Dialogue with Other Religions, the Philippine Experience

Nov. 2002

FRIENDS, OR BETTER STILL, BROTHERS

By Nedo Pozzi with Ray Asprer

220 followers of Islam, close friends of the Focolare, came together with 140 Christians to celebrate brotherhood and unity.

Not a day passes without news reports on increas-ingly troubled relations between Islamic countries and those of the West. Terrorist acts and retaliations conjure up the specter of a destructive clash of civilizations.

Amidst all this, the recent meeting of 220 practicing Muslims from 25 nations and 4 different continents coming together in a reunion as “friends of the Focolare Movement” is certainly quite inspiring. Many of them consider the Movement’s founder, Chiara Lubich, not only a sister of theirs, but a leader as well, and for some, she’s even a spiritual mother.
The event in November 2002, at Castelgandolfo, Rome, was the fifth such of its kind, but, as one of the participants put it, “meeting each other like this always carries a new excitement!”
Cherif Diop, a resident of Bergamo (northern Italy), who originally hails from Senegal, commented: “I come from black Africa, but I have been living in Italy for 12 years now, with my wife and three children. I’m a factory worker. It’s the second time I attend a meeting like this. How nice it is to be able to share ideas and experiences with others in an atmosphere of unity where one feels welcome. It’s only here that I experience something like this.”

His was a spontaneous impression often echoed by other participants—more than a hundred from various European countries, 63 from the United States, 37 from the Middle East, and 16 from Asia, among whom were 9 Philippine representatives.

Each delegation—inspired by the Focolare’s spirituality of unity—had a fascinating story made up of past and ongoing experiences along the challenging path of interreligious dialogue in the quest for universal brotherhood.

With current world events and mounting controversies involving the United States, it was interesting to note that perhaps the largest group represented came from the US. Their heart-felt participation brought back memories of the extraordinary meeting they had had with Chiara not too long ago at the mosque of Malcolm X, in Harlem, New York. They are members of the American Muslim Society of W.D. Mohammed, who openly declares himself a follower of Chiara Lubich.

The theme, “Love for One’s Neighbor,” was like “a golden thread capable of binding together all cultures and faiths,” explained the organizers of the convention. This was precisely what Chiara Lubich then highlighted in her introductory talk, thus posing a challenge, as it were, to the imams and scholars present: in the midst of the troubling circumstances surrounding us today, let us seek out the golden strand that can lead us towards unity.

Two main characteristics of the convention stood out: on one hand the high-level talks shared by the invited speakers, and on the other, the rich and spontaneous exchange of concrete experiences among the participants, which gave witness to the life of unity that has been launched as a common path to follow.

The atmosphere throughout the entire gathering was one of human warmth and contagious joy which nurtured all relationships. In fact, when Chiara came back on the last day to answer the many questions for her, she was greeted with an amazingly warm and enthusiastic welcome.

In her answers, she gave indications and mentioned possible areas for further collaboration in the future—which suggestions were received enthusiastically.

At the conclusion of this unforgettable meeting, R., a Muslim from Jordan got up on stage to declare, ”Religions can never be the cause of dissent among people. They can never sow hatred. Woe to us if this should happen! Instead, religions need persons who live out their respective faiths and help one another to glorify God here on earth. And if anyone were to tell me that this was impossible, I would reply immediately: come and see how we are living together in these days. Come and see how Christians live side by side with Muslims, without any divisions, and in brotherhood, as one.”

The experience of friendship and unity lived among these Muslim friends is indeed something remarkable. Islamic practice in New York is different from that in Manila or in Algiers. Hence, aside from the rich exchange between Muslims and Christians, there was also this strong and surprising experience of communion among Muslims themselves.

A young Algerian couple explained: “It’s true, it was a surprise to find ourselves with other Muslims from countries so different from ours, where Islamic faith is practised in a different way. But the greater surprise was to discover this spirit of brotherhood so mutually enriching. Because even if among us Muslims there are small differences, this climate existing among us doesn’t make these differences an issue any longer.

“Here, one understands that what counts most among us Muslims is unity. Differences which elsewhere could be cause for quarrels are here transformed into love and mutual respect. Here, each one has the readiness to be a gift for the other.”

posted by focolare.men.northeastmanila @ 10:56 PM