138 Muslim scholars and intellectuals from all over the world signed a historic open letter addressed to all Christian leaders, including then Pope Benedict XVI in October 2007. It was called, “A Common Word Between Us and You.” Marking milestone, a simple celebration was held Oct. 7-8 between Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters in Mariapolis Peace in Tagaytay.
Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, had envisioned the Mariapolis Peace Center in Tagaytay as a little town dedicated to dialogue. Last October 7-8, a gathering of Christians and Muslims took place at Mariapolis Center. There were about 150 participants. A pleasant surprise was the number of youth participants coming from both faiths.
Flashback
In October 13, 2007, 138 Muslim scholars and intellectuals from all over the world signed a historic open letter addressed to all Christian leaders, including then Pope Benedict XVI.
It was called, “A Common Word Between Us and You.” In it were proposed verses from the Qur’an and the Holy Bible on the common golden commandments which form the core of both Islam and Christianity: love of God, and love of neighbor. This then became the catalyst for a call for peace and harmony between the two faiths.
A thirst for peace
The meeting in Tagaytay that weekend was the propitious moment to come together and celebrate the 10th anniversary of that historic letter. The war in Marawi was then still raging, 130+ days and counting. Age-old issues had resurfaced and judgments and distrust between Filipinos of both faiths were at record high. But among the hills of that little town of Mariapolis Peace, everyone’s heart was at peace.
Dr. Aminah Rasul Bernardo, a professor and founder of the Philippine Council of Islam and Democracy, who was present in Rome in 2007 when the letter was launched, shared her experience. She also gave a brief history on the Mindanao conflict and the many steps various interfaith groups have taken for many years now to achieve peace in the country.
It was an eye-opener, especially for the youth present, to understand the hand that politics plays in the conflict. For adults present, it was not too late to open their eyes to the prejudices and wrong notions they had grown accustomed to.
Fr. Sebastiani D’Ambra, an Italian priest and founder of the Silsilah Movement, gave a Christian perspective as a response to the open letter. He also talked about the many bridges that have been built these long years, having worked closely together with various Muslim groups in Mindanao the past 40 years he has been living in the Philippines.
The meeting didn’t follow a rigid program.
Rather, it was a moment of dialogue and of family. Myths and lies perpetuated through the years about both religions were debunked. Experiences were shared, hurts were revisited. There were many occasions to sit down together and talk, to be educated, and enlightened.
Impressions
One boy has been born right inside the rebel camp, Camp Abubakar, in the early 2000’s. His home has been flattened by war but his spirit was kept intact by the love of his family. He lamented about how easy it was to be seduced to carry out extremist activities, but instead, he resisted and longed for peace and harmony.
A young and wealthy teen whose family owns a school in Marawi City, experienced discrimination in Manila where her family had moved after her city and home had been devastated. She could not land a job. Whenever she would go for a job interview, after one look at her in her hijab, the potential employer would tell her that their company did not accept Muslims. And so now through her organization, she is determined to help eradicate ignorance through education.
Present at the meeting were Muslim government workers: an active military officer, another active officer of the Department of Natural Resources, some public school teachers, youths from different tribes in Muslim Mindanao, etc. Present, too, were Christians and Buddhists from various parts of the world, both young and old. Yes, admittedly, there have been atrocities committed; there have been generations of hurt and trauma. But through such meetings, where everyone is treated as equal and biases are left outside the door, generations-old prejudices are slowly being peeled away, layer by layer.
After all, everyone come from a family, from a mother and a father, no matter what their color or creed. There are really more things that people of different faiths have in common than those things that divide. And as stated in that historic open letter, we share the common core and belief in God’s love and, in love for our neighbor. Why not build on these values instead?
At the close of the meeting, Christian youths present invited the Muslim youth onstage and together they all sang a song the Muslims taught the audience. The refrain goes:
“You’re my brother, you’re my sister. We’re one big family.”
