On March 25, much of the community in Maharlika Village in Manila turned out after Friday prayers to protest against the Western powers’ military attacks against Libya.
Maharlika Village is a predominantly Moro community in Taguig City, in the south-east of Metro Manila. The protest was organised by the local council, community leaders, religious leaders from the community’s 16 mosques, the Bangsamoro Solidarity Movement and the Anak Mindanao Party (Amin).
Speakers disputed the West’s claims that the military action against Libya was motivated by concern for democracy and civilian lives. They noted that no such concern has been shown for the Moro, a Muslim nationality from the southern Filipino island of Mindanao. Tens of thousands of Moro lives have been lost to Filipino government forces.
There is now a ceasefire in the long-running Moro insurgency.
Representatives from the Filipino left-wing party, Partido Lakas ng Masa, and the Sydney Stop the War Coalition also spoke. Further protests outside the US embassy are planned.