Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

Khalipha Usman Nando (; 1940/1941 – February 5, 2023) was the first Wa'lī of

Bangsamoro Bangsamoro, officially the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM; ; ), is an autonomous region in the Philippines, located in the southwestern portion of the island of Mindanao. Replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Minda ...

, and one of the co-founders of the

Moro Islamic Liberation Front The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF; ) is an Islamist group based in Mindanao, Philippines, which sought an autonomous region of the Moro people from the central government. The group has a presence in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao, t ...

Education

Nando attended the Madrasah Al-Rasheedah in his native Pandag, which was then part of the town of Buluan in the Province of Cotabato. He would secure a diplomatic scholarship to study at

Al-Azhar University The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...

. Nando studied at the institution in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

in the early 1960s.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front

Khalipha Usman Nando was one of the co-founders of the

(MILF) along with

Salamat Hashim Salamat Hashim (; Jawi: سلامت حاشم; July 07, 1939 - July 13, 2003), also known as Hashim Salamat, was a Filipino militant who served as leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. He is the founder of the group. Early life and education ...

and Abu Hurayra; the former being Nando's schoolmate and associate at Al-Azhar. As part of the MILF, Nando served under various capacities including as chairman of the MILF Central Committee on Education, chairman of ''Majlis Al-Shura'' (Consultative Assembly) and as head of the MILF Sharia Supreme Court.

''Wa'lī'' of Bangsamoro

Nando, was appointed the first ''Wa'lī'' of the newly constituted

autonomous region by the interim

Bangsamoro Parliament The Bangsamoro Parliament is the legislature of Bangsamoro, an autonomous region of the Philippines. It is currently led by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, an interim regional governing body. The inaugural session of the parliament took pl ...

on March 29, 2019, during the inaugural session of the first interim meeting. He would likewise open the inaugural session of the second interim Parliament on September 15, 2022. His last public appearance prior to his death was on January 25, 2023, for the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, as well as the turnover ceremony of facilities for orphans and a grand mosque in

Matanog Matanog, officially the Municipality of Matanog (Iranun language, Iranun and Maranao language, Mëranaw: ''Ingëd a Matanog''; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Bayan ng Matanog''; Arabic language, Arabic: بلدية ماتانوج), is a municipal ...

Death

Nando died in a hospital in Davao on February 5, 2023, at the age of 81. His body was buried at his residence in Pandag,

Maguindanao del Sur Maguindanao del Sur, officially the Province of Maguindanao del Sur (, Jawi Alphabet, Jawi:دايرت نو سلاتان مڬیندانو, ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro reg ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nando, Khalipa 1940s births Year of birth missing 2023 deaths Filipino Islamists Al-Azhar University alumni People from Maguindanao del Sur Moro Islamic Liberation Front members