#prayformarawi

Today, it’s Marawi

Maute (an ISIS affiliate) just invaded the city of Marawi in Mindanao and they have put a hospital under hostage in the process. 

I do not know how long until the Philippine Army will be able to drive them out, and I do not know if the people escaping from Marawi will make it out alive.

UPDATE: Martial Law has just been declared in Mindanao

MY HEART BROKE AFTER READING THIS. This is a message sent by someone who’s in Marawi City. English isn’t my first language but I’ll try my best to translate this text message.

“Arianne. Jessica.

Both of you are my two best friends. You’re like a sister to me. You don’t know each other but I just wanna say that I love you guys so much. There is no signal here right now. We are under attack by ISIS. And we are hearing gunshots and grenade. Our mayor isn’t confirming the situation in here to the media. If you know someone, or if you have a connection to the police, soldiers or whatever, we are calling for help. Marawi is on red alert. Someone was beheaded, civilians were shot, schools were burnt. I am telling you, ISIS does not represent ISLAM. These people are evil. I love you guys. I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again. I love you so much. Forgive me if I ever done you wrong. I’m not sure what will happen tomorrow. Heard that it’ll be worse tomorrow. I am traumatized by the gunshots. They’ve been saying that this situation is still mild and tomorrow will get even worse. Electricity was cut off in some places and I hope they won’t do that here.”

credits to: Jessica Hong

In another, families are preparing for Ramadan

And in another, people are waiting to be treated by doctors

Manchester, Marawi, Bangkok. All just in a span of under 24 hours

Marawi Update as of May 28, 2017, 2:19 pm local time 

As Ramadan has begun, thousands of people displaced from the fighting in Marawi are celebrating the holy month away from their homes, waiting for the fighting to stop so they can go back. To those still in the city, they wake up to gun shots, airstrikes, and pray that it will be over soon.

As of right now airstrikes and ongoing fire fight are still going on, however there has been more emphasis on airstrikes. The Maute group have been rounding up and killing Christians. Some were fleeing Marawi to Iligan but were stopped by Maute members where they separated the Christian citizens from those who were Muslim. They were told to recite Islamic prayers to prove they were Muslim and those who couldn’t were taken and killed. Eight bodies have been found, in a ditch, tied up, with gunshot wounds to their heads with placards saying “munafik”, traitor, by them, less than a kilometer away from a security checkpoint on the Iligan-Marawi border. They were bakers from a local bakery according to two women who identified them.

Those still trapped in the city are desperately hiding their Christian friends in hidden rooms, teaching them how to recite Islamic prayers in case their homes are raided and they are found by Maute members, to help them not be captured.

People who haven’t left Marawi yet but are fleeing to Iligan have been told by the military to wave white flags while walking through the streets of Marawi to show the military that they are innocent civilians passing through and not Maute members.

So far, 19 civilians including the 8 men found in the ditch, are currently known to have died. Among the 19 dead include 3 women and a young child found by the military near one of the universities during a rescue operation.

With this, I hope everyone continues to keep the Philippines in your prayers for this is such a serious matter and the government is unsure of our country’s safety and has called for the highest security to help leverage this dire situation. Please, keep praying for all the lives at stake.