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This is the manifesto of the Indignation Rally organized by civil society organizations in Cotabato City on October 4, 2003, Saturday, a day after a powerful grenade explosion hit a Mosque in Midsayap in Cotabato Province killing four people including two government officials. From the City Plaza where the emotion-filled rally and the Salatul Janaaza (prayer for the dead) was held, the more than a thousand Muslim rallyists being led by the mayor of the city, Datu Muslimin Sema, and religious leadres paraded the city with the corpses of the two victims en route to where Regional Director Macmod Mending was buried, one of the victims, for almost an hour shouting for justice and hoisting their placards and streamers, which stated among others - "Why Killing us inside our Mosque," "Stop Killing Us," and "We demand Justice for the Victims.
BANGSAMORO NATION CONDEMNS TERRORISTIC ATTACK OF MOSQUE IN MIDSAYAP, COTABATOYesterday, October 03, 2003, at 12:30 noon, another bloody terrorist attack was perpetrated against the Bangsamoro. While our brothers and sisters were performing their Friday congregational prayer (Salatul Jum'ah), two grenades were thrown in front of the congregation (Jamaah) killing four our brothers. These two grenades claimed the lives of our four men including some of our leaders who have shown genuine concern and commitment to improve the lives of the Bangsamoro. Killed by the satanic attack were the Regional Director of the National Irrigation Authority Engr. Makmod T. Mending and his Provincial Irrigation Officer Engr. Umarkais U. Mamalac, the Imam Ustaz Esmael Datukali, and a civilian. 17 others were severely wounded and are still recuperating in various hospitals. We know that this tragedy is only the latest in the long history of injustices and atrocities committed against the Bangsamoro. From the Jabidah and the Manili Massacres decades ago to the more recent bombing of Buliok were thousands of Bangsamoro were praying this year's Eid'l Adha are all manifestations of long line of deliberate and sustained atrocity against us.
But what sets the events yesterday apart is that it was committed inside a Masjid/Mosque while the congregation was performing the Friday prayers. Therefore, the attack was directed, not just against the victims, not just against the congregation, not just against the Bangsamoro, but against our faith, our religion, our way of life. It was a blatant and sacrilegious attack against Islam itself.
This long line of atrocities has forced many in our communities to come to the realization that we are no longer safe even in our own homeland, that our basic rights will not be respected, that we cannot even exercise our very basic obligation of worshipping Allah, that we have no hope of ever seeing a bright future for ourselves and our children in this country.
Therefore, we who comprise the entire Bangsamoro, men and women, young and old, condemn in the strongest possible terms this cowardly, barbaric and terrorist attack. If the purpose of those who perpetrated this dastardly act was to frighten us then they will not succeed. Instead of being cowed, the Bangsamoro will arise from the tragedy with an even stronger determination to defend our rights and our communities.
The perpetrators of the Jabidah and Manili Massacres and those who instigated the bombing of Buliok during the Hari Raya Hajj did not succeed in cowing us into submission, neither will those who committed yesterday's atrocity, insha'Allah (God willing). Engineers Mending and Mamalac, and Imam Datukali may no longer be with us, but thousands more will take their place. This is, therefore, a call on our brothers and sisters to awake, unit and strengthen their determination and struggle in the name of self-perseverance and our faith in Islam.
Wwe also call on peace loving brothers and sisters in the Christian and Lumad communities to join us in condemning yesterday's attack which, after all, was directed not just against Muslims but against humanity in general.
We also demand from the President of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the local government of North Cotabato headed by Governor Emmanuel Piñol to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are exposed and persecuted so that speedy justice will be served to the families of the victims and to the more than two billions Muslims all over the world.
Lastly, we want to make it clear to everyone within and outside our communities that:
We will not be cowed;
We will not be afraid;
We will not be silenced;
We will not forget;
The Bangsamoro will PREVAIL!
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