Proposed Courses for CMO School

Course number one. Introduction to Islam

Rationale:
The majority of Military personnel from both the Officers and the
enlisted men have a lot of misconceptions about Islam, as well as
preconceived notions that come from the media, this is further gravitated
when they meet uninformed Muslims as well as Muslims who have very
little understanding of Islam as well as the distinction of Islam from Moro
Culture. The presence of literature on Islam that has both misleading as
well as slanted interpretations of both within Muslim circles and non-Muslim
scholars of Islam requires us to be fully aware of both these trends and
take full notice and cognizance of what picture of Islam is.

Learning objectives
At the end of the course, students are expected to:
1. Analyze reading materials on Islam and be able to grasp the
fundamentals of Islam
2. Critique and react on reference materials provided in the course.
3. Be able to personally have a critical and correct understanding of
Islam both from a operational and personal perspective.

Time frame:
40 hours:
10-15 hours inputs
5-10 hours workshop and processing
10 hours research/reaction paper preparation
10 hours class presentation and critiquing of papers

1Prepared by Professor Roque Santos Morales3

 Proposed Courses for CMO School

Course number two. Introduction to Moro Culture

Rationale:
Soldiers are not only the strong arm implementors of governance, they also
serve as extension of the heart and mind of the state in winning the hearts
and minds of the populace. Not understanding the peculiarity and
distinctiveness of the different cultural traits of the ethno-linguistic groups
of Filipino Muslims would really slow down the process of winning them over.
Understanding their culture as well as their similarities and differences
within themselves as well as with other Filipinos. With this weapon at hand,
soldiers would be more better equipped to deal with both CMO and field
operations understanding the culture and the mindset of the Filipino
Muslims
Learning objectives
At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Understand the similarities and differences of Muslim Filipinos within
their ethno-linguistic affiliations as well as with other Filipinos
2. Be able to distinguish culture from religion in Moro behavior.
3. Be able to critique as well as write a reaction paper on the course
based on the reference materials provided in the course
4. Be able to utilize the knowledge gained from the course and apply it
in the field.
Time frame:
40 hours:
10-15 hours inputs
5-10 hours workshop and processing
10 hours research/reaction paper preparation
10 hours class presentation and critiquing of papers

2Prepared by Professor Roque Santos Morales3

 Proposed Courses for CMO School

Course number Three. Introduction to Islamic Ideology ( school of thought)

Rationale:
Islam is not a monolithic system but a mosaic of different combinations of
understanding, perceptions and philosophy. Understanding the different
strains of Ideology/schools of thought may allow both officers and enlisted
personnel to assess if a particular Muslim/Muslims have a moderate view,
pluralist perspective or radical perspective and act accordingly either to
assist, coordinate or create initiatives to either allow or prohibit the
profligation of these ideologies and create the relevant responses to Muslims
possessing these perceptions.

Learning objectives
At the end of this course students are expected to:
1. Be able to differentiate the types of schools of thought as well as the
differences in ideology of Muslims
2. Understand the Philosophical basis behind these world views
3. Critique and prepare a reaction paper based on the references
provided in the course.

Time frame:
40 hours:
10-15 hours inputs
5-10 hours workshop and processing
10 hours research/reaction paper preparation
10 hours class presentation and critiquing of papers

3Prepared by Professor Roque Santos Morales3