Muslims mark 600th year of cleric arrival in Mindanao

COTABATO CITY — Under tight security, the city’s Muslim folks will celebrate in colorful events today the 600th anniversary of the coming here of the first ever foreign cleric that introduced Islam to mainland Mindanao.

Today’s culmination of the Kabunsuan Festival, which started Dec. 15, will be capped by the guinakit fluvial parade from the Moro Gulf to the Rio Grande de Mindanao, as part of the commemoration of the arrival here of Shariff Mohammad Kabunsuan from Johore, now a region in Malaysia.

According to Moro historians, Kabunsuan, who was of Arab-Malay descent, first set foot at what is now Barangay Kalanganan here and, from there, started organizing self-governing Muslim communities upstream, up to Bukidnon and what is now called Sarangani-South Cotabato-Gen. Santos (Socsargen) area.

Kabunsuan came to Central Mindanao about half a decade after the first Middle Eastern preacher, Sheik Karimul Makdum, arrived in Simunul, now an island town in Tawi-Tawi, to spread Islam.

Bai Sandra Sema, chairperson of the City Tourism Council, said the creation last October of the Shariff Kabunsuan province in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao gave more meaning to this year’s celebration of the Dec. 15-19 Kabunsuan festival.

It was Maguindanao’s provincial governor, Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr., and his son, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, who jointly initiated the creation of Shariff Kabunsuan, through the ARMM’s 24-seat Regional Assembly.

From Kabunsuan’s children with Moro women, descended the legendary Sultan Kudarat, a 17th century Moro warrior who fought the Spaniards for decades and whose empire covered Nuling, now Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao, to Bukidnon, the Socsargen area, and the island province of Basilan, Sarangani-Gen. Santos City (Socsargen) area, and the island province of Basilan.

Central Mindanao will observe today a non-working holiday in commemoration of the yearly Shariff Mohammad Kabunsuan Day. Bai Sandra Sema, chairperson of the Cotabato City Tourism Council, said the creation last October of the Shariff Kabunsuan province will give more meaning to the Dec. 15-19 celebrations in the 37 barangays here of the Shariff Kabunsuan festival.

It was Maguindanao’s provincial governor, Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr., and his son, Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, who jointly initiated the creation of Shariff Kabunsuan, through the ARMM’s 24-seat Regional Assembly.