The evolution of the terrorist organization known as the Abu Sayyaf Group began as a larger conflict between Muslims and Christians in the southern Philippines.  The small Muslim minority has been fighting for independence since the Spanish first colonized the Philippine islands, and later converted local population to Christianity.  Over the centuries, various groups have risen to prominence in this struggle.

This perspective paper  discusses the historical background of Muslim insurgency in the Philippines, the origins of the ASG as well as its ideology, operational objectives and signature of violence.

Key Points:

• The Islamic insurgency movement in the southern Philippines has been ongoing since the initial colonization efforts of the Spanish. It has continued through the American, and later Philippine Republic controlled governments, and is controlled by a number of indigenous groups that share the cultural identity of the Moro, or Filipino Muslim.

• Abu Sayyaf Group, which is one of the smallest but most violent Muslim movements in the Philippines, has conducted a series of terrorist actions in the hopes of establishing an independent Islamic state.

• Although the attempts to establish an autonomous Islamic republic by ethno-nationalistic groups in the southern Philippines have failed thus far, the ASG has managed to establish a trademark of extreme ruthlessness and an increasing willingness to perpetrate mass casualty attacks designed to inflict the maximum loss of life.

You can read the Perspective Report: Abu Sayyaf – The Father of the Swordsman or below:

Abu Sayyaf – the Father of the Swordsman

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