To find the extremism behind the Egypt terror attack, start with anti-Sufi preachers. By HA Hellyer
On Friday, more than 300 Muslim worshippers were murdered, and scores more injured, by extremist Islamists in
Egypt. There are quite likely a few reasons why this attack took place when it
did, including the rejection of radical groups by this northern Sinai town. But
one reason is a deeply ideological one, which relates to the Sufi character of
the mosque where the massacre took place.
That ideological component goes far beyond this particular attack – and, indeed, beyond one particular group. It is a problem that Muslim communities the world over must all tackle – a virulent strain of extremist thought that ironically rejects orthodoxy, while insisting it is the most orthodox.
That ideological component goes far beyond this particular attack – and, indeed, beyond one particular group. It is a problem that Muslim communities the world over must all tackle – a virulent strain of extremist thought that ironically rejects orthodoxy, while insisting it is the most orthodox.
In much of the
international reportage around this brutal massacre, words such as “Sufi
minority” were used, as though Sufism was some kind of marginalised sect or
cult, somehow dubiously related to Islam. That is not the mainstream of Islamic
thought. Historically, Sufism was
regarded by Islamic scholars as being an integral part of the broader religious
disciplines, and the practices of Sufis as being part and parcel of religious
devotions. Celebrating the birthday of the prophet, for example, which takes
place all year round but intensifies during this particular month, might be
called a “Sufi practice” – but Muslims have celebrated that irrespective of
whether or not they were affiliated to a particular Sufi order.
To describe Sufism as
a sect, in that regard, would be akin to describing the different legal rites
of Sunni Islam as “sects” – which would be rather peculiar. Of course, this is
precisely what the extremists do. Extremists will claim that Sufis are mushrikeen (idolaters)
or mubtadi’ (deviant). The irony is that while such extremists
insist that they are following the most “pure” version of Islam, they have rejected a
fundamental part of what actually constitutes mainstream Islamic thought.
In that regard, such
extremists are themselves a sect – not those whom they attack. The tremendous
majority of Islamic scholarship is deeply and indelibly influenced by Sufism,
and Islam’s most famous figures upheld it as a core part of the faith… read
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