In a military effort that harkens back to the creative leadership of men like Moses, more than 260 Christians are alive today thanks in large part to a group of Muslims in Marawi City, Philippines, who led a harrowing morning exodus at risk of their own lives.
More than 86% of people in the Philippines identify as Roman Catholic. Marawi is one of the notable exceptions, however, having distinguished itself as the lone Islamic city. On May 23, a battle erupted in Marawi between the Philippine government security forces and militants of various jihadist groups. The clashes began when the Philippine National Police tried to capture Isnilon Hapilon, leader of the Abu Sayyaf, believed to be in Marawi meeting with fellow militants.
After a few weeks of rumored unrest, civilians received alarming text messages en masse that a major assault from aircraft and troops on the ground was imminent, placing thousands of individuals–and particularly Christians and those opposed to radical Islamic beliefs–in harm’s way. Thousands of residents evacuated the city, creating traffic congestion on the major highway until government forces and Islamic militants blocked the roads, preventing anyone else from leaving.
Militants opened fire and the city of Marawi was placed on lockdown. Houses and buildings were burned, and gunmen took over the Marawi City Hall. Dozens of inmates escaped the city jails, and power and communication lines were shut down. Civilians were taken hostage, checkpoints were established, and air strikes were launched. According to reports, militants began stopping convoys and killing anyone who did not recite verses out of the Quran.
Fears heightened as word spread that the whole city would be bombed if ISIS refused to agree to the government’s demands. Christians, already the notable minority in Marawi, were immediately identified as targets–herded into the center of the city. A clear message was sent when the local protestant school, Dansalan College, was torched on the first day of the battle.
Placing their own lives at risk, Muslim civilians within the city of Marawi immediately reacted by opening their doors to shelter their terrified Christian neighbors so that militants would be unable to locate and destroy them. Leny Paccon, one of the civilians, offered refuge in her home to 44 Christians, and others in the community opened their doors as well. When militants came knocking, the civilians creatively distracted them, further protecting the Christians in their care.
Adding to the stress was the fact that militant command posts were set up throughout the city–some only a few hundred feet away from the homes where people were taking shelter–meaning the Christians and those taking risks to protect them knew they were under threat of being discovered and killed at any moment.
One woman, Asnaira Asis, said militants came knocking on her door. When she answered, they offered her money and food in exchange for her 11-year-old son. “They wanted him to be a fighter,” she explained. “I said no.”
The Morning Exodus
The Muslim individuals offering refuge to the Christians sent texts and formed a plan. Just after dawn on Saturday, May 27, more than 160 civilians left the homes where they were hiding–Christians in tow–carrying white flags and walking quickly. As they marched, others joined in the ranks, passing unflinchingly through militant snipers.
Those who marched described the scene where streets were littered with rotting bodies. “I almost puked as we were walking,” one marcher, Alonto Lucman, said, describing bodies strewn on the roadside. Lucman was once a popular politician. He sheltered more than 50 Christians in his home during the militant battle.
Eventually the group of civilians was stopped and asked if there were any Christians among them, to which the Muslims shouted, “Allahu Akbar,” and were allowed to pass without any further investigation.
This group of civilians marched out of the besieged city, successfully deceiving the militants by covering the identity of the Christians in their midst.
Where Things Stand Today
As many as 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the city, hiding from the terrorists as battles rage between them and government forces.
According to reports, militants from far away Morocco, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia joined the battle in Marawi, Philippines, raising concerns that the Islamic State could be seeking to gain a foothold in the city.
The civilians that do escape tell harrowing tales of being hid and protected by their non-extremist Muslim neighbors and friends from the terrorists. The stories are especially touching considering the current genocide of Christians being waged by Islamic jihadists across the world. It reminds us that there is still good in the world and modern day Moses’ really do exist.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
