His positive influence continues

His positive influence continues

Remembering Imam Warith Deen Mohammed

A year ago the world lost an important voice for promoting dialogue and peace among all peoples. Imam Warith Deen Mohammed led a large constituency of American Muslims, mostly African-Americans, and served as an international president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

In 1997 he invited Focolare founder Chiara Lubich to address 3,000 of his followers at New York’s Malcolm Shabazz Mosque in Harlem, and together they wrote a new page in American religious history.

Since then the relationships between Imam Mohammed’s followers and the Focolare continue to have a worldwide impact because of their significance for Muslim-Christian dialogue.

In 2000 Living City asked Imam Mohammed about this dialogue’s positive influence in the U.S., a country still faced with racial problems. He answered: “The real life of the public is really religious life, no matter how far the person of the world is away from religion.

“This is the country of people of faith. In my opinion, it is only possible for us to really purge ourselves of the poison of racial prejudices if we become spiritually healthy. This is the picture we show of our relationship as people of different religions who recognize one humanity.

“The government can’t get rid of the ugly problem of racism, but religious people can indirectly bring about an end to this racism. I believe it is dying and it is dying because people, although unconscious of the role of religion in bringing people of different races together, are affected by the beautiful picture of religion we are seeing now in the world, people coming together like the Focolare.

“Yes, I do believe that we are doing the bigger work, that we are making it possible for people who used to hate each other, to be cleansed of that, to be purged of that, and to find a new life and a new happiness because the burden of racism has been taken from their hearts and off their backs.”

In an interview with Living City, Imam Izak-el Pasha of Malcolm Shabazz Mosque explained the value of the dialogue started by Imam Mohammed and Chiara Lubich between their communities: “They opened up a lot of doors for the Focolare, in terms of dialogue with Islam, that weren’t so open before. And in terms of internationalization, they opened up other doors for our side that we didn’t expect either.”

“Our history makes us very unique,” Imam Pasha wrote after a large event at Mariapolis Luminosa, in Hyde Park, NY. “We are two unique groups coming together to demonstrate the way believers should interact with each other. If there is competition, then it should be for the demonstration of good, of goodwill and goodness!”

Imam Pasha returned to the Mariapolis with a large group from his mosque to an August picnic, where 200 people, half Muslims and half Christians, celebrated their resolve to carry on Imam W.D. Mohammed’s and Chiara’s legacy of universal brotherhood.

“We were happy to be together, with lots of time to talk and enjoy the good food and the games,” Tom and Mary Hartmann from Brooklyn wrote. “We spoke about what we mean by living unity concretely in day-to-day life.”

Read some of the letters and comments received celebrating the path of dialogue Imam Mohammed and Chiara Lubich opened up for so many people.

Chicago
One hundred people gathered in Chicago last June to celebrate an Encounter in the Spirit of Universal Brotherhood and let others know about the pact of unity between Chiara Lubich and Imam W.D. Mohammed.

“I plan to continue working toward sharing with others what I learned from our beloved leaders,” a participant wrote on the panel to commemorate the two leaders. “I will treat each person with dignity and respect and love. Let’s tell the world about our Universal Brotherhood!”
—Marco Desalvo and Paloma Cabetas

Los Angeles
Our friendship with our Muslim brothers and sisters continues to grow deeper. We recently held an encounter in Oakland on the meaning of suffering in both the Christian and Muslim traditions. Powerful and inspiring witnesses illustrated well this timely subject.
—Carlos Bajo

New York
Imam W. Deen Mohammed, quoting the Prophet Muhammad, said that a time would come when we would see Christ and Muhammad together. Surely that is evident in our two communities. It is a grace from our Lord to have brought our two communities together in universal brotherhood. It is so refreshing to read that there are many human beings increasingly beginning to value our commonly shared humanity. And we are especially blessed with the examples impressed upon our souls by Lady Chiara Lubich and Imam Mohammed (peace be upon them).
—Daweud Ziyad Iman