Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Zamboanga (Agenzia Fides) - "Prayer is more powerful than war," says the Advent message of the "Silsilah" movement for Islamic-Christian dialogue, which this year celebrated the 40th anniversary of its foundation by Father Sebastiano D'Ambra, missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). "Today we are called to intensify our prayer and to participate in the prayer and song of harmony in this difficult time for humanity, marked by wars and conflicts in various parts of the world," hopes the missionary, who points out that "Christmas is a great opportunity to reflect on the message of love that Jesus Christ brought to the world, not only for Christians, but for all". The movement reaffirms the message of "love of God, love of neighbor and love of the common good that Christianity, Islam and other religions proclaim" as it prepares to celebrate, together with all social, religious and political forces of the island of Minandao in the southern Philippines, the special World Week of Religious Harmony (1-7 February 2025), which falls during the Holy Year. "The period of the Jubilee Year is also a special time when we open the door of our hearts to everyone. This is what we always advocate in the Silsilah Movement, in the belief that dialogue comes from God and brings people back to God," said Father D'Ambra.
The movement also joined the "Week of Peace" in Mindanao, organized by the Conference of Religious Leaders of Mindanao, which ended on December 4. The annual event was launched in 2001 to promote development and protect peace in the region, to look back on the wounds of the past and build a future of reconciliation in a part of the archipelago where a large part of the Islamic population, about 6 million people, lives.
All of these events serve to raise awareness and provide educational and cultural work and are intended to prepare for a historic step in 2025: the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will be able to directly elect their representatives for the first time in the regional parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2025.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao currently consists of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi and was created from a peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The inclusion of the Sulu Islands as another province in the autonomous region is currently being considered. Currently, the region has a transitional government, the so-called "Bangsamoro Transition Authority", which serves as an interim government until elections are held. If the elections are confirmed, voters will elect 80 members of parliament, including 40 party representatives, 25 district representatives and eight sector representatives, as well as local officials. The social structure of the clans will be decisive in the electoral campaign, and there are fears that the so-called "rido" phenomenon, a feud between clans with mutual retaliation, could lead to social conflicts in the region. For this reason, the initiatives and commitment of entities such as the "Silsilah" movement are particularly important and have both a concrete and symbolic meaning. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 14/12/2024)
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