"Silsilah": 30 Years of Christian-Muslim relations founded in spirituality
Zamboanga City (AsiaNews) - The movement of "dialogue and peace" which started from "humble" beginnings but which thanks to the efforts of Christians and Muslims in Zamboanga (Mindanao), has grown over the years and which from an island in the Philippine archipelago "has gained a foothold in the world".
Relations between Islam and Christianity are fundamental aspects of modernity and it is essential that they are founded in "spirituality", a " key factor in the movement" but which should also be translated into "concrete projects" . This is what Fr. Sebastiano D'Ambra , a priest of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME ) tells AsiaNews. The priest has been in the southern Philippines since 1977, in one of the most sensitive areas for Islamic extremism, but where there are also hopes for a lasting peace. In order to encourage and strengthen relations among the faithful of the two great monotheistic religions, he founded the Movement for Dialogue " Silsilah " in 1984 which has become a historical presence in raising cultural awareness, formation and sharing. In in May, it marked its 30th anniversary.
From its headquarters in the "Village" on the
outskirts of Zamboanga - in the southern Philippines, the only Asian country
with a Catholic majority - where there is a large Muslim community of six
million people, "Silsilah" has tried to ease tensions and soothe
outbreaks of violence. A task that is rooted in the very name of the movement,
derived from the Sufi Islamic mysticism meaning "chain" or "
bond " that unites man to God
The work done by "Silsilah" in recent years has also won prestigious
international awards: the 2013 Goi Peace Award, awarded by the Goi Peace Foundation, a Japanese engaged in the promotion
of peace, beyond the barriers of race, religion, creed. And again the 2014
edition of the World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) an award sponsored
and supported by the King of Jordan Abdullah II . Receiving the award, Fr. D'Ambro
pointed out that "when the forces of destruction are working hard, this is
also the time when the forces of peace and harmony must work even harder".
His work is has earned both success and recognition, but has also known difficult times and frustration, as was the case last September when a Philippine Army raid in the South caused thousands of refugees and fueled ethnic and confessional mistrust. This led the movement to step up its efforts and resources in order to restore a climate of trust and dialogue in the area and to minimize the damage and violence inflicted by the conflict.
The PIME missionary recalls the first steps taken by
"Silsilah" under "the Marcos regime, with martial law in
force"; one of the secrets is that the institution "rather than an
NGO that wants to solve problems - he says - is a movement of dialogue and
peace , which starts from spirituality." This may have been difficult for
many to understand at first, but now "it is beginning to gain a foothold
in the world" thanks to extraordinary events such as the " letter of
the 138 Muslim scholars to Pope Benedict XVI", based on the Koran and the
Bible. "These facts - he adds - a little at a time can lead to a
breakthrough: one of the successes of the movement is that it has formed in the
course of summer camps, Muslim and Christian leaders who today who are in
charge of religious communities or institutions".
The spirituality of the movement emerges from the experience of journeying
together which "Silsilah" has promoted, such as the Emmaus Catholic
Circle that formed Catholic laity and non- in the mission for dialogue and peace.
Our dream, says Fr . D'Ambra , is "to do the same with Muslims" and
also to offer them this "privileged context of formation". From the recent National Week for
Interreligious Dialogue to the National Congress on spirituality, the movement has
proposed many different initiatives, in the hope of raising awareness among the
entire population of the importance of having a "culture of the encounter
and discussion" a "culture that comes from God and that leads back to God.
"
The PIME missionary hopes that the
peace agreement between Manila and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)
- the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, CAB- can bring peace, even
though there are dissenting voices. The road ahead for "Silsilah" is
still long , he concludes, "we see the fruits but still have a long way to
go and we must always be a sign of hope for the people".
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23/01/2008
