SUMMARY

The Hadji Faizal Abdulkarim clan is a Muslim clan mainly inhabiting the small Bubuan Island in the Basilan province of Southern Philippines. They are in conflict with the Hadji Masir Ahalul clan, as the latter accuse members of the Faizal Abdulkarim clan of killing the son of their chieftain in the early 1980s. Furthermore, the Faizal Abdulkarim clan is involved in various conflicts over land control on Bubuan, especially as the island is an important landing point and safe haven for smugglers operating in the Southern Philippines, and thus control of the land is important financially for the clan. Despite living on a poor island dominated by subsistence fishing and agriculture, the clan has access to modern weaponry such as rifles, grenade launchers, dynamite and mortars.

While the Hadji Faizal Abdulkarim clan is Muslim, and has members that have been part of MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front, a rebel group fighting for secession of Muslim areas from the rest of the Philippines) , there are no indications or allegations of any connections between the clan and any organized groups such as MNLF.

The Hadji Faizal Abdulkarim clan has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.