The fire in the heart of a rebel

The current siege in Zamboanga and its impact to the whole nation deserves the condemnation of every peace-loving Filipino. Too many lives are being wasted, too much damage is being inflicted to our economy, and it is a problem that the country does not need at all, while we are being troubled by the pork barrel fiasco. Many people are very angry at these so-called ''terrorists'', who are placing the security of the state at a grave and imminent danger, and the serenity of the people in serious jeopardy. Some people are urging our military forces to go on an all-out war and shoot all the rebels on sight, even if in doing so, there shall be incalculable collateral damage to the innocent civilians.

But as Christians, in our deep contemplation, we need to understand the leader of this assault, we need to examine his motives and know what is really in his heart. A certain Reverend Cerveza, who claims to be a Christian spokesman of Nur Misuari, in an ANC interview, has gone on national television to dare say that Misuari, is a ''mujahidin '', a religious warrior, and he is on a do-or-die mission. Whenever he leaves home, he does not expect to come home alive. He is prepared to offer his life to Allah and to the "bangsamoro" people. He declared that their goal is total independence and not autonomy, and there is no more room for compromise at this point in time. Why has this problem become too complicated?

There is something that we must know and should always remember when we contemplate on Nur Misuari, and on any rebel for that matter. He is a purpose-driven, revolutionary warrior who has dedicated his life to the cause of his people. He is not perfect and he has many faults. But he is definitely a nobler person, when compared to some of our corrupt politicians who choose to cheat the people, rob our national coffers and live in lavish and luxurious lifestyles, while millions are suffering in dire poverty. Misuari, like Bonifacio, is a man who embraced a life of poverty and difficult struggles in order to liberate the suffering masses. While we do not approve of rebellion as a means to achieve their lofty purpose, we should salute such people whose lives are dedicated for the betterment of the poor.

Every rebel is an enemy of the establishment. Every revolutionary is a threat to the contented cows in society. These stout-hearted men and women are the ones who call attention to society's excesses and abuses. They are the ones who stand up and complain when some sectors are doing things that put the others in unjust, oppressive and exploitative situations. The heart of a rebel is no different from the heart of Jesus Christ, that of Jose Rizal, that of Mahatma Gandhi, that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and of course, that of Ninoy Aquino. What sets Nur apart is that Misuari brings his opposition to a higher level, by rallying his people to pick up the gun, and seek attention from a national government that might have forgotten, and an international community that might have ignored a growing social cancer.

No, we are not condoning violence in any form. If Misuari could be arrested, he should be tried, and if convicted jailed, for even how many years that the law requires. But there is no jail that can imprison the heart of a rebel. There is no chain that can bind a heart that is filled with love for country. We can never stop the heart of a rebel. There is a fire that continues to inflame a noble cause. For every Misuari that the establishment will jail or even kill, there shall be a thousand Misuaris in the hearts of many mujahidins in Sulu, in Tawi-Tawi, and in Basilan, and all over Mindanao. There indeed is something that we must never forget when we contemplate the trouble in Mindanao. For it reflects the trouble that bewilders each of our soul.