ASIA/PHILIPPINES - The Silsilah dialogue movement: "Fight soldiers with prayer"

Thursday, 30 October 2014

Zamboanga (Agenzia Fides) – The "Prayer of Harmony", a chain of prayer among Christians, Muslims and followers of other religions, is the weapon with which to "fight soldiers" and the terrorist ideology of violence and death that crosses Mindanao, the largest island in the southern Philippines. As reported in a note sent to Fides, it is an initiative launched by the "Silsilah", movement for Islamic-Christian dialogue launched by PIME missionary Fr. Sebastiano D'Ambra, who founded the "Village of Harmony", in the city of Zamboanga where Christians and Muslims live together.
The prayer was conceived in 2000 when the then Philippine President Joseph Estrada declared "total war" in Mindanao, trying to defeat the rebel groups with a massive military action. Today, with the spread of the ideology of the IS ("Islamic State") and of the new militants, the movement launches an appeal to rediscover prayer in all Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and indigenous communities, to spread a culture of peace and ask God for peace, starting from the spiritual "life-in-dialogue" approach.
"We dream that, worldwide, the chain of prayer for peace spreads, and we hope that the prayer of Harmony becomes part of the many initiatives of prayer around the world", says the note by "Silsilah". Prayer is still used in many institutions and Christian and Muslim schools, in the Philippines and other countries. In this way, the movement supports "the efforts for peace in the southern Philippines, which still requires wisdom and courage on behalf of those who have the responsibility to make decisions for the future of peace in Mindanao". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/10/2014)


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