#inshallah he will learn to be a caring person who respects women

[voidingintotheshout]

OK as someone who is known by some of you as a Muslim, I just want to address the elephant in the room before I go to bed. Andrew Tate, the violently misogynistic asshole has just announced that he has converted to Islam, my faith. And while I hope that this conversion brings him in contact with people that shake him of his violent misogyny, I’m not gonna hold my breath that he becomes a better person. If I had to guess, I am assuming that he doesn’t really respect Islam or Allah and he’s only choosing this faith because he thinks it’s the violent and misogynistic religion that will allow him to be as violent and misogynistic as he wants, and he can just hide behind Islam when he gets in trouble. I hope he proves me wrong by becoming a better and caring person because of this but I kind of doubt it. Mostly, I doubt that he will become a better person because he had someone on a podcast crack a joke, implying that he didn’t sincerely convert and Andrew’s response was to accuse the person of being Islamophobic and then threatening some vague revenge for insulting Muslims, which vaguely implies terrorism I guess? So I just really hate that he has been a Muslim for like less than a week and he’s already emphasized that the entire religion is full of misogynists and women haters, and that if you do anything to disrespect a Muslim, they’ll hurt you. Like thanks, but no thanks for just using something that matters to me and just actively making it worse. At least this asshole is British and he’s a reflection of the poor moral character of the British people. 

After fact, checking this before I posted it I came to the heartbreaking discovery that he has dual American and British citizenship so unfortunately, he is a reflection of the poor moral character of Britain and America. 

Don’t get me wrong, while I do believe that believing in a religion or belief system can make you a better person, I don’t think any religion or belief system can make you a better person if you don’t want to be. unfortunately, if you don’t actually want to be a better person then religion ends up just being the vehicle with which you amass power, money, and influence that you used to make the world worse but that’s also true of belief systems like capitalism, communism, or whatever. 

[josiemaxinegallows]

LIFE BEGINS AT CUM Sermon #1 of the SUNDAY SATANISM series by Josie M. Gallows

Life begins at cum. Cum doesn’t have a heartbeat but it can travel. Cum is alive. When a cumshot is killed we call it “spermicide.” When an egg dies that’s called “ovicide.”

The abortion debate is a moral stopwatch. When is life alive? Choose your philosophy. The intrepid sperm is alive. The egg, also. Both have potential to become Bible believing patriots. Inshallah. Certain extremists take these factoids deadly serious. The anti-masturbators of the past are the great-grandpappies of today’s anti-abortion sharia.

Zygotes and blastocysts are living. But they’re unthinking. Devoid of personality. No stake in the world of human affairs. No history, with thousands of man hours invested. Unlike the mother, the fetus is alive but has no life that can be halted, delayed, or destroyed. Nobody relies on the unwanted fetus. The fetal heartbeat can’t be heartbroken. It knows nothing about itself. The fetus is the most innocent thing in all the world, because it’s a non-person.

Pregnancy effects the woman more than abortion effects the unborn. Abortion isn’t a care free decision but the scales have been miscalibrated. Intentionally.

It’s political theater. The Christians who rule value the cumshot more than the woman. They legitimize their rule by appealing to ignorant sentimentality. Observe the very same men, and their dutiful wives, dispassionate towards every other example of innocent life. It’s assured these men are unsympathetic to strange fetuses. They bother because of theater, simple and plain. Their own misogynistic superstition plays a role, and takes its toll, but whatever the motivation, the damage is the same.

Dysfunctional Christian strongholds such as Georgia and Alabama are threatening the state’s violence against women who might need an abortion. I’m sure, the Mega Churches blame loose moral values for the “murder of babies.” They indict everything but Christianity for the sorry state of family values. But they don’t get off the hook. Christianity is the loose moral value.

The state of family life is botched by religions like Christianity. The church is why the proletariat struggles to find its footing. Place your hopes and your values in the unreal and a barren harvest is a sure thing. The Satanic Age can’t be faulted. The church can be blamed for Girls Gone Stupid. I blame the peer pressure of good Christian morality for every teenage girl who stunts her future by the wretchedly sentimental act of becoming a teen mom, in this day and age; if she has any choice. Chances are, she doesn’t have a choice. I don’t blame sexual promiscuity.

Without the church, abortion and dysfunction wouldn’t occur at the rate they do. If the Satanic Age, an age of meaningful liberty, were allowed to flourish and take its final shape – and sooner rather than later, it will – only the most necessary of abortions would take place. Anton LaVey himself commented on this in Satan Speaks!, where he suggested compulsory sterilization. Read for yourself, The Third Side: The Uncomfortable Alternative, pages 30-31. With everything we’ve learned since then, perhaps it’s time to elaborate.

The Christian types have resisted, corrupted, or destroyed efforts to create a more responsible public, better fit for parenting and less likely to abort. The Christian resists education as a natural predator, because it challenges the primacy of The Holy Bible as the sole source of public wisdom. But it’s sexual education he truly rails against. Private neurosis becomes a civilization wide crisis.

As much as possible, the public’s kept in the dark about their own bodies, practically bereft of deeper knowledge about birth control and relationships. Resistance is met with an unhinged freak-out, each and every time. Ignorance, not family, is the public institution.

Forthcoming generations will be deprived of choice through sheer ignorance. The mutation is already taking hold. What good is a public, today, where only the therapist and the educator are compelled to learn about child psychology and child education? This is a profound loss to the species because Mega Church Christians are hysterical, in need of a 72-hour psych hold, that gays might be included, that women wouldn’t be beasts of burden by default. The unreality of porn is the greatest source of sex ed for boys. Good going, Jesus.

There is a gaping hole where adult values have been effectively sledge hammered out of the wall between order and chaos. The most basic of instruction is morally troubled. The young won’t learn the folkways and traditions that made life effective in the old world. The third world can do more with less. The western kiddo is deprived, because the girl might be oppressed and the boy might be sissified by wearing an apron. They aren’t taught to cook, clean, build, organize, mend, hunt, or study for anything but a standardized test. They don’t learn to grow, preserve, take inventory, or balance an account. They certainly won’t learn to be effective parents, parents on purpose, able to delegate roles, and capable of discipline without abuse. Their own parents won’t be around to teach these things in full because, thanks to Protestant austerity, both parents are entrenched in the workforce. Seeing as the churches on every street corner don’t pay their taxes, to subsidize the results of their own fuck-up failures, it wouldn’t be affordable to institute these solutions anyway. Let me make it Satanically clear, the zygote has little to look forward to.

Let’s no longer pretend Christian hyperbole isn’t to blame, please and thank you. It’s time to skewer the bastards. They’ve had US Surgeon Generals fired in disgrace for trying to turn the tide. It’s not hypothetical. Our botched republics are at least one part theocracy, right now. Each of us have a vested interest in dismantling Christendom.

The Christian man can’t get a clue. After millennia of accrued evidence that hormones are stronger than scripture, he persists in his delusional pipe-dream that abstinence will save the soul of the nation. Of the 2 billion odd Christians, the majority of them are Catholic. The Catholic is well known to teach the poor, destitute, or insane, to forego contraceptives. The missionaries of Christ are plague rats who journey to regions frequented by famine, drought, and genocide. In their wake, they leave behind the building blocks of ignorance. Be fruitful and multiply, and should the babes die of dehydration, God bless. If abortion is murder, are missionaries enacting crimes against humanity? If we’re talking results, let’s talk negligent manslaughter. Can we try the Pope in Nuremberg? Every Mega Church pastor, too? And why not? Lately, they love the idea of threatening us with the state’s violence. Tit for fucking tat.

I suspect the degeneracy and misery they sow is coincidentally of great benefit to Christendom. If a child is born with his hands outstretched for alms then he’s a vassal to whoever controls the collection plate. The destitute and dysfunctional are most in need of the mad hope of spiritual religion. The more dysfunction at play the better, with less help to go around the desperation can only deepen, creating ever more loyal subservience. This is why the junkie, the convict, and the lunatic, are often the most devout believers. Look to the worst human settlements and you’ll find the most religion. It sure looks that way. It’s coincidental, but all the same.

Christian men don’t lead. They force. They penalize. Ironically, it’s not we Satanists who love a human sacrifice. It’s the Christian type, the Muslim type, who make burnt offerings of suffering women and children. The stench is pleasing to the nostrils of Allah. Here’s a secret: killing a woman isn’t necessary to sacrifice her to God. Remember that.

We do need a program of family planning. A real institution. A revolution of prevention would provide all the family values we’d ever need. What do we get instead? Pale face sharia.

The frauen of the church want the children of rape born into this world. The morally unsatisfied Christian man wants a mother’s trauma relived at every milestone of development. Allahu Ackbar. Children of incest would skinny dip in our gene pool, protecting and defending the purity of southern heritage. Christians want their own nightmarish conjuring of “family values, with no compromise and no revision. The Handmaid’s Tale feels less like speculative fiction and more like a plausible threat under the right working conditions. Christian family values reduce women into beasts of burden. Breeding stock. If it means killing our mothers, sisters, and daughters, then praise be. They would rescind the right to terminate a high risk pregnancy. In Jesus name, hands to the sky. A family should lose its matriarch for the sake of one doomed pregnancy.

The mother’s heartbeat is a chicken heart, to the Christian – she exists for her eggs. Her own heartbeat is a petty concern. Her body is meant to warm the nest and receive the cock. Nothing more. Thy Kingdom Cum.

By the sign of the cross, the bodies of women are livestock to be tortured, not respected. Should her fetus be nonviable, this Peckerwood Caliphate would have her carry the miscarriage to term, wrecking her mental and physical health in the process. If an accident should happen, should contraceptives fail, should a bright and talented woman be impregnated against her will, the saints would have her follow through. Carry the mistake to the very bitter end. Nevermind the repercussions to herself, to her family, or to her society. God is good. “Live with your mistakes,” she’s told. “Take responsibility.” Yet abortion is often the most responsible choice possible.

Under His Eye, a profoundly deformed fetus would be denied a merciful death in the comfort of the womb. The family home would become a hospice care for the irreparably broken. Christians fancy using adjectives like “unnatural” and “abomination.” Their tongues can’t taste the irony. There couldn’t be a more apt description of permissive, degenerate behavior, than rooting for the legally required birth of genetic tragedies. And yet, they’d deny women, at every opportunity, to choose health over deformity, to choose success over pointless drudgery. Foundering horses get more mercy at the hands of the farmer.

Since these Christians can’t send us to hell themselves, they seem bent on making the Earth as miserable as possible. And with what they’re pushing, they’re getting the job done as best they can.

What might be the Satanic alternative? The third side? “Of course, whenever an issue becomes more important than a solution, don’t expect to stumble over a third side.” Dok LaVey was right. And I don’t suspect any real solution, proposed by any Satanist, stands a chance of becoming the mainstream institution. Flying the banner of Satan over an issue would probably be detrimental, anyway. Though what could we do, individually, to fight back?

We need to knock the crucifix off the flag pole. We need education, to start with. Miseducation is the church’s lifeblood. With so much agitation about the pay of teachers, there’s not much talk about the usefulness of what they’re allowed to teach. The program must be fixed, from K to 12, from Associates to Bachelors. If the public infrastructure is rendered obsolete by moral trouble, then rational, secular, wealthy individuals with a stake in the future, might consider building an alternative – freely available. Perhaps. A revival of classic education and training, strengthened by the lessons we’ve learned in the last century, could be useful. Sex ed, and what comes after birth, would have its place.

Up next, accountability. I know it sounds feminist – and I know that puts it in the bargain bin of ideology for a great many of this “congregation” – but men aren’t taking nearly responsibility they could. The burdens of sexuality and care of the young still fall, mainly, to women. Should we stay 2,000 years backwards, also?

If not, it’s time to talk about the vasectomy. The vasectomy is the most effective, lowest risk, cost effective, least detrimental form of birth control on the market. It has no effect on hormones. It poses no risk of blood clot or mood instability. The vas differens, the small tube that makes ejaculate fertile, provides around 2% of the total volume in a cumshot. If a spectator were genuflecting for her facial, she could never tell the difference. It’s reliable and reversible. Some 80% of American men are circumcised so there should be no squeamishness involved here. Unlike circumcision, the vasectomy doesn’t decrease sexual pleasure. It’s not outwardly visible.

If it’s such a man’s world, where’s the man’s choice in conception?

How many parasitic industries would collapse in a generation were the vasectomy as common as the circumcision? If the vasectomy were incentivized, normalized, and subsidized as the responsible choice it is, Christianity would spring another leak in its gas tank. And we could start to say “Good riddance.” Where Satan is no longer an effective spook to lure in the masses, abortion picks up the slack. Take away abortion and we deprive the church of its holocaust propaganda.

The courts would lose their cut of the child support racket. Ghettos would flourish. With more to go around, and less waste, what would become of the welfare state? And in turn, the nanny state?

Schools would no longer be overcrowded brainwash laundromats, where thanks to inherited hardship we still separate our whites from our colors. Missionaries could dig wells while doctors without borders could perform vasectomies. The global population could start to shrink, reduced to only the most wanted, most loved, best cared for generations of children.

Tract housing wouldn’t scar the earth and wildlife could return, ecosystems restored. With so much concern for global warming and the clear cutting of rain forests, isn’t any sensible environmental policy one that reduces the human population and human consumption together? With so many human rights violations, wouldn’t a smaller, better educated, better prepared generation, be less susceptible to tyranny? By virtue of there being fewer people, each person would matter all the more. That sounds like pro-life to me.

Is my speculation so far fetched? Could the proliferation of schooling and the all-but-compulsory vasectomy get so much accomplished? Look to their absence. Look to a Christian Nation, as forced as it is. Look everywhere ignorance and theocracy hold hands.

The outrage will have its way. A woman’s choice vs. a woman’s jail time. And for all the sorrow caused by unplanned, unmitigated, uneducated parenthood, solutions will go ignored. Remember this, the uncomfortable third side is so uncomfortable because nobody gets to feel like a messiah, and somebody has to do an honest day’s work.

HAIL SATAN! Josie Maxine Gallows Kali Yuga

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are not THE Satanic view on abortion. But they are MY Satanic views on abortion. Cross-posted from my official website. Want more? Become a member of The Kali Yuga by subscribing to my content on PATREON. www.patreon.com/josiemaxinegallows

[modestybae]

Hey girl, as a revert (and one who’s parents dont approve, hijab just out of the question currently), how can i do the process of getting a husband in a halal way? I go to the mosque for converts meeting, and stay for night prayers during ramadan, but run me thru what should i expect, how to keep things halal. My dads involvement in this would b really strange for him, so w out a wali..... let me know ur thoughts mwah xoxo

Assalam alaykum gorgeous 🌸Let’s talk hijab and then we can get into the marriage thing. 

Hijab is an obligation upon Muslim women. Just like prayer. Even if your parents were Muslim, and forbade you from wearing hijab, you’ll still have to wear it. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “ There is no obedience if it involves sin, eat her obedience is with regard to that which is good and proper.” Narrated by Al Bukhari 7257 and Muslim 1840. 

They won’t welcome you with open arms, but wallahi you’ll be rewarded greatly for it inshallahh. They might be convinced that hijab makes you less of a woman, or that it’s domineering and what not. Talk to them about its empowerment, reassure them that you’re still the same daughter they know and love. Talk to them how in Islam, treating your parents good, with love and respect is an obligation. I know how you’re feeling and know what you’re going through, but this is a trial and inshallahh you’ll walk out of it stronger than ever. 

 Now about marriage 🙆. Your father can’t really be your wali, and a woman in Islam needs a wali for marriage, so, 

“If the woman does not have any wali who can give her in marriage, then that role may be filled by the Muslim qaadi (judge), if there is one. If there is no qaadi, as is the case for Muslim communities living in the West, then the director of the Islamic centre may give her in marriage.If there is no director of an Islamic centre, then the imam of the mosque, or a scholar, or a Muslim man of good character may give her in marriage.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If the woman is in a country where there is no wali – no brother, no father, and no paternal cousin – then the ruler takes the place of the wali; her wali is the ruler, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The ruler is the wali of the one who does not have a wali.” So the ruler takes the place of her wali and becomes her wali; he may give her in marriage or appoint someone else to give her in marriage. If she is in a land where there is no (Muslim) ruler, qaadi or wali, as in the case of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries, then the director of the Islamic Centre may give her in marriage, if there is an Islamic centre, because his position is like that of the ruler for them. The director of the Islamic Centre may look at her case and give her in marriage to one who is compatible, if she does not have any guardians of her own and there is no qaadi. If the wali lives far away, he should be corresponded with ot spoken to until he appoints someone as his proxy (wakeel). But if it is not known where he is, then the next closest wali takes his place; the one who is most closely related to him takes his place. If she has no wali except this absent one whose whereabouts is unknown, then the ruler takes his place.” Islamqa. Fatwa no. 208700 

Before you even start looking for a spouse learn about your rights in a Muslim marriage, and learn about your duties.You can learn more about them here. 

Keep attending events at the masjid, and perhaps you can talk to your imam’s wife and if she isn’t around you can talk to the imam and ask him to look for a suitable spouse for you. If you know righteous women from the masjid or halaqas that you attend, you can drop hints (or be direct about it, whatever) that you’re looking for a spouse. Now before you meet anyone, get background information. His name, age, occupation, family, what he’s looking for. If you initially approve of that and would like to know more about the person, ask for a meeting. 

The first meeting is usually preetttyyyy awkward.You should initially be physically attracted to him. This is your chance to look at each other all you want, so this isn’t the time for lowering your gaze and it’s totally halal, 

It was narrated that: Mughirah bin Shubah said: “I came to the Prophet and told him of a woman to whom I had to propose marriage. He said: ‘Go and look at her, for that is more likely to create love between you.’ So I went to a woman among the Ansar and proposed marriage through her parents. I told them what the Prophet had said, and it was as if they did not like that. Then I heard that woman, behind her curtain, say: ‘If the Messenger of Allah has told you to do that, then do it, otherwise I adjure you by Allah (not to do so)’. And it was as if she regarded that as a serious matter. So I looked at her and married her.” And he mentioned how well he got along with her. [Grade: Sahih (Darrussalam) Sunan Ibn Majah- Book 9- Hadith 1939]

So during the first meeting, keep it casual and don’t get into the whole “100 Questions To Ask A Potential” just yet. After your first meeting, ask your wali to ask around about the guy. He should ask his friends, his colleagues, employer, the guy he’s renting his place from, the masjid he attends, halaqa mates, the security guard at his work place. You need to make sure that he’s actually a good guy, don’t be fooled by the looks. And you’ll know the type of man he’s by how he deals with people around him. 

If you like what you see and hear, ask for a second meeting, and now ask your questions. There’s no limitations to meetings, but when you do accept him, and come to a conclusion that you’re interested in each other and would like to get married, thats when you should both lower your gaze, because you’re still non-mahrams. During all stages till you’re finally married, you shouldnt meet up with him alone.  

During the getting to know each other stage, take it slow, put the physical aspects aside, and focus on his mentality. Get to know the person, ask as many questions as you can, even go to couple’s therapy, meet his family. Questions like his expectations of marriage and of his wife, and his understanding of qawwammah (The Salafi Feminist has a great series on that, it’s called True Qawwam, check it out). If he’s from a different culture, ask questions about it, know how a marriage plays out in his culture. Basically know what you’ll be getting yourself into. 

After you agree on marriage, the mahr (dowry) is agreed upon. “If the girl and her family agree, then a mahr has to be agreed upon, and the wedding expenses and the wedding date, and so on. This also varies according to local customs, and what the man can afford and what preparations he has made for getting married. Some people do the proposal and the marriage contract in one sitting, and some delay the marriage contract after the engagement, and some they delay the consummation after the marriage contract. All of that is permissible.” Islamqa. Fatwa no. 88130

You can find out what’s mahr here. Engagement according to the shari’a.  Wedding/marriage celebration in Islam.  Conditions of a valid marriage.  

Please choose wisely. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. And don’t settle for less. Remember that no one’s perfect. You won’t find anyone who ticks all of your conditions. It’s a package deal, so choose the closest to your ideal. What’s crucial is deen and  adab (behavior, good manners). 

I’ll leave you with these websites that discuss challenges of converts’ marriage, 1, 2, 3. Check them out and try to avoid them inshallah. 

From the moment someone tells you about a potential, till the day of your wedding, pray istikhara. Like I cant stress this enough. 

Lastly and most importantly, keep praying. Duaa is magic wallahi. Be sincere, and have faith that Allah will accept your duaa inshallah. 

May Allah make you righteous and may He grant you a righteous, loving spouse who would be the coolness of your eyes inshallah. Take care beautyy, and if you’re still confused about anything else, let me know xoxo 

[cbholganza]

After 5 months of blood, sweat and tears, Marawi City is finally free. Marawi’s sons and daughters can now sleep in peace, finally delivered from the terrifying bomb blasts and sniper fire. The skies are blue once again, as though signaling the return of peace and tranquility in the area. The sound of chirping birds have returned. They are back where there used to be just the billowing smoke from crumbling buildings, and the constant stacatto of deadly machine-gun and mortar fire.

The clean-up begins. (courtesy of Rappler.)

Marawi has suffered much from the war. The death and destruction is still evident in many of the streets of Marawi’s central business district.  Truly, it was distressing to witness the ravages of war as the government’s elite assault forces stormed in to flush out the dreaded ISIS elements from the city.

Government soldiers stand in front of the ruins of Marawi. (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco)

And the job isn’t over yet. We must look ahead at the gargantuan task of rebuilding this once-bustling city.

Looking back, there are hidden gems of goodwill that must be surfaced from the rubble of hatred and devastation. For in the midst of all the misery were many poignant episodes of heroism and humanity that the Marawi incident gifted us with.

Innocent civilians being escorted out of the danger areas. (courtesy of esquire magazine.)

When the war erupted, many people were caught by surprise. Muslims and Christians alike did not know who to trust, what to do, where to go. In many cases, when the ISIS force suddenly surfaced, Muslims hid Christians in their homes so that they would not be taken hostage by the ISIS fighters. Such acts of kindness and bravery were repeated countless times, saving many Christians left isolated in the predominantly Muslim community.

Muslims and Christians helped one another during those confusing times. (courtesy of the US-Philippine Society)

A group of young Muslims braved the danger of the ISIS threat, walking the seemingly-abandoned streets, exposing themselves unnecessarily, looking for civilians left behind. Armed only with megaphones to call out stragglers inside the deserted homes, this group of steel-hearted men fancied themselves as daredevil members of a ‘suicide squad’. Nonetheless, they were able to bring out many innocent civilians, reuniting them with families worried sick over their welfare.

Good samaritans out to provide help for others. (Care of MindaNews)

Soldiers took great risks and made personal sacrifices to rescue and save Muslim and Christian hostages alike. Some were injured, some have taken the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives in the process. A Scout Ranger commander would sacrifice his own life for his wounded sergeant who was wounded and pinned down in close-quarter battle. Another Scout Ranger lieutenant braved an ongoing firefight, to negotiate a ceasefire that would eventually lead to the release of some hostages. He laid down his rifle, called his people to stand down, removed his helmet and body armor, exposed himself, if only to show sincerity to the hostile militants.

Pres Duterte pays tribute to a fallen soldier. (ABS-CBN News)

The assaulting troops made sure that cultural sensitivities were observed. Strict instructions were given to the troops to make sure that this was followed. Bodies of dead fighters were treated with respect. The Air Force were under strict instructions not to bomb the mosques, even if they knew that the mosques were being used to manufacture more bombs, and house observers and snipers. Only small arms fire was used to deter fighters firing from these religious establishments. Even before the firing stopped, plans were being readied to repair damages in these mosques.

The Grand Mosque remains standing, despite heavy destruction on the periphery. (Courtesy of Philstar)

In the dawn encounter that brought down top leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute, the soldiers elected not to shoot while the terrorists were moving with the hostages. Both were taken out with clean shots, as the soldiers made sure that no hostages would be imperiled. 

Refugees were a primary concern. (Philstar.com)

While the fighting raged, soldiers and other government agencies raced to provide comfort to both the Muslim and Christian refugees. The conditions in the evacuation centers were certainly not the best, but they strove to make it better, particularly for the impressionable kids who had been traumatized by the war. As the PNP SAF troopers prepared to leave for Luzon after the campaign, scores of children crowded the buses crying, acknowledging the strong bond the troopers had developed with the kids.

Children giving the PNP SAF troopers a tearful send-off. (From Yahoo News)

And as the fighting ended, our military forces were withdrawn as quietly as possible from the frontlines. There was no gloating  over an enemy’s downfall, no loud victorious display in Marawi. Just respect for the fallen – be they comrade or adversary, care for the wounded, sympathy and support for the evacuees. The government immediately led talks on rebuilding the city, on strengthening the ties between the Muslim and Christian communities, on reconciliation and the need for more collaboration. 

It is time to rebuild homes, and rebuild hope for a better future. (courtesy of Philstar)

The fight in Marawi was contained solely by Philippine soldiers. ISIS tried desperately to make it an international war. They poured in fighters and support from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries in the Middle East. They called for more support from all over the world. But the fact that they were quelled decisively in a short span of time, and by a purely local force, has made them lose face and will dampen their recruitment efforts at the global level. It is something that we, as a nation, can be proud of. 

Goverment troops prepare to assault the Maute group. Photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler

Marawi has gone through a lot of pain. Her pain is the country’s pain as well. And as the fighting has subsided, it is time to rehabilitate and rebuild. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the Marawi siege. From the root causes of the siege, the need to improve the conditions prevailing in our Muslim communities, the need for more attention for our Southern frontiers, the need for more government presence, the need for more goodwill and collaboration, etc. On the other hand, we also learned much about our government agencies’ capabilities in major disaster events such as this. And we learned about the needs of our Armed Forces as well. We must not let the Marawi incident pass without learning from it. We must not allow the Marawi siege to happen elsewhere. Never again.

Never again! (Rappler)

Today, Marawi may look battered and punch-drunk. But she will survive. She will recover, she will be better from the experience. From the ruins of the old Marawi shall rise a better, stronger, more resilient Marawi. With God’s will, with the sympathy and goodwill coming from across the globe, and with the lessons in humanity etched in blood and tears, Marawi shall rise again.   

An interfaith congregation prays for peace and harmony to reign once again in Marawi. (Courtesy of UCA News)

May God bless the people who have worked together – and continue to work together – to help rebuild Marawi. May God bless the Philippines. Let us all join hands in this noble endeavor to rebuild this paradise. Inshallah.

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PRRD inspects firearms recovered from Marawi. (Manila Bulletin)

PRRD mobbed by happy troopers after the end of the siege. (Philstar)

Hundreds of hungry evacuees line up for screening at the start of the siege. (Inquirer.net)

At the start of hostilities, thousands of marawi residents decided to leave their homes. (Inquirer.net)

A refugee cries as recounts her ordeal. (Sydney Morning Herald)

A Muslim mother looks for her children. (Nolisoli.)

Despite the difficulties, still thankful for the gift of life. (Manila Times)

Refugees make do with the cramped facilities. (Inquirer.net)

Children’s school items trickle in. (Esquiremag Philippines)

An elederly women traces her way back to her home, anxious to know if it survived the war. (GMA Network)

The Red Cross is a big help. Thank you. (ICRC)

Angel Locsin, a local TV star, provides joy for the refugees. (Yuneoh Magazine)

Enlisted women are sent to marawi to help with the refugees. (Update Philippines.)

EWs take selfies with the Prez. (GMA Network)

Government forces start the perilous effort to retake Marawi. (Philstar)

An APC escorts troops across the infamous Mapandi bridge as they push forward. (REUTERS/Froilan Gallardo)

Recovered bodies, be they friend or foe, are treated with respect. (Agencia Efe)

Debris fly as Air Force jets bomb suspected Muslim strongholds. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Improvised explosives and bombs manufactures at the mosque. (News 5)

Marawi’s business district takes heavy damages. (Cetus News)

The skies are clear once again, but the damages will be a big challenge. (Inquirer.net)

It is time for the rebuild and rehabilitation teams to come in. (JTF Marawi)

  Marawi Will Rise Again After 5 months of blood, sweat and tears, Marawi City is finally free. Marawi's sons and daughters can now sleep in peace, finally delivered from the terrifying bomb blasts and sniper fire.