Can Sufi Islam counter the Taliban?
 

Taken from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7896943.stm

Thoughts? My Arabic teacher is Sufi, and I've been wanting to take his course on Sufi Islam for quite some time, it seems wholly dissimilar from the Islam touted by bin Laden and his cronies. I'd love to hear comments/experiences from QPs who have worked in the area.

On another note, the idea of a bunch of Pakistanis sitting around smoking hashish cracks me up. Of course, they're not fighting - they're too busy getting stoned!

Sufism is wonderful. I have a book of the writings of Rumi on my desk, and they are some of the most beautiful and heartfelt expressions of religious devotion I have ever encountered. It has a lot of similarities to the Christian mystical tradition found in Orthodox Christianity, such as Hesychasm, with which I am very familiar (my father recently got his doctorate in theology studying a particular Christian mystic). I'd love to see Sufism gain more ground in Islam.

EDIT: I just reread the OP; I'd missed the part about soliciting QP opinions. I am of course not a QP, so feel free to ignore this post - I have no boots on the ground experience with Sufism, only the brand found in the US and through the writings thereof.

Skipping the gray man approach and going straight for the front of the class, eh?

Best of luck.

TR

JMHO--if it doesn't offer a political or monetary advantage and power to the tribe, I see it as a long shot among those who are armed, who hold power, and who want to keep it in the tribe. ;)

But I've been wrong before...just ask my wife and she'll tell you the date, time, subject, what I was wearing, and what the weather was like at the time. :rolleyes:

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Kosta,

Asking for QP experiences was more wishful thinking than anything else, as The Reaper pointed out. Your mention of Heychasm is really interesting. I had never heard of it before, but am reading several articles on it.


Richard,

True, it does seem like naivete to expect ordinary (read: unarmed) worshipers of Sufi Islam to rebel against Wahabbism. That said, there must be a tipping point where the masses are unable to reconcile their beliefs with the actions of the Taliban in the area, basically what happened to the Shining Path guerillas in Peru - the locals saw through the lies and stopped giving support, even though the SP was heavily armed and very violent.

Well said, Sir Richard, I couldn't agree more (but not about the being wrong part and what your wife has to say about it :D)!