Luwaran

17February

Turkeye Scholar: ‘I Hope there will be no more fighting in our place’

ISABELA CITY, BASILAN- “Sana po wala ng bakbakan ulit dito sa lugar naming para tuloy tuloy na po pag aaral namin (I hope there will be no more fighting in our place so that we can continue our studies),” Wilma Majid, a Grade IV Pupil of Kailih Elementary School in Abarka, Basilan said in an interview by Luwaran during the distribution of scholars allowances by Turkish Yirdim Vakfi held at the Office of Bangsamoro Development Agency-ZamBas Region on February 14, 2018.

Majid is one of the lucky recipients of said scholarship offered by the Turkish Agency that is intended for Moro orphans.

Majid’s mother is a widow of a martyred Moro rebel who died in an encounter in Bakisung, Kailih, Abarka sometime in 2011.

Harija J., single parent of 12, whose husband is also a Moro martyr, said ‘Looking after 12 children is not an easy thing especially when one is alone, and will go crazy unless she has strong faith in Allah.”

“Thanks to Allah, and to the Turkish Scholarship Program too for this opportunity for my daughter”, Harija added. “This allowance is a big help to us during these difficult times,” she continued.

“If the government is listening to us, we want no more conflict in the future, and we don’t want many more widows after us. The solution to this is to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that is acceptable to the Moro people,” she told Luwaran.

Anding Kullalul, a mother 9 children said, “We don’t want similar situation we have now to happen to others in the future. We strongly believed that the conflict will cease if the government will give us back what is due to us Bangsamoro.”

These similar sentiments of widows and orphans in Basilan are just part of a long story of Moro people longing for peace, hoping that someday they can return to normal life in their communities.

The most feasible solution to these sentiments, and sad plight of widows, and orphans in Moro communities is the passage of BBL that lies in the hands of congress.

As the saying goes, “Strike the Iron while still hot,” and this is the right time to pass an enabling law for the creation of a strong Autonomous Bangsamoro Region.