I would like to take the opportunity to announce the launch of the Near Eastern and Semitic Studies Information Archive (NESSIA), a digital library which aims to provide a collection of documents, books and images that are related to the Near East as well as Semitic studies. Our goal is to position ourselves as a useful resource for students, academicians as well as the average person interested in these subjects to visit our site and use our collection as a source for their references.
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Claimant to Sulu “Sultanate” is beholden to the Philippines President
Although the Sultanate is no longer officially recognized by any state as a sovereign entity, many individuals continue to claim the title of “Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo”, often with documentation that would seem to support their claims. This is a scan of “Memorandum Order 427” of 1974, which is the Presidential decree of Ferdinand Marcos “recognising” Sultan Mahakuttah A. Kiram as Sulu ruler. The question here is this: why would a Sultan seek “recognition” from the Philippines President, since a Sultan who has real power does not require any such documentation and will only seek the approval of his own people?
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