Free Republic

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Contacts between Philippine Islamic extremists and their international counterparts are growing, as shown by the increased sophistication of bombs used in recent terror attacks, the president's top spokesman said Wednesday. Intelligence reports have long suggested that the deadly Abu Sayyaf group and other local Islamic extremist groups have links to al-Qaida and the Southeast Asia regional terror network, Jemaah Islamiyah. "There are signs that these contacts are becoming closer, and they are able to exploit situations like the conflict in Sulu at a moment's notice," Silvestre Afable told The Associated Press. He noted that after a...

Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003   When Christians embrace Islam By Johnna Villaviray, Senior Reporter(First of Three Parts)When the television reporter Richard Rivera stepped onto the Sulu pier, one thing was on his mind: send stories to Manila about efforts to recover the Abu Sayyaf’s 19 Sipadan hostages. By the end of the six-week assignment, Rivera brought home not just war stories but a new faith as well. Now answering to the name Abdurahman Ismail, Rivera has resigned from the network and is now helping to organize rallies to raise civic awareness. He says he doesn’t miss his...

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (IslamOnline) - Recent raids carried by Muslims in certain areas of Mindanao are raising eyebrows in the military which says they do not know how to deal with the situation, sources close to the Bangsamoro people told IslamOnline. The raids were neither military nor did they involve rebel attacks against military targets; they were mostly in the spirit of an Islamic revival that scares the local authorities the most. A confidential intelligence report obtained by the source said a new movement in Mindanao, called the “Balik Islam” or “Back To Islam” movement is gaining grounds nationwide....