Nur Misuari

Nur Misuari (Tausug: Nūr Miswāri, born Nurallaji Pinang Misuari; March 3, 1939) is a Moro Filipino revolutionary and politician, founder and leader of the Moro National Liberation Front.

Nur Misuari was born on March 3, 1939, in Tapul, Sulu, Philippines.

The fourth of ten children, his parents were of Tausug [Tausūg people] descent and came from Kabinga-an, Tapul Island.

His father was Saliddain Misuari, who worked as a fisherman, and his mother was Dindanghail Pining.

Nur Misuari is a direct descendant of Panglima Mahabasser Elidji, a Tausūg warrior and representative from the Sultanate of Sulu who he claims helped the Sultanate of Brunei forces under Sultan Muhyiddin during the civil war in northern Borneo, after which the eastern part of Sabah was rewarded to the Tausūgs by Sultan Muhyiddin.

Misuari's father moved their family from Tapul to Jolo, Sulu when he was still young.

He attended Jolo Central Elementary School from 1949 to 1955 and studied at Sulu National High School for his secondary education from 1955 to 1958.

Misuari's family experienced financial difficulties and could not afford to send him to college.

His teacher assisted him to acquire a scholarship from the Commission on National Integration, which allowed him to study at the University of the Philippines, Manila.

Misuari initially took up a degree in liberal arts, intending to pursue medicine.

Instead, Misuari shifted his course to political science in his second semester with the intent of taking up law, despite the fact that his father "hated" lawyers.

He became active in many of the university's extra-curricular activities, particularly in debate.

In the 1960s, he helped establish the Mindanao Independence Movement which aimed to organize an independent state in southern Philippines.

The Mindanao Independence Movement formed the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that sought political reforms from the government of the Philippines.

After attaining his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of the Philippines in 1962, he entered the College of Law at University of the Philippines, Diliman but dropped his law studies in his second year after being convinced by his mentor and now national author, Caesar Majul, to pursue a master's degree related to political science.

He finished his master's degree in Asian studies in 1964 at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

In 1964, Misuari founded a radical student group called the Bagong Asya (New Asia).

Together with Jose Maria Sison, he also founded the Kabataan Makabayan (Patriotic Youth).

Through Cesar Adib Majul, Misuari became a lecturer at the University of the Philippines in political science in July 1966 until his retirement as instructor on November 15, 1968.

Since the 1970s, there has been an animosity between Moro separatist leaders that resulted in the creation of MILF and other factions of MNLF due to falling-outs with Misuari.

His rage towards Malaysia began when the Malaysian government sent him back to the Philippines and supported the MILF on the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, which resulted in his dissatisfaction towards Malaysian leaders.

Unable to gain reforms, the MNLF engaged in military conflict against the Philippine government and its supporters between 1972 and 1976 under the leadership of Misuari.

The military resistance to the government of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos did not produce autonomy for the Moro people.

Misuari departed to Saudi Arabia in self-exile, returning to the Philippines after Marcos was removed from office during the People Power Revolution in 1986.

Misuari justified the MNLF armed struggle on the non-implementation of the Tripoli Agreement, originally signed by Ferdinand Marcos and later included and accepted in the peace agreement signed by former Philippine president Fidel Ramos in the 1990s.

This agreement established an autonomous region for Moros, where Misuari became governor.

After he was installed as the region's governor in 1996, his rule ended in violence when he led a failed rebellion against the Philippines government in November 2001, thus illegally escaping to Sabah, Malaysia.

During his time there, his third wife Tarhatta together with their three children were allowed to visit by the Malaysian government.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) regional chairman suggested the Malaysian government send Misuari to Saudi Arabia or Libya to avoid "political persecution" by the Philippine government.

However the Malaysian leader at the time, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resisted by saying; "We cannot entertain asylum as Misuari had not used his powers correctly although we provide support for him in the past for his bid on autonomy that saw the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)".

He was then deported back to the Philippines, and removed from his office by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2001 before being arrested in 2007 on charges of terrorism.

On December 20, 2007, he was denied a petition for bail and remained under house arrest in Manila.

The Philippine court however, granted the bail petition of Misuari's seven co-accused, at 100,000 pesos.

On April 25, 2008, he was allowed to post bail, upon the instructions of the Cabinet security cluster.

According to Moro sources, Misuari is a "charismatic leader" who held considerable sway over the indigenous people in Mindanao but lost this backing because of his mismanagement and the corruption of his officials during his tenure as governor for the ARMM.

Until 2016, Misuari had five wives, his first wife was Desdemona Tan, who died of illness in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The elder sister of the deceased Desdemona, Eleonora Rohaida Tan then became his second wife.

His third and fourth wives are Tarhata Ibrahim and Maimona Palalisan.

His fifth wife comes from the tribe of Subanen, while Sherry Rahim became his sixth wife.

As per polygyny, Islam allows men to marry up to four wives currently alive at the same time, thought Misuari already have six wives, this does not include his first wife who has been deceased.