The Silsilah Dialogue Movement welcomes the new Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and invites all to face this new agreement with the proper spirit in the respect and rights of all in Mindanao.
A lot has been said and more will be shared to understand this new BOL and its implementations. We in Silsilah take this challenge. The last activity done in this line is the special program on Muslim-Christian Dialogue in Harmony Village a few days ago: “To Form Christian and Muslim leaders ready to move beyond fear, prejudices and violence willing to live and promote the Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace”. More activities are scheduled by Silsilah to continue to reflect, with the hope to reach many, including the grassroots of our society.
These challenges will urge us to share what is the spirit of dialogue that we have to build, especially among Christians, Muslims and Indigenous people in Mindanao.
To do this we share now inspiring messages of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran who passed away a few weeks ago. He was the President of the Pontifical Council of Interreligious Dialogue of the Vatican. In his last official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2018, he met King Salman bin Abdulaziz and visited Sheikh Mohammed Abdel Karim al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League. They also visited “Etidal”, the Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology.
Saudi Arabia is well known for its ultra-conservative brand of Wahhabi Islam. In this setting, the modernizing Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, has been beating waves. He is attempting to wean the economy from its reliance on oil. He has liberalized society, reigning in the religious police, allowing cinemas to be opened again, and plans to let Saudi women drive cars. In London he visited the Archbishop of Canterbury; in New York he met Catholic and Jewish leaders; in Riyadh he has received the Patriarch of the Maronite Church.
There is a lot of wisdom in the various speeches of Cardinal Tauran that we recall here to honor him and help us to deepen the basic concepts of dialogue, as a good reminder for all, with the hope that changes of BOL are guided by wisdom and good will.
“What is threatening all of us is not the clash of civilizations, but rather the clash of forms of ignorance and radicalism. What is threatening coexistence is, first of all, ignorance. Therefore, to meet together, speak, build something together, are an invitation to encounter the other, and also means discovering ourselves.” (Card. Tauran)
On Fundamentalism:
“In all religions, there are forms of radicalism. Fundamentalists and extremists may be zealous persons, but unfortunately they have deviated from a solid and wise understanding of religion. Moreover, they consider those who donot share their vision as unbelievers who must convert or to be eliminated, so as to maintain purity. They are misled persons who can easily go on to violence in the name of religion, including terrorism. They become convinced, through brainwashing, that they are serving God. The truth is that they are only hurting themselves, ruining the image of their religion and their coreligionists. This is why they need our prayer and our help.” (Card. Tauran)
On Interreligous Dialogue:
“All authentic interreligious dialogue begins with the proclamation of one’s own faith. We do not say that all religions are equal, but all the believers, those who seek God and all persons of good will devoid of religious affiliation, have equal dignity. Everyone must be left free to embrace the religion that he wishes.” After this came the concluding appeal to join forces “so that God, who created us, may not be a motive of division, but rather of unity.” (Card. Tauran)
Silsilah continues to be as a sign of “hope” in the midst of divisions and conflicts. This is our mission and we invite, especially leaders who are in the stage of giving shape to the BOL to move, guided by the spirit of the common good.