User:BusterD/sandbox

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Juramentado, in Philippine history, is an archaic term derived from the Spanish word juramentar, meaning one who takes an oath, and refers to a male Moro warrior who attacked and killed targeted Christian police and soldiers, expecting to be killed himself in the attempt. Unlike an amok (from the Malayan term for "out of control") who commits acts of random violence against Muslims and non-Muslims alike, a juramentado was a dedicated, premeditated, and often highly-skilled killer who prepared himself through a ritual of binding, shaving, and prayer in order to accomplish public religious murder armed only with edged weapons.

Contents

[edit] A Path to Paradise

For generations warlike Moro tribes had been successfully preventing Spain from fully controlling the areas around Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, developing a well-earned reputation as notorious seafaring raiders, adept naval tacticians, and ferocious warriors who frequently demonstrated extraordinary personal bravery in combat. While Moro bands could never match opponents' firepower or armor, such bands used intelligence, audacity and mobility to raid strongly defended targets and quickly defeat more vulnerable ones. One extreme Moro tactic was the suicide attack or juramentado.

Undertaken as an unorthodox form of personal jihad, mag-sabil, "who endure the pangs of death," were selected from fanatical Muslim youth inspired to martyrdom by the teaching of Imams. Parents were consulted before the young men were permitted by the sultan to undergo training and preparation for Parang-sabil (the path to Paradise). After an oath taken, hand on the Qur'an, the chosen took a ritual bath, all body hair was shaved, and the eyebrows trimmed to resemble "a moon two days old." A strong band was wrapped firmly around the waist, and cords wrapped tightly around the genitals, ankles, knees, upper thighs, wrists, elbows, and shoulders, restricting blood flow and preventing the mag-sabil from losing too much blood from injury before accomplishing his gruesome task. Clad in white robe and turban, the chosen youth would polish and sharpen his weapons before action.

At the moment of attack, the mag-sabil would approach a large group of Christians, shout "La ilaha il-la'l-lahu" ("There is no god but Allah"), draw kris or barong and then rush into the group swinging his sword. The attack was not a suicide as such, for the Qur'an forbids such action, but an attempt to enter Paradise with the spilled blood of numerous enemies of the faith, knowing certain death was a consequence of the act. After death, the mag-sabil's body was washed and again wrapped in white for burial. In the unlikely event the mag-sabil survived his attack, it was believed his body would ascend to Paradise after forty years had passed.

[edit] The Moro Wars

Introduction of term Phillipine-American war

[edit] Technology Responds (temp)

38 couldn't stop , bullet passed through and introduction of 45, issue of shotgun, policy of extreme brutality

[edit] Legacy in Media

unlike beserker assassin targeted, would not kill innocents (link) "The Real Glory" with Gary Cooper

[edit] Links

[1] [2] [3]

[edit] References

<ref name=Burns>[[Ken Burns]], ''Unforgivable Blackness''</ref><ref name=Burns/>

[edit] Notes