Tuesday, November 21, 2006

A strict campaign against Sufism and Wahhabism

By Igor Rotar - Forum 18 News Service - Oslo, Norway
Tuesday, August 15, 2006

(...)The Chinese government also wages a strict campaign against Islamic movements such as Sufism and Wahhabism (followers of the form of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia). Sufism is found mostly in southern Xinjiang (in Hotan and Kashgar). The Sufi zikr ceremony (ritual songs and dances) is banned, as are rituals at the graves of devout Muslims.
Books by Sufi authors are banned and Chinese scholars assert in their research that Sufism is a distortion of Islam.

It is possible that the reason for this position is that, in the 19th century, it was members of the Sufi brotherhoods who resisted Chinese forces most fiercely. (There was a similar situation in Central Asia and the Caucasus during the 19th century Russian conquest.) In contrast, in the neighbouring Central Asian states Sufism is often encouraged by the governments, since the Sufi form of Islam which has become intertwined with local traditions is seen an effective alternative to fundamentalists.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is the 92nd blog I've posted this comment on today:

As a veteran of Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq...over these last few months...I've wondered to myself, "Is it possible to reduce the amount of hatred and violence in our world?"

Last week, before going to sleep, I began asking myself a lot of WHAT IF questions.

The central theme behind my thoughts were neither anti-war or pro-religion.

Basically, unless someone and everyone start talking about Peace...

Even if it's just for two short minutes...

It's possible that an unstoppable firestorm of hatred may one day burn its way across our entire planet.

Instead of pointing out those differences which separate mankind...

It's my hope that the humanity within all of us will somehow prevail...

Even if it's JUST FOR TWO SHORT MINUTES...

See link: http://just-one-day-of-peace.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

A strict campaign against Sufism and Wahhabism
By Igor Rotar - Forum 18 News Service - Oslo, Norway
Tuesday, August 15, 2006

(...)The Chinese government also wages a strict campaign against Islamic movements such as Sufism and Wahhabism (followers of the form of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia). Sufism is found mostly in southern Xinjiang (in Hotan and Kashgar). The Sufi zikr ceremony (ritual songs and dances) is banned, as are rituals at the graves of devout Muslims.
Books by Sufi authors are banned and Chinese scholars assert in their research that Sufism is a distortion of Islam.

It is possible that the reason for this position is that, in the 19th century, it was members of the Sufi brotherhoods who resisted Chinese forces most fiercely. (There was a similar situation in Central Asia and the Caucasus during the 19th century Russian conquest.) In contrast, in the neighbouring Central Asian states Sufism is often encouraged by the governments, since the Sufi form of Islam which has become intertwined with local traditions is seen an effective alternative to fundamentalists.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is the 92nd blog I've posted this comment on today:

As a veteran of Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq...over these last few months...I've wondered to myself, "Is it possible to reduce the amount of hatred and violence in our world?"

Last week, before going to sleep, I began asking myself a lot of WHAT IF questions.

The central theme behind my thoughts were neither anti-war or pro-religion.

Basically, unless someone and everyone start talking about Peace...

Even if it's just for two short minutes...

It's possible that an unstoppable firestorm of hatred may one day burn its way across our entire planet.

Instead of pointing out those differences which separate mankind...

It's my hope that the humanity within all of us will somehow prevail...

Even if it's JUST FOR TWO SHORT MINUTES...

See link: http://just-one-day-of-peace.blogspot.com/