This issue of our Autonomy and Peace Review is an attempt to understand the nature and dynamics of the emerging Islamic militancy and radicalism in southern Philippines. 70 pages.

 

Violent extremism and terrorism is now a popular theme in the fields of governance, development and security. In southern Philippines, the resurgence of terrorist groups, some of which have pledged allegiance to ISIS, has alarmed governments all over the world and citizens on how close to home the issue of violent extremism has become.

 

This issue of the APR signals IAG’s interest and commitment to help the global community understand the nature and dynamics of the emerging Islamic militancy/radicalism in southern Philippines. For this year, IAG is completing a research on radicalism among the youth in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Basilan to establish some initial baseline data on the subject. I hope that this research will foster sound understanding and interventions in this field.

 

For this issue, we feature Dr. Rommel Banlaoi’s paper on "Abu Sayyaf Group's Persistence Under the Duterte Administration: A Chronological Analysis of Crime-Terror Nexus in the Southern Philippines and the ISIS Connection in Southeast Asia". This provides a chronological look at the ASG in an attempt to show how it has already morphed into a violent group engaged in both crime and terrorism. He says that the complex and growing nexus of crime and terrorism must inform the development of any comprehensive measure against the ASG and similar groups. 

 

Dr. Eliseo R. Mercado, Jr. writes on "Understanding the Resurgent Militant Islam" where he argues there is a compelling urgency for a new look at Islam, particularly its militant versions, and especially now that terrorism has become borderless, if we are to draw a coherent road map to address security and development issues. 

 

Finally, we are republishing from our archives the paper of Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga on "Is the Muslim Community in the Philippines Radical?" which examines the factors that cause or may cause radicalization among Muslims in the Philippines.

 

This issue's contributors:

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