi Script from Java, Pallava Script from Sumatra, Lontara Script from Sulawesi, Assamese Script from Bengal and Cham Script from Champa. These theories were coming from scholars David Diringer, Fletcher Gardner and Isaac Taylor.

Baybayin means “spelling” that comes from the Tagalog word “baybay” which means “to spell”. Baybay in the Visayan language could mean “beach”. Baybayin as a writing system had invited many scholars to research on.

Dean Paul Rodriguez Versoza of the University of Manila changed Baybayin into Alibata in 1914 when he gave lectures in 1921 and explained it in his writing “Pangbansang Titik nang Pilipinas” in 1939. He coined Alibata from the first three letters of Arabic characters; Alif, Ba, Ta’ where it widely known in Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago.

Some historians do not agree with Dean Versoza, especially Paul Morrow because his claimed of Alibata has no indication of ancient writing system in the archipelago; it is totally a modern creation and absolutely has no relationship to Baybayin.

Father Francisco Lopez introduced “Doctrina Cristiana” in Ilocano published in 1621 using the Tagalog form of Baybayin to preach Christianity to the natives. Despite of extensive usage of Spanish priest for evangelization in 1500’s, Baybayin was started to get abandon in the late 1600’s and later disappeared.

Tausug historian, Samuel K. Tan wrote that the first written literature of Sulus or Tausug was called Luntar. It was known as ancient writing of the Tausug aside from Sulat or Surat Sug. Sulat Sug is of Arabic characters that use to write in Bahasa Sug or known as Jawi in Malay world. Luntar was believed to be an individual and personal historical accounts and biographies.

The Luntar was perhaps practiced before the widespread advent of Islam begun in 7^th or 9^th century to Sulu Archipelago. Luntar was perhaps lost and burned during the first burning of Jolo by the Spanish armada in 16^th century.

Spanish destroyed the Tausug writings perhaps to bury the ancient Tausug symbol of civilization. The Spanish might dispirited for not winning the battle with Tausug in their coercive attacks.

Luntar means “tossing words from mouth”. Paul Morrow wrote that pre-Hispanic writing tools were called panulat. Panulat is a Tausug word which means “writer” and “hipanulat” means “tool uses to write” from the word Sulat which means “to write and letter.”

Since the theories of the origin of Baybayin was from Kawi of Java, Pallava of Sumatra, Lontara of Sulawesi, Assamese of Bengal and Cham of Champa and the Tagalog and then Visayans learned the Baybayin from Bornean, it seems that scholars are inconsistent about their discovery of the Baybayin where it was derived and learned from.

These five theories of the origin of Baybayin don’t agree with the place where it was learned by Tagalog and then Visayans.

If Baybayin was learned by Visayans from Tagalog then Tagalog learned it from Bornean, therefore the lost original script for this Baybayin was from Sulu Archipelago and Borneo known as Luntar.

Some Bornean in the early century are also known as Sulus, Sulug, Suluk, Tausug or people of Sulu Archipelago and Borneo. This was during the pre-Spanish invasion in 15^th century.

Upon the analysis to the assumptions of historians regarding the origin of Baybayin and/or Alibata that seems contracting to each other, I and Asree Sug developed the Baybayin and/or Alibata into a new writing to name it LUNTARSUG.

We have added few characters to Baybayin and/or Alibata to suit with the modern spelling of words according to the English alphabet and named the font and its system as “ASREENELDY”. Those characters are; ja, za, ra, fa, patay and sangka’.

It would be published later as part of the book “Sejarah Sulug dan Teori Likusantara: Kepulauan Sulu sebelum muncul nama Philippines” or Sulug History and Likusantara Theory: Sulu Archipelago before named Philippines exist.

In this book the pre-Spanish Philippines was known as part of the Sulu Archipelago.

CHENG HO SAILS TO SULU ARCHIPELAGO AND THE GOLD AND SILVER COINS

2011-02-03T02:21:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

Some of the seven naval sails of Laksamana Cheng Ho were dropped by Sulu Archipelago. Year 1405 was the enthronement of Sayyid Abu Bakr, the Sulu first Sultan as Paduka Mahasari Maulana Sultan Sharif Al-Hashim.

1405 was also the year that China sent mission to Sulu, and 1405 also the year when Emperor Yung Lu first entrusted his favour to Cheng Ho as the admiral of the gigantic armada designated for international tributary missions.

It was usual to Laksamana Cheng Ho to erect landmark at mountain or hilly place in the country they sailed to. In 1409, he brought stone tablet to be erected in Sri Lanka, it is presently known as “Galle Trilingual Inscription” erected in 1411 in Galle.

Upon Cheng Ho’s arrival to Sulu Archipelago, specifically at Tanjung, Jolo in 1408, he left his companion Pei Pei Hsien to settle in Jolo when Pei Pei Hsien aboard Sam Po Kong fleet fell sick. Pei Pei Hsien stationed and lives at Maubuh for about eight years after his transfer from Tanjung.

Pei Pei Hsien built a deep-well artesian as the symbol of gratitude for the hospitality the Sulu native people, the Tausug. Upon his death he was buried at Jati Tunggal, Indanan.

His tomb is right now known as Poon Tao Kong and Poon Tao Kong become known as a Chinese temple in Sulu Archipelago. Poon Tao Kong temple are also found in Bongao and Siasi, Sulu.

Gregorio Zaide said as mentioned in Chinese records Pan Tao Kong or Pei Pon Tao died on 26 December 1405 while the ship of Laksamana Cheng Ho was anchored in Jolo shore during the their first voyage to the Malay and Sulu Archipelago. He was the Chinese tribute collector. 26 December was the date that brought Chinese residence in Jolo to make pilgrimage to his tomb every year.

If this would be the case, the tribute mission that China did to Sulu in 1405 was coincided with the enthronement of Sayyid Abu Bakr as first Sulu Sultan on 17 November 1405. Tausug historian shall still look for Chinese records to prove that Pei Pei Hsien died in 1408 and Pei Pon Tao died in 1405 in Tanjung, Jolo, Sulu are the same person.

In 1415, Lakasaman Cheng Ho second in command Wang Jinghong was buried in Indonesia after his stay in Simongan, Semarang passed through Jawa Sea. A proof of their visit was a landmark called Kelenteng Sam Po Kong with statue known as Mbah Ledakar Dampo Awang Sam Po Kong, the same name with the fleet boarded by Pei Pei Hsien that visited to Sulu Archipelago. They also docked at Muara jati, Cirebon.

Günter Schwarz & Rosalinda Morgado-Schwarz wrote in the article Philippine Chronology, Laksamana Cheng Ho trip to Sulu Archipelago now renamed Philippines was sent by Emperor Yung Lu with a large fleet of around 60 ships.

The ships visited Pangasinan, Manila Bay, Mindoro and Sulu Islands and perhaps established a Chinese community there. This is also known when Indonesian Scholar Slamet Muljana writes that Cheng Ho had founded Muslim communities first in Palembang, Kalimantan, Jawa, Malay Peninsula and the Philippines as well as Sulu Archipelago.

The last voyage that Cheng Ho had was during the reign of Emperor Xuande in 1426- 1435. Cheng Ho died during this last voyage where his tomb never found until today. Although it was known today his tomb is in Nanjing, China but has been proven as empty.

This was brought to the notion that he was buried at sea like other admirals. Some historians believe Cheng Ho was buried at the Malabar sea coast near Calicut, Wes India. According to the oral tradition of the Tausug, there is a lost tomb beside the Poon Tao Kong Temple in Jolo that is believed to be the tomb of Laksamaan Cheng Ho.

Laksamana Cheng Ho was a descendant of a certain Bayan through a Persian Sayyid Ajjal Shams Al-Din Omar that was working during the Mongol Empire and was serving as Yunnan Governor during early Yuan Dynasty. He was known as Zheng Ho, Ma He, Mahmud Shams, Ma Sanbao (three jewels) that was born in 1371 and was a second son of a Muslim family.

Every 11 July of the year, Chinese celebrated the Maritime Day to commemorate the memory of Cheng Ho. He was named Cheng Ho by Prince Zhu Di when his horse was killed in a battle outside of Zhenglunba. Since Laksamana Cheng Ho is Ahlul Bait of Rasul, Nabi Muhammad (s.a.w) he should be addressed as Laksamana Habib Sayyid Mahmud Shams Al-Din Omar.

The tribute mission of the second Sultan of Sulu to Emperor Yung Lu, Sultan Kamaluddin was believed to be escorted by the armada of Laksamana Cheng Ho before Sultan Kamaluddin Ibni Sultan Sharif Al-Hashim Sayyid Abu Bakr died and buried in Shandong Province, China in 1417.

Laksamana Cheng Ho is related to Sayyid Abu Bakr since both are descendant of Ahlul Bait that bears the noble title of “Sayyid”.

Lakasamana Cheng Ho brought Tin coins made of copper minted in China under the authority of Ming Emperor along with the silver seal to be given as a gift to any country they harboured. In their voyages he never seeks for gold, silver, slaves and spices as European did.

There were an ancient coins discovered by the David M. Glickman while doing scuba diving in the Gulf of Siam. These coins are an authentic Chinese coin minted during the Sung Dynasty (960 A.D. - 1279 A.D.) and subsequently recovered from the Chinese shipwreck of the Yung Lo period of the early Ming Dynasty. Laksamana Cheng Ho used these historic coins as legal tender during his voyage.

By the rise of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam to stability the similar tribute mission shall be conducted of both countries. The common interest of Chinese and Tausug are the mutual business partnership inherited from the early history of China and Sulu that traded using coins made of gold, silver and copper. These are called to date as dinar, dirham and daniq (fulus).

Sulu Sultanate as an “Island country of Southeast Asia” is soon to use the currency known as Pilak that is made of gold, silver and copper as Tausug have been using this before the colonial administration arrived to the shore of Sulu. Extensive research about Sulu-China ancient relations shall be conducted soon, for it is the first relations that linked China to trade with the present Philippines.

That is why Tausug doesn’t want to be called Filipino or the people of the Philippines. They are Tausug and the people of Sulu, thus Sulu is not part of the Philippines. Filipino is not Tausug and Tausug is not Filipino!

Laksamana Cheng Ho navigational skills to explore the world prove that China is a great nation. Sulu also has then a navigator named Bahatol that guided Europeans to sail along Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea and other seas in Likusantara using moon and stars as guide.

The legendary sails of Laksamana Cheng Ho to Sulu Archipelago were one of the symbols of greatness and freedom of the Tausug Citizens back then to trade with other country of nation such as sleeping giant of the east, China!

NEW YEAR: MY NEW WISH AND RENEWAL OF HOPE!

2010-12-31T06:58:00.000-08:00

Neldy

Another stage of challenges in life will be coming. At exactly 12:00MN, the year 2011 will be starting. The year will be opened by these numbers 010111. It was just few days ago since the first month of Hijra, the Muharram, the first month of Gregorian calendar, January is here. The calendar was first called Julian calendar, named after Roman leader Julius Caesar and changed to Gregorian calendar after Pope Gregory.

The Islamic Calendar was instituted during the time of second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar Ibn Khattab, when he said, “the Hijra has separated the truth from falsehood, therefore, let it become the epoch of the era”. But the calendar was named after the emigration of Nabi Muhammad (s.a.w) in the year 622 A.D from Makkah to Madina. This emigration marks the beginning of Hijrah.

Every start of the year would be the beginning of every wish and renewal of hope by people of the world. People may wish to keep the bad fate away and let the good fate coming.

I wish and hope to myself for a good health and long lives. I wish and hope to the Tausug’s cause for complete independence of their homeland, Sulu Sultaniyah Darul Islam would be realized soon.

I wish and hope that international community will have the open eyes, mind and heart to keep track of the Sulu Sultaniyah’s cause for complete freedom as Kosovo and Palestine.

I wish and hope that Sulu Sultaniyah will follow the way of Kosovo and Palestine as new Free State and become the member of the family of free people; free from Riba, free from ignorance, free from the clutches of colonial mentality, free from arrogance and free from downgrading others.

I wish and hope that everything that I wanted to have in my remaining lives extended by Allah will be realized. I wish and hope that the novel I was starting to write will be finish soon.

I wish and hope I could write more books about Sulu archipelago and Tausug. I wish and hope I could finish the script for our first film project soon.

I wish and hope that we could pursue our dream to retrace the trace of the coming of Islam to Sulu Archipelago and write its story. I wish and hope that Allah guides me always to the right way and would increases my obedience to HIM.

I wish and hope a happy Amun Jadid and happy New Year to All!

ACHIEVING SULU INDEPENDENCE: JUST A START OF STRUGGLE, FACES GREAT CHALLENGES!

2010-12-02T01:26:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

The time of struggle has started. The Assertion of Independence declaration for the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam is just a start of continuing struggle to free Tausug from tyranny. This is a tyranny that borne out from self-interest and individual interest. The kind of interest that wanted to claim over being the prime movers of the struggle – afraid that cannot be known as such?

The day of the Assertion of Sulu Independence Declaration.

In the struggle there are many enemies. These enemies are internal and external. The great enemy is the internal enemy – comrades of the same struggle but different in interest. They are belonged to the same struggle, the Sulu independence, but different interest towards the struggle. One thing for sure they wanted their interest to be served.

This is the enemy that should be dealt with patience and perseverance. Afraid that the struggle will be lost in vain if not to consider this enemy’s interest – to compromise over which is less evil to give space to the “little good” is much better? This kind of enemy usually compromise but still let their interest win.

Miswarat of the Leaders before the Assertion.

The external enemy are political elite, silent masses, Philippine government personnel, professionals and business men. These groups are afraid to sacrifice what have been gained from the neo-colonial government of what they are serving – a sort of showing loyalty or by mere of still loving their job-for-living or rice-rice (bugas-bugas) in the Philippine government?

These are probably the most challenging to the people who struggled to the general or Sulu national interest of the masses and public. The friends of the people who struggle for general interest are those belong to the same interest – not just a struggle.

Peoples' Assembly before assertion.

This is true when Tuan Zakaria Abdullah reminded the masses of “there are no permanent friends, only permanent interest”. Thus mean only the “interest” itself is the permanent friends.

In the struggle there are also group of “manipulator” and “money-pull-a-tour”. The manipulator is a group that educate or teach the people of their rights to become more ignorant of their rights and become inutile of their rights as people. This manipulator group is also teaching people to become more silent of truth and much vocal of false. This group calls for “unity” but let people to get away from it. This group is also promotes “will of the people” however becomes the “group’s will to the people” for manipulation.

Tausug Armed Forces are ready to defend the Sulu territory by the guns of peace.

The “money-pull-a-tour” is a group that don’t need money but want it and don’t talk about money but speak of it. This group don’t need money because fear of people that might think the group is not for “real struggle” but for the “need of money”. This group don’t talk about money because the group don’t want people to know the interest towards it, but the group speak of money because need to have it and would get angry if not given – this led the group to be more vocal to speak about it. This “money-pull-a-tour” group is something an enigma of “pull money for a tour”.

So much for that, Sulu Darul Islam independence deserves to be recognized by the international community because Sulu people have recognized their state as such with distinguished “Tausug Citizenship” from “Filipino Citizenship”. The Tausug respect the principle of universal declaration of human rights and international peace and security.

If the international community adhere and respect the universal principle of freedom and upheld the principle of international law for right of self-determination is a right to independence, the instance of helping to develop Sulu Darul Islam for win-win benefits is right now here!

Whatever the interest and challenges maybe, still the goal of the Tausug is to urge, “Philippines Please Withdraw from Our Beloved Country”, Sulu Darul Islam. Gradual peaceful exit is better!

Photo Courtesy: TGM Staff

PHILIPPINES: “A BROKEN NATION”, SULU IS NOT BOUND!

2010-11-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

GMANews.TV on Saturday, November 27 reported, a Hong Kong-based human rights group, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has called the Philippines a "broken and lawless nation." This was concluded because of the Hong Kong tourist who died as hostage in Manila and killing of two farmers in Mindanao.

As quoted by GMANews.TV, AHRC stated in the article published in its website, "In a country where an individual can no longer protect himself, he cannot protect his family; a family that cannot protect its members, cannot protect the community where they belong; and a person, a family and a community that cannot protect itself cannot protect a Nation. A Nation that cannot protect its own citizens, their families and the community where they live cannot hope to protect the foreigners on its soil. It is a broken and lawless nation."

Tausug ask Philippines Please...Withdraw from Our Beloved Country. Photo: TGM Staff

Recently, Philippine Peace Panel was complaining about the Malaysian facilitator, Datuk Othman Abdul Razak in the GRP-MILF peace talks. Philippine Peace Panel was accusing Datuk Othman being impartial, although none of the claim was proven true. This accusation is causing much frustration to the Mindanao and Sulu citizens, so much to the youth. This led to the impasse of the supposed talks after Ramadan promised by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III in his inaugural speech in Manila last July.

On the other hand, MILF wanted Datuk Othman to be remained as facilitator because of his knowledge and proven to be credible. However, the decision to replace Datuk Othman is in the hand of Malaysia. If the peace talks cannot start as early as possible, there might be a big shift of the cause since Mindanao youth have urge the MILF leadership in their assembly to go back to the original cause of the struggle, that is independence. The independence cause was drop by the MILF during the facilitation of Malaysia. There might also be another war in Mindanao, hopefully none.

Philippines is also facing the world’s attention for bad images through the travel advisory of France, England, Australia and United States of America. In the travel advisory recommended not to travel to Sulu Archipelago; those are Zamboanga City, Basilan, Jolo, Siasi, and Tawi-Tawi because of the presence of extremist groups. These places are supposedly safe under own government, the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. Until Philippines is totally withdraw from the Sulu territory, no peace shall reign and no justice would occur. The complete freedom would remain a nightmare. The absence of the Philippines in Sulu territory is a death to the alleged extremism and terrorism. Social and economic business will function smoothly.

It is proven Philippines have been a “broken and lawless nation” even before its independence from the United States of America. Sulu and Mindanao were included in their nation, imagined nation – the Filipino Nation which culture and politics are too far to compare to that of Sulu and Mindanao.

Sulu Archipelago has its own state-government, the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. It was started in 17 November 1405 by its first Sultan, Paduka Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Sharif Al-Hashim Sayyid Abubakar. It was stolen when Paduka Mahasari Maulana Al-Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Kiram II died in 1936. Sulu right now is no longer part of the Philippines. The Tausug said in the streamer, “Philippines Please Withdraw from Our Beloved Country”. Tausug are no longer Filipino Citizens, they are Tausug Citizens.

Now that Sultanate of Sulu is back after about 74 years of living in the “lawless and broken nation”. The assertion of independence of the Sultanate of Sulu as Darul Islam has been declared last 17 November 2010 in front of the thousands of Tausug Citizens at Tulay Plaza, Jolo, Sulu Darul Islam. The Tausug citizens were also celebrating the 605^th anniversary of the Sulu Sultanate as sovereign state as well as Eidl Adha, the annual feast of sacrifice and Hajj of the Muslims around the world. Whatever you may call or name to the Philippines, Sulu is not included or bound in such names.

ASSERTION OF INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION!

2010-11-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

ASSERTION OF INDEPENDENCE

- http://www.taymanghud.blogspot.com/

D E C L A R A T I O N

Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-alamin! We, the United Tau Sug People (Tausug Citizens) under the interim government of the Council of Regents hereby declare Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam’s assertion of her independence and sovereignty, as she has since 1405, from now exercises and will continuously exercise her very own sovereignty in running the de jure government within her legal territory as an independent and sovereign state.

We are, therefore, demanding the withdrawal of the Filipino neo-colonial and de facto Government of the Republic of the Philippines from our beloved Country – the State of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam – with all due respect and humility.

Thus, this Declaration makes clear United Tau Sug People’s will as enshrined in the ‘Declaration of Unity’ (which forms part of this Declaration) that we unanimously signed on November 17, 2009, and it is in full accordance with our state’s unquestionable history, historic sovereign and proprietary title, political and legal rights warranted by and within the letter and spirit of municipal and international laws.

In the famous Sapphire Case, the U.S. Supreme Court had decided that, “…, and the sovereignty is continuous and perpetual,…”

In relation thereto, we invoke our utmost rights under the 1842, 1899 and the 1915 Treaties entered into by and between the State of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam and the United States of America.

On the other hand, in the Laurel vs Misa Case, 44 O.G. 1176, the Philippines Supreme Court decided that, “the absolute and permanent allegiance of the inhabitants of a territory occupied by the enemy to their legitimate government or sovereign is not abrogated or severed by the enemy occupation, because sovereignty of the government or sovereign de jure is not transferred thereby to the occupier, and if it is not transferred to the occupant, it must necessarily remain vested in the titular government. What may be suspended is the government of the territory occupied by the enemy which passes temporarily to the occupant. And, since sovereignty itself is not suspended and subsists during the enemy occupation, the allegiance of the inhabitants to their legitimate government or sovereign, subsists and therefore, there is no such thing as suspended allegiance.”

Accordingly, “sovereignty is permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, absolute, indivisible, inalienable, and imprescriptible.” (Isagani I. Cruz, Philippine Political Law, p. 26, citing Laurel vs Misa, 77 Phil. 856.).

Even granting otherwise, for the sake of argument, that this is a declaration of independence, as it is hereby declared as an alternative right of the state, “… that international law contained no prohibition of declarations of independence. During the second half of the twentieth century, the international law of self-determination developed in such a way as to create a right to independence for the peoples of non-self-governing territories and peoples subject to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation.” (Kosovo Declaration of Independence Case, 22 July 2010, International Court of Justice).

Having all the rights, it is our firm intention and resolved also to declare to be a constitutional Sultanate guided by the Noble Qur’ân and the Sunnah. We shall protect and promote the rights of all the people within the State of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam and guarantee their effective participation in political and decision-making processes of the government that respect and uphold the truth, rights and justice.

We welcome the international community’s recognition and support – both legal and/or political and humanitarian. We invite and welcome international peacekeeping and civilian presences to supervise our beloved country’s peace, security and development.

We also request the governments of the world due respect and protection of our Tau Sug citizens sojourning within their respective territories.

Let the copy of this Declaration be furnished to the United Nations, European Unions, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference and their respective member-states for information, appropriate actions and due recognition of our State.

Let the copy also of this Declaration be specifically furnished to the United States of America, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, People’s Republic of China, Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Further, let the copy of this Declaration also be immediately furnished to the Republic of the Philippines, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Local Governments of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Zamboanga Peninsula and Palawan.

Lastly, let the copy also of this Declaration be furnished to the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

UNANIMOUSLY SIGNED by the United Tau Sug People on the scheduled ‘Assertion of Independence Day’ on the 11th day of Julhadji’ 1431 A.H., corresponding to, November 17, 2010 C.E. which, is also the 605th Centenary Commemoration of the State of Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam held at Plaza Tulay, Jolo, Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam.

Wassalaam!

PHILIPPINES IS VACATING OUT FROM SULU TERRITORY!

2010-11-17T02:00:00.001-08:00

Neldy Jolo

With Reports from Sh Yazir Sh Rajim

JOLO, Sulu (November 17, 2010/3:54PM): The declaration of the Assertion of Independence of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam was just conducted few hours ago. The declaration was read by the representative of the United Tausug Citizens at Capitol Hill, Jolo, the capital city and the seat of government of the ancient Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam.

Before declaration, thousands Tausug from the United Tausug Citizens marched from the city center that was started early morning today (11-17-10). Right after declaration, the registration for land and sea transportations as well as the land area registration is being conducted.

“We are proud and thankful to Allah Almighty that He granted us freedom this momentous day. Our declaration coincided with the day of sacrifice of the Muslim Ummah of the world, the Aidil Adha. This day would be the winning day of the Muslim in Sulu Archipelago as well as Nusantara. The Sulu people have regain back the glory of the long lost stolen state-government, the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. Philippines is now vacating out from our territory”, said one of the members of UTC. – www.taymanghud.blogspot.com

THOUSANDS CONVERGE AT PLAZA TULAY: PHILIPPINES PLEASE WITHDRAW!

2010-11-17T01:42:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

With Reports Sh Aliazer Sh Abdurajim

JOLO, Sulu (November 17, 2010/Wednesday): The United Tausug Citizen is right now in the street of Jolo for the assertion of the Sulu Independence. As of 9:48AM Hji Zakaria Abdulla, the Secretary General for Foreign Relations, Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam sent message to the Tausug Global Media.

Sec. Gen Zakaria message says: “Thousands are now converged at Plaza Tulay and more are coming are their marches are being hampered unruly traffic and some are still observing their Eidil Adha”.

The United Tausug Citizen flew the banner of asking the Philippines to withdraw from the territory of the Sulu Darul Islam as saying: “PHILIPPINES PLEASE WITHDRAW”.

The international community sent prayers messages to the United Tausug Citizen. Some of the prayers say.

From Muslim community in Malaysia:

“May Allah give you strength, keep you the strong conviction, hold you together as hard as steel. May Allah provide those who struggle for peace, justice and freedom in ways only He understands, May Allah path the way as a peaceful success. Our doas (prayers) with all of you!”

From Muslim community in Bangladesh:

“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar! Long Live Sulu Darul Islam. May Allah’s Blessings be with you all”.

“Even I am still a Filipino I will support the restoration of the Sulu Sultanate Darul Islam for its independence” says Jaafar from Bongao, Sulu.

The flyers of the Sulu assertion of independence have been distributed in the streets of Jolo and public markets. - www.taymanghud.blogspot.com

SULU SULTANATE MARCHES TO INDEPENDENCE!

2010-11-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

JOLO, Sulu. A report channelled from Tausug Global Media Center who is assigned in Sulu to cover the pre and post Sultanate Assertion of Independence related events. Hji Zakaria Abdullah and Asreesulu both reported in their blogs as quoted by TGM Staff saying that the United Tausug Citizen is in intensive preparation for the events.

Asreesulu wrote that estimated around 20 thousand people will attend. Some are still on their way to attend. Peacekeepers of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam have been creating their Brigade to monitor possible unprecedented event to happen. And Hji Zakaria Abdullah wrote in the article below. Please read further.

Asreesulu is the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam Representative in Malaysia

Hji Zakaria Abdullah, Secretary General for Foreign Relations, Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam

SULU SULTANATE MARCHES TO INDEPENDENCE

Hji Zakaria Abdullah

Secretary General for Foreign Relations

Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam

The reassertion movement for independence of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam, which formally lost its sovereignty only in 1946, after 541 years in power, is now approaching a certain reality. With the majority of Tausug peoples united behind the monarchy, and all relevant interim governmental institutions already set in motion, it is only a matter of time that the Tausug people exercised their sovereignty once again.

Reliable reports show that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have already embarked on a phase withdrawal of their manpower and equipment. What remains are skeletal units of the AFP Marines manning checkpoints until complete withdrawal is achieved on or before November 17.

UN Peacekeepers takeover

All headquarters, barracks and outposts vacated by the AFP are being taken over by the UN Peacekeepers manned mainly by the U.S. armed forces. Apparently, the latter that came earlier for the RP-US Balikatan Exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) have assumed as the main protectors of the Tausug people.

They have successfully used the facilities of the Philippine government to achieve their mission; the only means the U.S. government can atone for their previous blunders in “condemning” the Tausugs of the former Sultanate of Sulu to become colonial subjects of the Filipinos from July 4, 1946 until November 17, 2010.

GRP respect Sultanate Flag

As a sign of recognition of the Sultanate of Sulu, the Philippine government has unwittingly or wittingly recognized the Flag of the Monarchy in principle. All units of the AFP are ordered to salute the Flag whenever they pass by, and not to encroach within a radius of 100 meters from where the Flag is raised.

Since the formal inception of the Assertion issue over three years ago, not a single shot is fired against either side except in isolated mis-encounters. On the other hand, as a sign of respect for those in authorities under the aegis of the GRP, the UTC has consistently maintained the struggle of non-violence, without the use of force, to avoid trouble of any kind.

Although there were minor hiccups in the relations between the UTC and GRP, it was always resolved through dialog and understanding among responsible leaders. Therefore, as far as the Sultanate of Sulu and the GRP are concerned, the parting of ways shall be characterized by mutual respect of each other’s rights to self-determination and independence.

Everyone is invited

The leadership of the Sulu Sultanate Independence Movement therefore invites the international community to join them on the historic day of 17 November 2010âs assertion of Independence in the historic city of Jolo, the capital of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam.

http://tausug-global.blogspot.com/2010/11/persiapan-3-hari-sebelum-17-nov-2010.html

http://camlun.multiply.com/

DECLARATION OF ASSERTION OF INDEPENDENCE!

2010-11-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Neldy Jolo

UNITED TAU SUG PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS

DECLARATION OF ASSERTION OF INDEPENDENCE

OF THE SULTANATE OF SULU DARUL ISLAM

10 DZULHIJJAH 1432 (17 NOVEMBER 2010)

BUANSA, JOLO ISLAND**

Bismillahi Rahmanir Rahim

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmahtullahi Walbarakatuhu!

Sultanate of Sulu was established long before the birth and coming of colonial countries and governments, the Spain, United States of America, Japan and the Philippines – Sultanate of Sulu still known and declared UNCONQUERED!

Sultanate of Sulu came into being as independent nation-state and eventually became part of Dar-al Islam by 25^th Jumadil Awwal 808 Al-Hijra equivalent to 17 November 1405 Anno Domino.

This was after the Rajaship Banua rule of Raja Baginda that was started in Buansa, Jolo Island, capital of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. The Islamic knowledgeable person was named as Paduka Batara Mahasari Maulana As-Sultan Shariful Hashim was Sayyid Abubakar. He was the first ever Sultan of the Sultanate System of Sulu government.

International treaties that were signed by the representatives and the Sultans of Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam proved that the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam was recognised as independent nation-state with sovereign native people as its citizens, the Bangsa Sug

The citizens were composed of different ethno-linguistics groups living in the different islands and islets and other adjacent land territories of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam known today as Tau Sug or Bangsa Sug.

By the will of Allah, the elements of states held by the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam are still complete and intact according to the international law; such as people, territory, government and sovereignty. The nation-state’s currency shall be called “Pilak” that are made of Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham coins.

The will of the Bangsa Sug to honour the martyrs in defending the freedom and liberty of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam is honouring the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness as the inhabitants of the peaceful world and as the independent nation-state member of the peaceful nations-states of the world.

So determined to see citizens resolved to own the government and to move beyond the conflicts of the past, it is right now recognizing the potential of the people and honouring Bangsa Sug men and women who made sacrifices of their lives to build a better future for the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam.

Confirming the universal principle of international peace and security and compliance to the norms of international humanitarian law and international universal human rights law, the Bangsa Sug is convening to assert the honours of human dignity of the citizens and honouring the existence of diverseness of the citizens for democratic unity beyond political boundaries without ethnic and religious discriminations to thwart any kinds of conflicts.

Inviting the international community, international organizations and the community of nations, especially the United Nations Organizations (UNO), Commonwealth of Nations (CN), Russian Federation (RF), Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), European Union (EU), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Muslim World League (MWL), League of Arab States (LAS), World Federations of United Nations Organizations (WFUNA), Association of World Citizens (AWC), World Health Organizations (WHO), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), World Islamic Mint (WIM), World Islamic Trade Organizations (WITO), World Trade Organizations (WTO), Geneva Call (GC) and others to support the reborn of ancient nation-state and its citizens as part of the civilize nation-state and people of world.

As member of the civilize native people of the world, the voice of the citizens is right now to declare the assertion of independence of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam that is adhering to the principle of Renouncing War and Denouncing Terrorism!

So for the sake of Allah, the Qur’an and Sunnah, the assertion of independence of Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam is right now declared!

ALLAH, PLEASE HELP US!

** The source is the circulation by the office of the Paduka Wazir.

RIGHT OF SELF DETERMINATION IS A RIGHT TO INDEPENDENCE!

2010-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Neldy Jolo

Tau Sug, the citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu have been struggling for centuries of their right of self-determination. They have then defended their island country of Southeast Asia from the Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and right now the Filipinos who have tried to colonize and subdue the Sultanate of Sulu – UNCONQUERED!

Despite of the huge and massive operational war conducted, the Tau Sug remains cling to their faith and nationalistic venture - to defend from the strong force of evangelic–colonialism, imperialism and feudalism.

Sultanate of Sulu was a subscript of then the world’s leading caliphate empire’s Dar Al-Islam, the Uthmaniyya Caliphate. This signifies the present name of the Sultanate of Sulu bearing the additional phrase “Darul Islam”, which put into “Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam” or “Sultanate of Sulu the Abode of Islam”, thus regulated beyond boundaries.

By virtue of the Tau Sug eminent right of self-determination to right of independence, they managed then to sign many international treaties with Spain, Great Britain, China, the United States of America and Holland. Sultanate of Sulu was also an extensive region economic hub from 17th to 19th century dubbed by James Francis Warren as “Sulu Zone” for international trade and industry.

The Tau Sug did the most legal way to free their nation-state from the Republic of the Philippines known as “Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam” as they have change their nationality or citizenship from Filipino Citizenship into Tau Sug Citizenship.

The idea of the United Tau Sug Citizens of the citizenship change or citizenship movement is to let the Philippines out as de facto government from the territory of the de jure government, the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. Citizens and people of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam will now exercise both de facto and de jure government of their state.

Thus right to change nationality is provided under the universal declaration of human rights; article 15, section 1 that says, “Everyone has the right to a nationality” and section 2, “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.”

Sultanate of Sulu historical, political, legal and cultural rights have been verified and provided in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the United Nations that, “All peoples have the right of self-determination”. This is simply means, loud and clear that the right to independence of the citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam is within the norms of international law – legal and undeniable!

Written in the “primer in the matter of the assertion of independence of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam” says, “As a member of the family of nations as well as being signatory to the two International Covenants, the Philippines is duty-bound to recognized, respect and uphold the will of the Bangsa Sug People exercising their right under the international law of self-determination in the interest of truth, rights, justice and international peace and security.”

By the declaration of the independence of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam this 17 November 2010, would signify the full exercise of free and independent state for the right of self-determination thus citizens’ and peoples’ right to independence.

This would be the great event of the day and day of victory of the citizens and people of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam as part of the sovereign members of the family of world’s nations in the modern civilization of the world. Everyone is invited to witness and to be part of the peaceful legal journey for independence through citizenship movement!

Any efforts bring forth for peace, justice, security, economic, historical, political, legal and cultural programs to the state’s progress and development will be realized soon – investors are now welcome!

BANGSA SUG DECLARATION: ASSERTION OF INDEPENDENCE, DINAR AND DIRHAM IS THE CURRENCY!!!

2010-07-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Neldy Jolo

Sultanate of Sulu has been in existence long before the concept of nation was born. Its sovereignty can never be questioned. It had signed the international treaties between Spain, America, France, Germany and Britain. It has also long trade relations with these countries, including the Peoples Republic of China.

By these treaties, Sultanate of Sulu was strongly recognized as sovereign and independent country of sovereign native people. No country that could ever signed any treaty with other country if it does not recognized each country's sovereignty. Sovereignty is perpetual.

The Judge reading the rules on Kosovo's Declaration of Independence on 17 February 2008.

After long been longing for total and complete freedom and liberty, 17 November 2010 would be the sacred and historical date and moment for the people of Sulu, the date that could remind them of the rebirth of their country's independence, the Sultanate of Sulu.

The people group themselves as United Tau Sug People, the citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu. The cause of the people here is legal and followed and adheres to the principle of international law. The people are committed to the principle the international peace and security by “denouncing war and renouncing terrorism.”

22 July 2010, reported by Dan Bilefsky posted at http://www.nytimes.com/, that “World Court Rules Kosovo Declaration Was Legal”.

Serbia was actually against the declaration of Kosovo's independence that thought, the courts' decision could trigger other secessionist movement in the world. The most important here are the recognition and conferment of other countries that legitimized Kosovo as independent and sovereign nation-state.

Bilefsky reported that, “Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 did not violate international law, the United Nations’ highest court said Thursday in a ruling that Kosovo heralded as a victory but that legal experts warned could spur separatist movements around the world.”

Bilefsky quoted Hisashi Owada, president of the International Court of Justice, saying that the “Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 did not violate international law, the United Nations’ highest court said Thursday in a ruling that Kosovo heralded as a victory but that legal experts warned could spur separatist movements around the world.”

Hazir Reka/Reuters. Passengers waved the United States, Kosovo and British flags in Pristina on Thursday after the U.N. upheld Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

Bilefsky quoted Hisashi Owada, president of the International Court of Justice, saying that the “international law contained no 'prohibition on declarations of independence' and consequently that Kosovo’s 'declaration did not violate international law.'”

Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, signified the “justice made” to the oppressed people of the world to live freely and to have government of their own as what other people pf the world are enjoying. Serbians perhaps don't wanted also to be part of other country.

Adam Tanner and Reed Stevenson reported in http://sg.news.yahoo.com/, “World court says Kosovo independence declaration is legal” that Marko Prelec of think tank the International Crisis Group says, "It will strengthen Kosovo's position vis a vis Serbia in the international scenes and weaken Serbia's position. There will be many more recognitions now."

Hopefully Sultanate of Sulu people would experience the same fate, as they had declared the choices of the Philippines to “please free us or kills us.” And Philippines Please out Now from the Sultanate of Sulu.” If the call is understandable, no one will ever stay longer for more in the territory of not his own, since Sultanate of Sulu is not part of the Philippines?

Sultanate of Sulu will also use the Gold Dinar and Dirham currency as what State of Kelantan and Nagroe Aceh Darussalam are using according to the World Islamic Mint (WIM) standard. Reported on 22 July, government of Aceh promised to mint Dinar and Dirham very soon as the Governor of Aceh Bapak Irwanid Yusuf with the representative of WIM.

The State of Kelantan will be laungching the coins this coming 12 August 2010 at it capital Kota Bahru. As reported: “The ceremony will be attended by many guests: besides Chief Ministers of several Malaysian states, there will be government officials from Sulu Sultanate, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, as well as leaders of various jama’as and organizations from Germany, Spain, Kazakhstan and other countries. The event will undoubtly signify the emergence of the new centre of the Islamic world in the 21^st century: NUSANTARA.”

Please read further:

1. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20100722/twl-oukwd-uk-serbia-kosovo-bd5ae06.html

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/world/europe/23kosovo.html?_r=2&ref=global-home

3. http://wakalanusantara.com/detilurl/Nangroe.Aceh.Darussalam.akan.Cetak.Dinar.Dirham/443

4. http://muamalahcouncil.com/news/34-general-articles/103-kelantan-launches-dinar-and-dirham-on-12th-august.html