New Zealand today is on the news around the world for the terrible tragedy of Friday, March 15, 2019 . The man who did this terrible act of violence declared that he acted against immigration as “Invaders”. Did he achieve his purpose? Unfortunately, we can say yes, although, we hope the effect will be a lesson on the right direction of new spirit toward the “ HUMAN FRATERNITY” . Any form of violence is a message as well as any act of goodness brings a message. It can be a message for a small group, a country, or for the world, according to the gravity or the importance of the message that is given. For sure, what happened in new Zealand is an international news that we wish to forget, but we cannot forget anymore and we do not have to forget. Rather it urges us to reflect especially because it happened in a country considered up to a few days before one of the most peaceful places in the world. I take this tragic news to share my reflection based on my experience and the experience of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement. One of the reasons why I started to embrace the mission of dialogue and peace in Mindanao since 1977, and after continue it through the Silsilah Dialogue Movement since 1984, is rooted in the situation of violence that I experienced when I arrived in Mindanao. That was the time of the conflict of the Moro National Liberation Front ( MNLF) and I witnessed the terrible situation of that conflict in my first mission in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao. Thousands of people were displaced. Poverty and hatred were visible and was the beginning of the terrible revenge of the “Ilaga”, a group of Christians who reacted killing Muslims. As soon as I stepped on the airport of Zamboanga City I was welcomed by an important Christian leader saying to me “Welcome… but remember that this is what we say about the Muslims here….” , and he added a very negative slogan against Muslims. I was alarmed and later I learned that Muslims also have very negative perceptions against the Christians. There are those on both sides who do not accept what the other groups do and say against one another, although many Muslims and Christians are good and help and respect each other. All these challenged me more to the point that I said to myself: “If this is the situation, I have to do more on the path to dialogue to share my love to all, including to the Muslims brothers and sisters”. That was the inspiration and I started in my mission of dialogue. That was an additional inspiration to the spirit of the Vatican II Council that brought me to the mission with the specific desire to give more attention to dialogue with people of other religions.
This reality instead of discouraging me, gave me more determination to do more for dialogue and I started to live in a Muslim village and later helping in the peace process with the MNLF going often for two years, in the forest of Siocon to meet the MNLF as negotiator. They were my friends which greatly surprised the Christians. I was there respecting them although they knew that I was against any form of violence. In the long time living with them I learned a lot about them, their ideology and activities. One day one young MNLF member said to me: “ Father, this is the logic of the revolution; we have to kill many to have attention in our mission”. I listened in silence praying…. That sad story was an additional reason to dedicate my life to dialogue and peace. I said to myself: “If there are those who risk life for a mission that is implemented through violence, why can we not have the same determination through a mission of dialogue and peace? How can we tell the world that love is stronger than hatred?” These and similar reflections have been part of the motivation to invite people, especially Muslims and Christians in Mindanao, to follow the path to peace promoting the Culture of Dialogue.
For a coincidence of events, another international news reached us these past weeks. This is a very positive one. It is the meeting in Abu Dhabi of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al- Tayyeb on February 3, 2019. On that occasion they gave to the world a beautiful document entitled: “Human Fraternity for world peace and living together”. In that document there are many reflections and statements that humanity needs to reflect. After an introduction the document says: “ We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgement, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and though this document, call upon ourselves , upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene as the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing” The document also emphasized: “the adoption of the CULTURE OF DIALOGUE AS A PATH, MUTUAL COOPERATION AS THE CODE OF CONDUCT, RECIPROCAL UNDERSTANDING AS THE METHOD AND STANDARD “
-Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME – Founder Silsilah Dialogue Movement-