Moro and narcotics

[Dimasalang]

I remember watching a show on the history of drugs in America. Opium at the turn of the 20th century was legal in America. Sears & Roebuck also offered Heroin along with a syringe from their catalog of 1900. On the show they mentioned many soldiers who came back from the Philippine American War were addicts from the Opium dens in Manila. The entry dock from Manila to the US for these soldiers was San Francisco, where the largest Chinese community was located(China town)...and the soldiers would continue their addiction at the opium dens there.

If America at one point thought opium was harmless and didn't ban the substance, then to me there is a small possibility opium was not a illegal drug by the Moros either.


From the Sears & Roebuck catalog

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

If America at one point thought opium was harmless and didn't ban the substance, then to me there is a small possibility opium was not a illegal drug by the Moros either.

Dimasalang, that's a very valid point.

Also, we know that the Moros practice folk Islam, in the same manner that (Filipino) Christians practice folk Catholicism.

Thus what was actually practiced by those people did not strictly follow the hard-and-fast tenets of those religions.

Very recently, millions of Filipinos saw on TV a bolo rush of Mindanao cultists against a group of police and govt. militiamen. Please see attached news clips.

I myself saw the video footages. The first to rush was a cult member who attacked from a stationary position about 10 meters away from the govt. troops. As soon as he sprung from where he stood, he immediately met a hail of M16 and pistol rounds. And yet he almost hacked a frontline trooper after being able to cover the 10 meters, before he finally fell, literally at the feet of the troopers.

And then the others cult members, waving their bolos and also no firearms, started rushing to the troopers (three of the cultists can be seen in the clip below, with the rightmost cultist seen as hit already).

Surely a religiously-inspired and determined attacker will be able to withstand a lot of gunshot wounds before he is stopped.

The news articles are here and here.

[Dimasalang]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

Dimasalang, that's a very valid point.

Also, we know that the Moros practice folk Islam, in the same manner that (Filipino) Christians practice folk Catholicism.

Thus what was actually practiced by those people did not strictly follow the hard-and-fast tenets of those religions.

Very recently, millions of Filipinos saw on TV a bolo rush of Mindanao cultists against a group of police and govt. militiamen. Please see attached news clips.

I myself saw the video footages. The first to rush was a cult member who attacked from a stationary position about 10 meters away from the govt. troops. As soon as he sprung from where he stood, he immediately met a hail of M16 and pistol rounds. And yet he almost hacked a frontline trooper after being able to cover the 10 meters, before he finally fell, literally at the feet of the troopers.

And then the others cult members, waving their bolos and also no firearms, started rushing to the troopers (three of the cultists can be seen in the clip below, with the rightmost cultist seen as hit already).

Surely a religiously-inspired and determined attacker will be able to withstand a lot of gunshot wounds before he is stopped.

The news articles are here and here.

Interesting article. I notice they called them "Tad-Tad"(Chop Chop). This was originally a Pulajane name from the early part of the century. I know many Pulajane groups migrated south in the Mindanao after their battles with PC, PS, and soldiers. Is this cult descended from the Pulajane group?

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

Interesting article. I notice they called them "Tad-Tad"(Chop Chop). This was originally a Pulajane name from the early part of the century. I know many Pulajane groups migrated south in the Mindanao after their battles with PC, PS, and soldiers. Is this cult descended from the Pulajane group?

Am not sure whether the cult traces its roots to the Pulahanes.

But the first attacker I mentioned above (I think he's the leader), was dressed in bright red blouse. That must mean something.

Below is a pic of the local reenactors' interpretation of how a Pulahan dressed.

Back to the Moros, when I was going over the Tausug (Jolo Moro)-English dictionary, I also noticed that there are more terms about talismans, charms, and amulets, as compared to orthodox Islam terms. At least that was my impression.

Thus aside from their Islamic faith, the folk Islam practiced by the Moros involved a lot of trusting in these amulets. Again, just my impression.

And we know how a firm belief or state of mind can superhumanly sustain a person, up to a point.

[Nonoy Tan]

when I was going over the Tausug (Jolo Moro)-English dictionary, I also noticed that there are more terms about talismans, charms, and amulets, as compared to orthodox Islam terms

I ascribe to this methodology of researching the dictionary, especially those created during the relevant period (years). If these was such a drug, then surely the name by which it is called by the locals would be found in those dictionaries. These dictionaries would include Bagobo, Tausug, Maguindanao, Sama, Mandaya, Tboli, etc. (all the linguistic groups).

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

I ascribe to this methodology of researching the dictionary, especially those created during the relevant period (years). If these was such a drug, then surely the name by which it is called by the locals would be found in those dictionaries. These dictionaries would include Bagobo, Tausug, Maguindanao, Sama, Mandaya, Tboli, etc. (all the linguistic groups).

Excellent point.

As ethnographers say, if something is part and parcel of a culture, then for sure there will be a term for it.

The absence of the term for a warrior's drug or hallucinogen thus seems to support the idea that by and large, none was used.

Maybe somebody ought to check out also the Maranaw terms (aside from the Magindanaw terms) ...

PS - The Tausug-English Dictionary I used (by Hassan, et al.), cites as references older Tausug dictionaries and manuscripts, i.e., late-1800s to early-1900s as I recall.

[Battara]

On the issue of the color red, if I understand right, red was the color of blood and thus the color worn by warriors who killed a certain number in battle. I forgot which tribe used this (I want to say early Tagalogs and others).