2nd  Week - January 11, 2012

An Open Letter  from  Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra  to  Mujiv Hataman, the new OIC of ARMM, and a Silsilah Alumnus 1997

Dear Mujiv,

Allow me to share  my joy to know that  you, one of the alumni  of  the Silsilah Summer Course,   has reached this position as head of the ARMM. It is not the  first time that a  Muslim or Christian alumnus  of Silsilah  has  occupied an  important position in  Philippine society  in one of the  institutions or  universities. I wish  to  share with  you  in this open letter not only my joy but also my  hope. Allow  me to share  as a father  or a mentor  to one alumnus and friend  who is dear  to me,  and can   help to  move efforts  in the same direction  of dialogue and peace.

The  last time we met was in Harmony Village  few years ago and you  reminded me that you are   one of the Silsilah alumni. We are proud of this. You  are now in one of the most  difficult and challenging positions  in the country.  It is a  position that  can  facilitate the  peace process or  continue  the situation of   violence and corruption in Mindanao.   You can legitimately take pride in the notable achievements  which are part of your  “heritage”  as a Muslim and a Mindanawon but  this same heritage also has  negative  elements   which includes violence that  reached  its  highest level  on the occasion  of  the  Maguindanao Massacre.

Observing your first moves in your position  as ARMM OIC I sense that you are doing your best. “Padayon!” (Move on!) This is the word of encouragement that you still remember for sure from the Silsilah experience.

Most of the time  people believe  that  if  we  have more security  structures and more money  we can solve the problem of  peace in Mindanao.  This is only  partially  right.  You know how  much money has been given  to  ARMM  over the years  and  how many thousands  of soldiers   have  been assigned in Mindanao. But what have been  the results?   It is commonly believed that  the National Government and the ARMM have to improve  the  “truth and sincerity”  in their relations  and make it the  real  foundation of  peace and development.

We   will support you  in  all the  wise moves you will make  to help the  central government   realize that   only  a real  and genuine   autonomy,  or a similar form  of governance,  can be made as  an example  in Mindanao and  hopefully  applied  in other regions as an  appropriate  form of “federalism” or similar system in the Philippines. You have the  challenge to  convince the  people of ARMM to  claim  what is  right, but with a  realistic attitude that  considers the real  development of   Mindanao ,  where  the indigenous people and  others who  have  reached   Mindanao  from other areas have rights  too.

Dear Mujiv, you know better than I   how complicated  is the situation, but  I  know also that  you have courage and  determination. Use   all your  gifts and talents to   become a model of a leader  who  is  in the front line for the  “common good”  and not the  “common corruption and violence “ that  bring   more poverty.

Remember  the Silsilah   commitment to promote the Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace  based on  personal and social  transformation.  People around you have to  learn how to be  good Muslims  or good  Christians,   living and promoting  love and  compassion.  How many times  we find   hypocritical   leaders   who  act as though   they are  good  Muslims or  good  Christians, but their  hearts are    still full of hatred, violence and  corruption. We need  righteous people   in society starting with the leaders.  I hope and pray that you  will be one   model in Mindanao.

Dear Mujiv,  I  need not  add more points  in  this open  letter. You know  what is best  and I am sure  you will continue to  do the best.

Allow me to  end this open letter with  a suggestion.  From  1977,   the  year I arrived in  Mindanao, up to now   I have seen  the struggle  of many  good  Muslims and Christians  to  overcome  historical  conflicts,  new prejudices and   forms of   mistrust,  among the  two faith communities, including the lumads in Mindanao.  But  so far  the results  have been  limited because   many of them  are  part  of  the “silent majority”  who are afraid to  share  their   feelings on anomalies carried out by  some  leaders of sectors of society;  illegal  businesses; corruption, etc. Doing it in this way   violence  allows more  violence and fear , which  continue to  perpetuate the  “culture of silence and fear” . We have to overcome this  critical  situation  in all possible ways.

One way to  start can be to follow the   encouragement  coming from the United Nations to    celebrate   the first  week of  February  every  year  as the  “World Interfaith Harmony Week”. This move of the United Nations was  inspired by the  open letter of 138  Muslim scholars of the  world to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christians  leaders  of the world to  work  together for  peace,  starting from the   message of  the love of God and the love of  neighbor  in Islam  and  Christianity as it is  found  in the teaching of the  Holy Bible and the Holy Qur’an.

We in Zamboanga City and in  the ZAMBASULTA   sub-region  are moving  in this  direction    in partnership  with the  National Ulama Conference of the  Philippines which  is the lead group  of  this  special  Interfaith Harmony Week  Celebration.  I hope you will   spread  this  celebration   in the  ARMM region as a good starting point to  celebrate Harmony as  the  answer   to the  future  peace of Mindanao.