Filipino Christians in Muslim-majority Marawi caught up in Mindanao violence

• Clashes between Islamist militants and Philippine soldiers in Marawi City have displaced as much as 90% of the city’s population.
• Militants have torched churches and reportedly taken hostages in the fight against the government, the extension of decades of conflict driven by increased Christian settlement in the region, the desire for more political autonomy by Moro (Muslim) liberation groups, and the rise of international terrorist organizations like the Islamic State.
• While the Philippine population as a whole is 90% Christian, Muslims comprise the majority of the population in Marawi City, located on the Philippines’ second-largest island, Mindanao.

Read

“Christians caught up in Philippines’ urban battle with Islamists” (Reuters | May 2017)

“‘They kill defenceless people’: thousands flee Philippine city of Marawi” (The Guardian | May 2017)

“Mindanao crisis: A city on fire” (Al Jazeera | May 2017)

(Image Credit: Erik De Castro/Reuters)