The Silsilah Dialogue Movement since 1984 has promoted dialogue and peace in the Philippines and other countries starting from Zamboanga City, giving a special attention to the Muslim – Christian dialogue. Our mission is to promote the spirituality of life-in-dialogue convinced that “Dialogue starts from God and brings people back to God.” During these days we are doing the traditional “Silsilah Summer Course on Muslim- Christian Dialogue” guided by the theme: ” Christianity and Islam: Lesson to Learn and Challenges to Face”. Indeed, there are many challenges to face in the society today.
Today one of the emerging problems that is creating a lot of animosity is to believe that in the name of ” freedom” individuals or group justify their activities, even against the basic law of God.
Today we have many alarming expressions of so called “freedom” that are against the law of God and the sensitivity of all religions. The recent ones is the Qur’an burning in Sweden followed the condemned by the Muslim world and many other leaders of the world, including Pope Francis.
In the Philippines, the sad story of the performance of the Drag queen of “Ama Namin” is alarming. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemned this event as “completely disrespectful” and members of the senate rejected. Senator Zubiri expressed the feeling of many saying: “It offends the sensitivities of the Christian brothers and sisters”.
This is a time to reflect: ” Why the society has reached to this level and individuals or groups claim to have the right to do what they like in the name of freedom? It is time for us to reaffirm the concept of freedom that has to respect the basic principles of human rights and the “law of God” that all religions reaffirm in many ways, based on the love of God and the love of neighbor.
Indeed, this is an alarming time that urges all of us to reflect: ” What to do?” There are those who think of revenge, but the best way to answer to this emerging form of “freedom without respect to others feeling and God’s law” is to condemn, forgive and inspire all on the path of harmony. This is true for the Christians following the teaching of Jesus based on the love to all, but also for those Muslims who are guided by the Qur’an that remind them that “forgiveness is better.”
We believe that all of us have to move towards “RADICAL LOVE FOR RADICAL CHANGE.”
Indeed, this is a dream… possible if we do our part.
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME
Founder, Silsilah Dialogue Movement