Photo by: Nafeh AbuNab.

DEARBORN — On Saturday, Sept. 13, the Amal Movement in North America commemorated the 36th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sader, the founder of the movement. The commemoration took at the Islamic Institute of Knowledge, in the presence of community members and faith leaders.

Sader disappeared in Libya on Aug. 31, 1978. After the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, several former Libyan officials claimed that Sader was murdered by the late dictator, but his supporters hope that he is still alive. Sader was 50 when he disappeared.

The keynote speaker, Lebanese Member of Parliament Ali Bazzi, who stressed the importance of following Sader’s philosophy of rejecting sectarianism, warned of plans of further fragmentation for the Arab World. Bazzi saluted the Arab Americans for their civic engagement and urged them to work together and set an example that would help combat the rise of extremism in their homelands. 

Grand Ayatollah Abdul Latif Berry, the spiritual leader of the Institute of Knowledge, praised Sader’s successor, Nabih Berry, for his ability to ensure the survival of Amal Movement, despite all the wars waged against it. 

The Rev. Rani Abdulmasih, the pastor of the Mother of the Savior Church, eulogized Sader’s interfaith efforts, adding that he brought people together in a way that is needed today.