By Mohamed Zayed, iNews Cayman special correspondent

In our fresh memory, regardless of religion, gender or ethnicity, lie the violent images of protests across the Islamic world because of US amateur –made video describing the Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer and child molester. The reaction was so tense that the whole world forgot the issue of the film and concentrated on the resultant consequences; killing four US nationals including the US ambassador to Libya in Benghazi, storming embassies and consulates in different countries and many Muslims killed during clashes. Though world intellectuals and leaders had condemned the video, they also criticized overreactions to the video, wondering how a 10 minute film like that angered millions of Muslims and caused killings and attacking diplomatic posts.  But the latest development on the Philippine front has opened up a fresh window of optimism related to the Islamist militants in the world.

The Philippine government and Moro Islamist group have signed a preliminary peace agreement that would pave the way for comprehensive peace in the troubled southern Philippines.  The dispute lasted for about forty years of violence and fighting between the mostly Christian state and the predominantly Muslim residents of the southern island of Mindanao, in which more than 100,000 people died and two million were displaced.  Malaysia has hosted the long negotiations between the government and the Islamists there. Though it was not a detailed peace treaty,  it shows the mutual understanding between the warring parties. This agreement would give the Islamists autonomy in the Muslims places in the Asian country in exchange for respect of rights of the Philippine Catholics and the national security across the country.

This peace plan would emit a sense of hope for those who suffer from sectarian and long disputes in the country that push the country back to Middle Ages as destruction and extremists prevail. Many examples are clear in front of the world.  Long confrontation between the Taliban and the West has been so expensive as the casualties from both parties increase day after day and as does extremism among Muslims. Drones hover overhead the tribal belt in Pakistan near the Afghan borders killed thousands of Pakistanis, most of them civilians. Another example is Islamist Boko Haram in-group in southern Nigeria; tensions between predominantly Christian north and the mostly Muslim south are growing frighteningly. Numbers of victims have shocked the country.

Every party should present sacrifices and concessions to put peace in motion, by encouraging constructive dialogues and deliberations.  Most clashes or wars ended in negotiations. Billions of dollars have been spent on arms, training and recruiting, it is favoured to inject the money in infrastructure and investment projects as most of the countries which are affected are experiencing high poverty and spread of diseases. It is time for the international communities, including the Islamic Conference Organization to take action in countries where Islamist- state disputes exist. The role ICO shouldn’t be focused only on the development to Muslim regions across the world, but easing tensions in the Muslim places. Countries like Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt should do their best to host the fighting parties across the world with the help of the international powers like US, China and France. As the active players put pressure on the concerned to push forward a viable peace accord that depends on equality and justice for all with respect of the nation security and interests.

 

Moreover, Al-Azhar, the biggest moderate Islamic entity in Egypt and the world, should send its scholars to Muslim places where contentions appear to spread moderation and denounce violence and extremism in cooperation with the authorities there.  Obvious is that putting an end to violence or fighting, and it takes long, it even extends to decades to find it. But we should keep trying for prosperity and peace in the troubled places across the world, not only for Muslims, but also for all human beings regardless of religion, colour, gender or ethnicity. As we see nowadays, the super powers will withdraw from their wars in many different regions in the world, because the winner in the war loses too.