Bonding Correspondence

Imam W.D. Mohammed and Chiara Lubich

“Millions of men and women on our planet have this great and unique aspiration, and are only waiting for a small group of daring people who are ready to give their lives for universal brotherhood, to set off a peaceful, bloodless revolution of love,” wrote Chiara Lubich in August 1998 for the inauguration of the Focolare’s Center for Education in Dialogue. (...)

In fact, few knew this better than Chiara and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. Their profound friendship and open dialogue brought together two different religious movements at a time in American history when religious tolerance is under scrutiny and Islamic-Christian relations are being harshly tested. Chiara and Imam Mohammed’s prolific correspondence now takes on significant meaning as their followers seek to maintain and increase the spirit of unity forged by these two great leaders, who passed away within six months of each other earlier this year.

Their first meeting goes back to the May 18, 1997 event at the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque in Harlem. In her talk to 3,000 participants, Chiara concluded, “All that is left for us to do now is to hope that today will really be a milestone, the beginning of a new era in which we all love one another.” A true model of humility and dialogue, Imam Mohammed invited his followers to walk in his footsteps: “The idea that is in the Focolare is something that our soul knows and wants. For this reason I have embraced them as my friends.”

On the occasion of the Luminosa Award for Unity that Imam Mohammed would receive that summer, Chiara wrote to him on July 28, again recalling the “magnificent days” spent in New York, and thanking him for having made possible that historic meeting which she defined as “a milestone in Muslim-Christian understanding … and not only for the United States.”

“The pact we made in Malcolm Shabazz Mosque, which I want to renew with you today,” she continued, “is urging us, and thousands of others with us, to commit all our energies and indeed our very lives, to become one family and prepare the way for a world renewed by love. What I wish for you with all my heart is that, with the help of God, all your undertakings might be successful.”

When coinciding engagements with the World Conference of Religions for Peace brought both Chiara and Imam Mohammed to Amman, Jordan, they met on November 27, 1999 during a gathering of several hundred Focolare members from the Middle East. Before describing his recent encounter with John Paul II and the Pope’s blessing on his and Chiara’s work, Imam Mohammed expressed his great joy, saying, “Each time we are together I feel within something profound that comes to my mind, and it helps me to do the work I need to do.”

“Such a powerful unity has by now been established that I think the whole world should see it!… America needs your message,” Imam Mohammed communicated to Chiara in October 1999, inviting her to return to the U.S. In an interview given in Chicago only weeks before the event, Imam Mohammed spoke about his expectations, stating, “Chiara is the key person for this event. We want the audience to see the Focolare Movement through Chiara Lubich.”

After the memorable Faith Communities Together meeting at the Washington Convention Center, Chiara wrote to Imam Mohammed on November 17, 2000, proposing to deepen points of the Focolare’s spirituality of unity in special gatherings among their followers, called Encounters in the Spirit of Universal Brotherhood.

Imam Mohammed responded positively, “I have gone over the items and feel perfectly comfortable to say they are excellent. I too look forward to the success of our being together in the spirit of Christ Love. Thank you.” He also accepted the Focolare’s invitation to the inaugural meeting of the Encounters in San Antonio, Texas in February 2001. “Our hearts need to burn with the love of God and of neighbor,” Chiara said in a videotaped message for the occasion, “whatever his or her race, religion or culture.” During his talk, Imam Mohammed spoke about a “real relationship based upon what is most precious for you and for us: a respect for the word of God and for the excellence of men.”

In a letter on October 25, 2002, Imam Mohammed related to Chiara his sadness at not being able to attend the upcoming international meeting of Muslim friends of the Focolare in Rome, and his joy for the participation of 80 of his men and women followers in the meeting.

In her letter dated November 1, Chiara shared his same sadness, and reported how this sadness had turned into joy, “indeed, jubilation” for his exceptional delegation, which she described as “full of dignity, resolve and enthusiasm for our shared goal: to bring about universal fraternity wherever we are in the world.” Defining their friendship as something “extraordinarily beautiful, which cannot be anything other than the work of God,” Chiara continued. “He has really made us one family according to his plan, which we will get to know as we continue united along our journey.”

Although they never personally met again after the 2000 Washington convention, Imam Mohammed and Chiara maintained a profound friendship, as did their followers. Likened to an extended and joyous family reunion, the numerous Encounters in the Spirit of Universal Brotherhood quite often received messages from either Chiara and Imam Mohammed or both in the months and years that followed. For the national Muslim American Society convention in Chicago in the summer of 2002, Chiara sent her deepest regards, echoing the title of that convention: “The lifeblood of our two great religions, Islam and Christianity, is truly PEACE.”

For the passing away of Imam Mohammed’s sister, Ethel, Chiara conveyed her condolences on December 14, 2002. “I participate wholeheartedly in your suffering for this separation,” she wrote.

Just last year, on the tenth anniversary of the historic Harlem event, Imam Mohammed opened his letter to Chiara with his familiar greeting, “Dear Blessed Lady Chiara, my spirit is present for this occasion, celebrating ten years of a beautiful friendship and spiritual bonding with the Focolare.” Chiara, too, sent her greetings and esteem to Imam Mohammed, whose “vision and courage,” as she said, “made the event possible.” She recalled the fruitful dialogue between the two movements: “We have always experienced firsthand the growing joy of being together … We have shared together moments that reinforced our sense of being a real family.”

In his tribute for Chiara’s death this spring—speaking for his and perhaps also Chiara’s followers—Imam Mohammed wrote, “We will continue our work of building upon the bond of faith and goodness that formed our commitment to work together.”