Philippines Denied Observer Status in OIC

In 2004, the Philippine government had the funny idea that it should be granted an OBSERVER STATUS at the OIC instead of the MNLF. Finally, after FIVE YEARS, the OIC said “NO!”.

Surprisingly, our neighbor INDONESIA supported the Philippine proposal. The Philippines also got the support of US-occupied Iraq and Anglo-American-controlled island of Bahrain. If the Bahrainis can have country of its own, it is a crime that the Bangsa Moro nation is still fighting to have country to call its own.

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FROM  ISLAMTODAY.COM

25 May 2009

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) decided not to grant the Philippines observer status at its opening session. The Philippines first applied for an observer status way back in 2004, but it has yet to be approved.

The OIC’s 36th meeting of foreign ministers, which was held in Syrian capital city of Damascus, ended on Sunday.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a Philippine opposition group which is campaigning against observor status for the Philippines, claims that Turkey led the group of countries which opposed the Philippine bid for observer status. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Yemen strongly supported Turkey’s position. The reason the MILF gives for their opposition is the ongoing problems between the government and the country’s Moro Muslim minority.

However, Indonesia, the traditional ally of the Philippines, asked OIC foreign ministers to grant the Philippines an observer status. The motion was seconded by Bahrain and Iraq.

The Philippines sent a 33-man delegation to the conference. Two opposition groups, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) sent 22 delegates, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) sent only three.

MILF said Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, the chairman, wrote official letters to the foreign ministers of Muslim states, requesting them to oppose the Philippine bid.

The Philippine government denies they were denied observer status due to the ongoing problems with the country’s Muslim minorities and dismiss such claims as MILF propaganda.

Philippine Foreign Affairs undersecretary Rafael Seguis maintained that all OIC member states welcome the Philippines’ admission as observer.

“Some of them, however, would like to defer admission on procedural basis, reason being that rules for observer status under new Islamic Charter have not been adopted yet while many others want to admit GRP now,” Seguis said in a text message to reporters.

Sequis is currently in Damascus, Syria after attending the 36th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). He is also the head of the government panel negotiating with the MILF.

Seguis hastened to add that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines has no wish to replace the MNLF in the OIC as observer, but seeks to work closely with the Islamic group as well as the MNLF in an atmosphere of cooperation that will bring about peace and development, and where all sides are given the chance to be heard.

The Lebanon-Israeli war through the eyes of CNN and BBC

From the CMFR (Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility blog
For the full story, go to http://www.cmfr.com.ph/pjr_reports/sept_2006/sept2006abbas.html

clipped from www.cmfr.com.ph Review The Lebanon-Israeli war through the eyes of CNN and BBC Demonizing the ‘Enemy’ Jamal Ashley Abbas IN MANY ways, the just-concluded Israel-Lebanon war was unique. It was the first war directly covered by different TV networks on the ground. While the combatants—the Israeli armed forces and the Lebanese resistance corps, Hezbollah—imposed restrictions, international journalists had access to the bombed sites, the affected civilians, and all sectors of local society. The opportunity to give more first-hand, in-depth information to the viewers was greater than ever. Because of the advances in communications technology—cell phones, digital cameras, internet, blogging, etc.—the issue for the protagonists was not how to control or refuse access, but more on how to manage information in order to mold public opinion.