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the D moro Times 1 March 28, 2008 A MONTHLY NEWS SECTION OF The Manila Times EVERY LAST FRIDAY I Bai Sandra Sinsuat Ampatuan Sema is not just the first lady of Moro women, Cotabato City. second to none S people celebrate Women’s Month, tional Liberation Front (MNLF). While Rasul devoted herself to Moro Times honors the struggle of becoming a fulltime wife and Muslim women to right wrongs, mother, she spent her free time serv- A ing her community. Her husband, fight poverty, injustice and discrimination, the late Amb. Abraham Rasul, also and find peace and development for their believed in public service. Disturbed by the high levels of illiteracy in the homeland. Muslim communities, she devel- Following are stories of out- the Muslimah, proof that Islam sup- oped an effective literacy method- standing Moro women who have ports the leadership of women, not ology in the 1960s, Magbassa Kita broken the so-called glass ceiling subjugate them. (Let Us Read). This has been imple- in various fields. mented by the Department of Edu- Second to none, veiled or not, Senadora: Champion of cation as a national-literacy pro- these Muslim women have gained Filipino women’s rights gram. She founded the Magbassa the respect and following of their Santanina “Nina” Rasul, the island Kita Foundation Inc., which has people proving that in Islam, men girl, graduated cum laude in politi- trained about 1,500 literacy teach- and women are equal not only in cal science from the University of ers nationwide. In 1990, she was rights but also in shouldering re- the Philippines. She was a favorite appointed Honorary Ambassador of sponsibility to the ummah. They are model of now National Artists Na- UNESCO during the International mothers and daughters, peace advo- poleon Abueva and Ireneo Miranda. Literacy year. cate and mujahideen, educator and She returned to Sulu and became a A liberal Muslim husband, Ambas- politician, aleema and labor leader, public school teacher (1952 to 1957) sador Rasul—or Abe, as he was fondly journalist and community worker. where she taught among others, Nur called—encouraged his wife to give Most of all, they are exemplars of Misuari, chairman of the Moro Na- in to the clamor of their community run for public office. She was elected barrio councilor at Moore Avenue, Jolo, Sulu (1960 to 1963). Later, she became the first Tausug woman elected provincial board member (1971 to 1976). She was appointed a Commissioner representing Muslim and other ethics minorities in the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women from 1978 to 1987. The first Muslim woman elected senator, the only Muslim elected senator for two terms (1987 and 1992), Rasul is unfortunately also the last Muslim senator. She authored eight laws as Chairperson of the Sen- ate Committee on Civil Service and Government Recognition and the Committee on Women and Family tious positions of both the govern- the first woman governor in Piandao of Sulu who were educated Relations. She received the Women’s ment and the MNLF during the last Mindanao at a period of turmoil and widely traveled. Lucman was Government and Non-government phase of the peace negotiations in during the martial law years. reared in the world of politics. She as- Organization Network Award for her 1996, culminating in her active in- Lucman is better known as a set- sisted her father, who was “no read, comprehensive legislation for the volvement in the formulation of the tler of rido (the local term for clan no write” in his travels to Manila. That promotion of women empower- Final Peace Agreement, which ended conflict). Time magazine noted her experience became her training ground ment, specifically Republic Act hostilities between the two parties.” peacemaking role for helping the in the man’s world. When then-Presi- 6949—making March 8 as National After leaving the Senate, she has release of kidnapped nuns in dent Ferdinand Marcos called datus Women’s Day; Republic Act 7192— focused her energies on organizing Marawi City in 1986. Literally and politicians to Malacañang to con- Women in Development and Nation Muslim Women Peace Advocates, standing between shooting clans, sult them on declaring martial law, Building Act, which removed vestiges the education of Tausug youth and Lucman was able to settle the most Gov. Lucman’s advisers and kin ad- of discrimination against women, Magbassa Kita. bloody conflicts. vised her against going to Manila and opened the doors of the Philippine Born into royalty among the facing the fearsome, notorious Marcos. Military Academy to women. The Princess Ranaw’s Pat a Pangampong Sultanates, She went anyway. Rasul received The Golden Heart who settled vendettas Lucman as a girl looked up to other Lucman, the only lady in the Presidential Award in 1998, “for her Princess Tarhata “Tata” Alonto- pioneering Moro ladies like Princess entourage, went with other politi- I Former Sen. Santanina Rasul, women’s rights champion. diligent efforts in reconciling conten- Lucman, 80, of Lanao del Sur, was Tarhata Kiram and Dayang Dayang ➤WomenD2 Women push for clean elections in ARMM AS elections for the Autonomous Re- Amb. Henrietta de Villa, the gion in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) council’s national chairman, hailed draw near, women are taking the it as a continuation of interfaith col- helm as election watchdogs to ensure laborations toward electoral re- free, fair and credible elections. forms. She said, “This is a good ex- The proposed election date is ample of how we, as a nation, can August 11, 2008. move past our differences and focus Known as a region that was at the on what we have in common: the center of controversies during the interest of our country.” 2007 senatorial elections, the Among the signatories to the ARMM has become a swing vote agreement are: Al-Mujadilah Devel- that determined the fate of national opment Foundation Inc.; elective positions. President Gloria Bangsamoro Lawyers Network; Arroyo owes her victory to an un- Basilan Women’s Initiative Founda- I A Syrian youth walks on Wednesday past Arab national flags installed precedented and overwhelming vic- tion Inc.; the Citizens Coalition for all over the Syrian capital ahead of this week’s Arab League summit in I tory in Maguindanao province. Moro women, together with Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible ARMM Electoral Reforms Inc.; Con- Damascus. Egypt and Saudi Arabia will send only low-level delegations, Lawyer Laisa Alamia of the cerned Alliance of Professors and Voting, are working to ensure clean and honest elections in ARMM. and Lebanon’s Western-backed government will not participate in the Bangsamoro Lawyers Network em- Students Inc.; Consortium of phasized the need for election watch- units (or villages) and 80 munici- Council for Responsible Voting Bangsamoro Civil Society; Electoral weekend summit. AFP PHOTO dogs to be vigilant against any at- palities in ARMM. (PPCRV), signed a memorandum of Reform Advocates; Maranao People tempts to manipulate the elections, “Women are less prone to pres- agreement which provides for the Development Center Inc.; especially in the light of plans by the sure and influence from partisan merging and sharing of resources to Mindanao Cross; Muslim Women Heavyweights snub Commission on Elections (Comelec) interests,” said Salic Ibrahim, chair- “establish a single network of vol- Peace Advocates—Sulu Council; to implement an automated system man of the Citizens Coalition for unteer monitors and watchers Nagdilaab Foundation Inc.; Notre of voting in the ARMM as mandated ARMM Electoral Reforms Inc., an which shall take the lead in moni- Dame Broadcasting Corp.; Philip- by Republic Act 9369. organization of 13 women coordi- toring, watching and canvassing of pine Council for Islam and Democ- Syria’s Arab summit Volunteers, many of who are nators and only nine men. votes in the 2008 ARMM elections.” racy; Sulu State College Master in DAMASCUS: Syria hosts its first Arab crisis gripping Lebanon. women, have been trained to over- This historic agreement is the prod- Public Administration Alumni Asso- summit this weekend and faces a Egypt and Saudi Arabia will send see the electoral process starting Agreement with PPCRV uct of a workshop among electoral ciation Inc.; Tulung Lupah Sug Inc.; from the precinct level to the can- Fourteen Muslim and ARMM-based reform partners last March 10, 2008 and United Youth for Peace and boycott by heads of state from a only low-level delegations to the vassing level. Volunteers have been civil society organizations, two me- in Davao City—following similar ef- Development Inc. number of regional heavyweights meeting in Damascus on Saturday tapped to serve in 1,500 barangay dia outfits, and the Parish Pastoral forts in the national elections of 2007. SAMIRA GUTOC AND GANDHI KUNIJO which blame Damascus for the political ➤ArabD3 Dutch government will not seek ban on anti-Islam film, says Foreign minister BRUSSELS: Dutch Foreign Minister quoted as saying. come victims of violent actions by Wilders, leader of an anti-immigra- US web-hosting company Network hatred toward Islam. Maxime Verhagen said Wednesday His comments came after former angry Muslims if the anti-Islam film tion, anti-Islam party with nine seats Solutions recently suspended the The Dutch government, worried that the Dutch Cabinet has no plans Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van was released. in the 150-member Dutch parlia- website where Wilders had intended about the consequences of the film, to ask the courts to ban the contro- den Broek, now a government advi- “Let the judge decide what is the ment, plans to release his 15-minute to show the film. had tried in vain to persuade versial film Fitna, due to be released sor, called on the cabinet to take the most important: freedom of expres- film by the end of this month.