Besieged Zamboanga mosque gets facelift

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The grand mosque in Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City besieged by the rebels of Misuari-faction Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) got a facelift from the government troops in time for the Eid'l al Adha on Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Randolf Sino Cruz, spokesman of the regional military here, said soldiers from the 454th engineering battalion provided the facelift of the mosque after it was turned over to its administrator late last week.

The mosque suffered the brunt of the gunbattle when it was seized by the MNLF forces under Ustadz Habier Malik last Sept. 9 with several of the rebels’ snipers, including women, used its tower as sentry against responding government forces.

The presence of the MNLF snipers at the mosque left a number of government forces casualties during the first week of the combat before it was took down by the troops under the 32nd Infantry Battalion and government forces.

The soldiers avoided to subject the mosque with heavy artillery to avoid desecrating it, Cruz said.

The mosque’s tower absorbed bullets' poke marks and slight damage while its interior, which is heavily concreted, remained intact except for the damaged glass windows and the adjacent madrasa.

The acting resident imam of the grand mosque, Ustadz Raffy Ammad they felt bad of the rebels’ action for attacking the mosque.

“They should have avoided this religious sanctuary. When we entered here after it was liberated immediately by the soldiers many things were in total disarray,” Ammad said.

Ammad said with the help of the soldiers to rehabilitate the mosque, they are now prepared to serve their flock in time for the Eid'l al Adha.

Cruz said they will also provide service vehicle in the delivery of beef that will be given to the poor Muslim residents by the mosque administration.