Kheit Abdelhafid couldn’t find the words to bring the event to a conclusion: “Believe me, I’m speechless, I can’t find the words to bring this beautiful day to a conclusion. Last year, before the meeting on the topic of the family, we wondered if we would be capable to conduct a meeting together. And now that we’re concluding this second meeting, I realise that we are more than able and this day has demonstrated that. When I see our children together I know the future will be better than what we see now in the world.”

Niether was it easy for the Imam, who is very accustomed to large crowds, to find the words to conclude the second meeting promoted by the Focolare Movement and the Islamic Community of Sicily, on November 16th in Catania (Italy), titled A Culture of Gift and the Common Good. 450 people from several east Sicilian cities filled the meeting hall with an odd-sounding interweaving of languages and dialects.

A great contribution was given by the speakers at the round-table discussion that was moderated by the director of Citta Nuova, Michele Zanzucchi. Msgr Gaetano Zito, Episcopal Vicar for Culture in the Diocese of Catania, underscored the importance of a culture of friendliness and being together. Samia Chouchane, delegate at the interreligious dialogue of the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy (UCOII), highlighted the motivation behind everything: “Motivations are at the heart of everything: Imagine, then, if the motivation is love for God. And this leads us not to be indifferent to what happens in the world right beside us.”

Kamel Layachi from the Scientific Committee of the Interreligious Dialogue Department of the UCOII challenged both communities to not only to interreligious dialogue, but also intrarreligious dialogue, in order to launch a reflection also within each of their individual religious experiences. Margareth Karram from the Focolare Movement in the Holy Land shared her personal experience as a Christian Palestinian who had been raised in a predominantly Jewish environment. She was literally born and grew in a world of dialogue, although it was often wearying and marked by setbacks. Nonetheless, it is always important to know one another, to know our differences, history and culture: “We need to know one another deeply, friendship isn’t enough, a deeper knowledge is necessary. It’s our ignorance of each other that produces the fear.” Giusy Brogna who is in charge of interreligious dialogue on behalf of the Focolare in Sicily expressed great satisfaction with the meeting: “That journey we began several years ago is bearing fruit. I am quite hopeful certain that both communities – that of the focolarini and that of the Muslims – will bring dialogue ahead not only in Catania but in other Sicilian cities as well.”

At the end of the meeting it was decided to contribute economically to the completion of a well in Cameroon, which is being promoted by one of the projects in the Action for a United World. “Water is life,” Kheit Abdelhafid remarked, “and that well we are building together will be the sign of the life that is here among us.”