The Sulu Journey and Future

Assalamu Alaikum, this is Umar Vadillo, where are you now, can we meet?” said Shaykh Prof. Dr. Umar Ibrahim Vadillo in the phone on afternoon of 27 December 2011.

We went to meet to him with SDDI Foreign Affairs Minister cum Executive Minister, Datu Habi Sakiral Daie with the author of the book Tausug and Sulu Sultanate, Asree Sug.

After some briefing about the development in Sulu Darul Islam and about Washi or Sendong Typhoon, Shaykh Umar Vadillo feel sad and wanted to extend some help. It was from his friend that he got the story of Sendong victims before we met.

Shaykh Umar Vadillo with Tausug Kandit Siyabit or Tausug Weaved Kandit (hanged on his neck) during the visit to Jolo, Sulu Darul Islam with partners, Mr. Muhammad Esfih and Mr. Okawa. 2 January 2012. Photo by Asree Sug

It was in the evening of 28 December 2011 Shaykh Umar Vadillo met up with us again. He decided to visit Jolo, the capital of Sulu Darul Islam. In this meeting he introduced us to his friends.

They left for Sulu Darul Islam on the night between 31 December and 1 January 2011 via Manila, Philippines. They arrived to Zamboanga City, one of the Sulu Darul Islam’s capital cities.

On the 4 January 2012, TGM Staff Zamboanga reported in the SSDI Official Website, www.sulu-darul-islam, that the foreign visitors “were officially received by the SSDI Prime Minister, Datu Habib Sattiya Amilhasan and Minister of Planning Datu hadji Julmari...and ...were brought to the Astana’ Sultan or Sultan’s Palace at Banua San Roque before departed to Jolo in the evening boarding a ship”.

On 2 January 2012, Shaykh Umar Vadillo told the Tausug that "Starting today, the currency of the Tausug Citizens of the Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam will be Dinar and Dirham."

Shaykh Umar Vadillo with Sulu Darul Islam Puntukan Mantiri (Prime Minister) at the Astana' Sultan, Zamboanga City. Photo by TGM Staff Zamboanga City.

Shaykh Umar Vadillo’s wife, Alawiyah Abdul Rahman Vadillo shared the thought of the Shaykh on their way to the airport on 31 December 2011, when he says “In travelling, you only yearn to gain proximity with Allah.”

On the 29 December 2011 meeting, Shaykh Umar Vadillo says “We will free Nusantara start from Sulu Darul Islam. Gold dinar is your weapon”.

In 2010 posted at www.alawiyahabdulrahmanvadillo.blogspot.com before we attended the launching of Dinar and Dirham in Kelantan, Shaykh Umar Vadillo about Sulu Darul Islam and wanted to reach its shores for Dinar and Dirham in the future when he said:

“I was looking for the true sultanate of these lands. I wanted to find who are the people who had never surrendered. Who never said YES to the colonialist package. I looked and looked and looked and I found this in two areas, its Sulu and Acheh. And well, a little bit in Kelantan.”

“To become a state-hood (nation-state) according to the United Nations, it has nothing to do with independence or freedom. It is in fact slavery. In order to attain freedom or independence in the first place is to attain it FROM United Nations, NOT WITHIN the United Nations.”

“The issue of sovereignty cannot be demanded from someone who does not have it. The United Nations does not give sovereignty. It does not have it. Sovereignty belongs to Allah (swt). We ask Him for sovereignty.'”

“The Darul Islam in Nusantara will start with the independence of the Sultanate of the Sulu people.”

“The only reality that I believe in is the one in which is ' La hau la wa laa qu wata ila bilLah'. It stands out first. This is what matters to us. This is our strength. This is what we live for and this what we die for. This is our gain. It is our loss if we miss it.”

“Most important is that Allah has granted us success. As the Moro (Muslim) people of the west in Al-Andalus once wrote in the walls of Al-Hambra - 'La ghaliba ilaAllah' when they established the Deen of Islam in the Al-Andalus. We will inscribe the same.”

Before leaving, Shaykh Umar Vadillo posted in his Facebook wall on 31 December 2011 at 9:00pm and English and also Spanish:

“Tonight I travel to Jolo, capital of Sultanate of Sulu -Dar al Islam. Tomorrow we shall meet the Sultan of the newly independent nation. In the Name of Allah we shall mint their own Dinar and Dirham of Dar al-Islam, set our brave people free from Riba and preparing the basis to root out the Philippine Central Bank and their corrupt banks and from here all Nusantara. Inshaallah. We set our goals high because we are nothing on our own, but Allah is the Akbar and with Him we are His lions. If we are sincere we might get closer to Him, that's our secret goal. Now we place our affairs with Him. Allah is our Protector and He is enough for us. You always start a fire on the edge, we are going to the edge. And Victory belongs to Him.”