Using religion and culture to fight terrorism: lessons from the Philippine military

The Philippine government is recruiting Muslims into the military in an attempt to counter terrorism through a mixture of religious and security approaches. The Philippines faces increasing security pressure since the rise of the Maute, a terrorist group affiliated with IS (Islamic State), in Marawi city. The group in May last year laid siege to Marawi, the capital of the Muslim majority Lanao del Sur province on Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines. A fivemonth armed conflict ensued, displacing thousands. More than 520 members of the terrorist group and 122 Philippine soldiers were killed. The Philippine government has declared that the Maute leadership has disintegrated. But it is still possible that their dormant cells will rally together. I study terrorism in Southeast Asia and have been looking into Philippine government policy in countering terrorism. Recruitment of Muslims into the military might be the strategy most likely to make Muslim communities accept a military presence where most of the population sympathises with the militant