Muslim Arts, Culture, History: Key in Understanding the ‘Moro’ Problems in Mindanao
“Islam is not only a religion but a way of life.” Such statement is manifested by Muslims in their culture where sciences and arts play important roles as to examine the extent of the said religion to be more than what people perceive Islam to be. This is the same religion that marked a significant part in the history of the country – from its indoctrination to the southern natives to its struggle against the colonialism. In the contemporary times, the religion and its followers still encounter multitude of issues concerning primarily the social, cultural, and political dimensions they encompass. The so-called “Moro problem” does not only reflect the matters of the Muslim people within themselves but more importantly the multidimensional system problem that significantly involve politics, culture, as well as history and economy. Given the problematic situation, Muslim arts present and represent organized manifestations which explain the ideological rationale for the cause and effect of...