1.   But Christian settlers from the north now dominate most of the region, which is one of the poorest in the country.

2.   But waves of Christian settlers have made then a minority in many areas.

3.   Christian settlers later ventured farther south to Mindanao island in search of land and food, relegating the minority Muslims to the margins.

4.   However, Christian settlers from the central and northern Philippines now dominate the region.

5.   Many southern politicians are Christian settlers who resent decades of neglect of their new home in the south by the central government in Manila.

6.   Suspected vigilantes, out to avenge a spate of kidnappings of Christian settlers in the southern Philippines, have kidnapped a Muslim village leader, the military said Wednesday.

7.   The rebellion was a continuation of centuries-old Muslim resistance to Christian settlers taking over traditional Muslim homelands in the main southern island of Mindanao and nearby archipelagos.

8.   The rebels consider these provinces their traditional Muslim homeland, but generations of Christian settlers have come to dominate the region.

9.   The rebels, who control many areas of the island province, have been blamed for a series of violent attacks on Christian settlers in recent years.

10.   The rebels consider these provinces to be their traditional Muslim homeland, which generations of Christian settlers have come to dominate.