Silsilah: for 30 years Christians and Muslims alongside prisoners in Zamboanga
The movement for interreligious dialogue founded in Mindanao by Fr Sebastiano D'Ambra, a PIME missionary, is also active in offering prisoners training courses for when they regain their freedom. But because of the slow pace of the Philippine justice system, many remain in prison longer than they should. "I pray that during this Lenten period they can be released," said Giljohn G. Rojas, coordinator in Zamboanga prison.
Manila (AsiaNews) - For 30 years the Silsilah Dialogue Movement has been bringing hope, compassion and love to the inmates of the Zamboanga City prison in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, in the southern Philippines.
The activity in favor of prisoners is one of the faces of this initiative for interreligious dialogue in Mindanao: founded by the PIME missionary Fr. Sebastiano D'Ambra in 1984, Silsilah (which means "chain") sees Christians and Muslims working together in many areas of social life.
“We continue to carry out our mission by inviting other Silsilah members from different cities to pay attention to this specific mission,” said Giljohn G. Rojas, staff member and new prison ministry coordinator at Zamboanga Prison. "We collected the testimonies of people deprived of their liberty who shared with us how they were transformed and how, thanks to the project carried out by Silsilah, their time in prison was reduced", he said.
Silsilah works with institutions, police and volunteers providing training courses to reduce prisoners' sentences and prepare them for reintegration when they return to freedom. “In the first few days of visiting the prison, I was eager to talk or interact with the prisoners.
In addition to being uncomfortable at the time, I felt conflicted, anxious, fearful, and ashamed. Little by little, those apprehensions disappeared and gave way to mutual trust,” said Rojas, who, trying to show solidarity with the prisoners, began “wearing colors similar to those of the prisoners' uniforms.”
The coordinator of the movement in Zamboanga underlined the importance of treating prisoners with love and respect: “They are our brothers and children loved by God, even if not impeccable. They need God's mercy and our compassion, just as each of us is imperfect. With all our flaws, we are loved. Each of us is loved,” Rojas said.
Some cases are more harrowing than others, such as that of a man sentenced to eight years, but who, due to the length of the judicial process, has been in prison for much longer: "I have not been able to look this prisoner in the eyes, who continues to feeling like he wasn't allowed to live his life, even after serving more than double his allotted time. He's getting older, and I've been thinking about what chances he would have of surviving outside prison walls if he were released. I believe that he was denied not only freedom, but much more."
Many cases are still pending or proceeding too slowly. Many prisoners cling to the hope that one day they will return to society, but they do not know whether they will be accepted or have the opportunity to work or study again.
Or simply whether they will be given a second chance because of their past. “Now I understand why Jesus specifically mentioned visiting incarcerated people as a work of mercy: because it is a gesture towards him,” Rojas continued. “Even though they have committed crimes, they are more than just criminals. They are human beings, made in the image and likeness of God."
"I pray that in this period of Lent they can leave prison", continued the coordinator. "We often close ourselves off to avoid needing people and also that people need us. Because of our conceit and self-interest, we confine ourselves. And so we also end up imprisoned in this prison of our own creation. I pray that we can be free to love those who are loved by God, who are the most neglected by our society.”
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03/01/2020 15:49
