Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Zamboanga (Agenzia Fides) – 25 years after its beginning, the “Sisilah” Movement for Dialogue (term from Islamic mysticism meaning “chain/link”) is now a solid reference point not only for the local Church, but also for the Muslim community and the civil authorities of South Philippines. The movement's founder, PIME missionary Fr. Sebastiano D'Ambra, in a dialogue with Agenzia Fides, makes an assessment of this precious experience that contributes to generating a climate of reconciliation and peace in a part of the world that is still afflicted by war and conflict.
Fr. D'Ambra tells Fides: “Sisilah means 'chain' and indicates what links man to God. This our starting point: a spirituality that invites every man to recover the link of man with God. The dialogue begins with God and has God as its aim. In the human experience, there are four main dimensions: dialogue with God, with ourselves, with our neighbor, and with creation. Sisilah is a movement that covers all the aspects of dialogue and that does not fail to meet the challenges that history presents: that of Islamic-Christian dialogue – which has been strongly developed in the movement – is an urgent need that we have perceived in South Philippines, which is where the movement began.”
“Sisilah's 25 years or so, with the help of several Muslim friends, has been an exciting adventure in spite of the obstacles and sufferings (we can recall the martyrdom of Fr. Salvatore Carzedda), in spite of fears and threats from those who prefer violence to reconciliation.”
One of the priorities has been that of formation. The movement, in fact, has concentrated on offering a basic formation on dialogue, reflecting on the doctrinal aspects and the social and political implications. Thanks to the seminars, the weekly formation, the forums organized by Sisilah, over 2,500 people (religious, laity, NGO workers, Christian and Muslim youth) have learned the spirit of dialogue and reconciliation, helping to spread them in society. “Today the movement is characterized by the idea of life-in-dialogue, proposing, in the Harmony Village, in Zamboanga, an experience of dialogue between Christians and Muslims, offering a concrete example of coexistence and fraternity,” said Fr. D'Ambra.
The spirit of dialogue is also taking root in the Muslim community, as various events show: the opening of a Sisilah Center on Jolo Island (where Christians are a small minority and are under pressure from the radical Islamic movements); a formation program for the teachers of madrase (Koran school); the opening of a madrasa called “Sisilah”; the constant presence of Muslim men and women who share in the ideals of the movement.
In the next few years, the Center will mainly concentrate its activity in three areas: youth (with formation and specific programs); mass media, the opening of a Communications Center that can produce printed material, radio, videos, and a website; Creation, with subsistence farming programs. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 29/7/2009)
