‘Turn over Salamat’s rare books to his kin’

COTABATO CITY — The heirs of Hashim Salamat, the late founder of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have asked the military not to turn over to a government entity his collection of rare religious books taken from Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao in 2000.

Speaking on behalf of the Salamat clan in North Cotabato, lawyer Abdul Dataya, who chairs the MILF’s Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, said they must be consulted first if they are amenable to the turnover of Salamat’s religious books to the Office of Cultural Affairs of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

According to the MILF website (luwaran.com), Haron Felmin, ARMM cultural affairs chief, made representations with the Army’s 6th Infantry Division for Salamat’s books, including those he had written, to be turned over to his office, which is putting up a library of books on religion, Moro culture and traditions.

Government troops took Salamat’s books from his private library atop a hill overlooking Camp Abubakar during the military takeover of what was then the MILF’s main enclave.

Dataya was quoted by luwaran.com as saying that the 6th ID should turn over the books of the MILF founder, who died of a heart ailment in Butig, Lanao del Sur in 2003, to his wife and children, not to any government outfit.

Dataya cited how the military returned to Salamat’s relatives his house in the Buliok complex near the Liguasan Marsh.

The military drove MILF guerrillas away from Liguasan Marsh in February 2003 and subsequently declared the area a "peace zone."

"This issue of turning over the books of the MILF founder to a government entity has a very big emotional impact on (his) family," said Dataya, who served as Salamat’s executive assistant and legal consultant.