Sulu Archipelago: The Islands of Pearls and The Wisdom Behind It is encouraging the readers to deeply swim to the place then regarded as the “pueblos de juramentado” (city of suicidal run amok) and “islas de vagamundo” (islands of lawless elements) by Spanish, the “land of pirates”, “home of slave raiders”, “land of savages” and “abode of cruel and barbarous race” by Americans. It is definitely worsen today for it is already promoted into the “haven of terrorist” and the “island of kidnappers”.
The Sulu people are always been portrayed as doers of evil not as patriotic and nationalistic people who defended and had given their lives to continue protecting their faith, land and people. However, nobody questions how authentic such evil and injustice claims are. Does anybody know the interior frame of this precious archipelago? It is still remain inevitably questionable. Why not look at the other side of the truth as “haven of pearls”, “land of exotic fruits”, “heaven of tourists” and “home of hospitality” to mention some of its good attributes. It is wonderful Sulu Archipelago!
This is also a recounting the roles of Sulu Sea Pearls as uniting factor for World Peace as it was became evident in the ancient China before, as well as identifying its contribution as icon of World War which interest among the Europeans and Americans to dive out in Sulu Archipelago. Truly Sulu Archipelago is a Pearl itself!
The revelations of the truth of the matter here are inviting historians, academicians, scholars as well as politicians of the world as regarded by the author as “dynamic intellectuals” to please look upon the roots of the Sultanate of Sulu to bring back its stolen glory as free and independent nation long before Spanish and America colonization of the Philippines, the British of Malaya and Borneo and the Dutch of Indonesia.
The author was hoping in his speech “Together as One” for the Center for Black Studies, Northern Illinois University, USA, that says “we are proactive that someday our country and region, Mindanao (and Sulu), will be transformed into an oasis of freedom, peace and justice and I think it is very much possible”.
He further reminded us in this speech that “let the history repeat itself but please do not let ourselves to repeat the history as bitter as we experienced yesterday”. This was proven by historical, political and legal facts that any foreign sovereignty (especially Spanish) over Sulu Archipelago and its dominion had not been acknowledged by any world power or countries of the world.
Still, this endeavor calling for the unity of the Tausug or Sulu Citizens to make a forest from a single tree because a single tree makes no forest and put a full guitar strings because a single string makes only sounds no music and inviting them to read this book because a book that is not read remain as a book, hence, a book that is read is a knowledge.
Seeking of peace in the Archipelago by means of war is already proven by time and space as indeed ineffective, inutile and immoral. What then? Please give peace a chance by means of peace to reign once more in this already dilapidated and deteriorated dwelling of oppressed “precious people” that had been longed and cried for centuries.
This is making people aware of the physical and statistical genocides done to Sulus had been changed to a contemporary psychological genocide through evangelization program. If Tausug, Bangsa Sug or Sulu cannot achieve the independence of their nation Sulu today at least they did what is due to them to save their glorious past by means of rewriting its history. Let ask the foreign colonizers to keep their mess!
