"Despite Problems and Wars, it Is Necessary to Stay Together"

By Nidal Abrouk - Magharebia, U.S.A.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Tunis/Carthage: The 43rd International Carthage Festival opened Saturday (July 14th) at the historic Carthage Theatre in Tunisia.

The opening event, "Voices from Tunisia", saw the participation of 270 dancers, poets and singers, as well as shows of traditional Tunisian dress and heritage from north to south.

The three-hour presentation included seven musical shows, ranging from modern lyrical rhythms, composition and Sufi music to music of the islands, interspersed with poetry readings that linked the various performances together.

"It is a reflection of all Tunisian musical dialects, in addition to displays of traditional dress and horsemanship," said Raja Farhat, the show's producer and director of the International Carthage Festival.

"Voices from Tunisia is an expression of the interconnection between the Tunisian regions and the will to live," Farhat added.

"The presentation is a sense of the fulfilment of all voices of Tunisia that sang in the past," Tunisian artist Zohra Lajnef told Magharebia. "And it is a return to Tunisian heritage in women's and men’s singing and Sufi songs. It is an excerpt of Tunisian identity in a diverse performance."

The decor reflected this artistic purity of origin, as resplendent traditional textiles were used to drape the theatre stage and its sides, recalling joyous festivities and taking observers back to the atmosphere which inspired these musical genres.

Among the groups taking part were Issawa, Stambali, Salamiya Tunis, the Qadiriya from Gafsa, Dahmani Horseman, Malouf Testour and El-Hmarna from Gabes. Some musical instruments were used, such as the kassbah and gambari, to accompany the Stambali and Bousaidia dance show, with its vibrant folkloric spirit.

Popular poets such as Khalifa al-Darida had a significant presence, connecting one show with the next and enriching the performances with their rural experiences. Ideas of identity and nation were celebrated in the poetic words of epic novel El-Hilaliyah and the conflict against Abou Zayd and its re-enactment in a horsemanship display on the theatre grounds.

Regarding this display, Tunisian actor Lutfi Addaziri said "The idea is based primarily on the story El-Hilaliyah. It is an opportunity the festival seized to focus on a main idea, which is: despite problems and wars, it is necessary to stay together."

These displays earned the public's approval. "The presentation won my admiration, especially since it enabled me to learn about Tunisian popular poetry," said Mounir Daouadi, following the presentation.

Zohra Lajnef said it was "a distinctive presentation. For the first time, the opening presentation was from throughout the republic. Likewise, the traditional Tunisian dress is outstanding."

Some found fault with the festival director however, in his reliance on simplicity in decor, the lighting and the speed with which one display moved to the next. It was not easy for those in attendance to understand the various historical stages and the entities to which the presentation was attempting re-enact.

The International Carthage Festival will host 45 performances in Tunisia through August 16th.

[picture: Tunisian popular singers perform "Des voix de la Tunisie" (Voices from Tunisia) during the opening of the Carthage International Festival, July 14th 2007 at the Roman Amphitheatre in Carthage, near Tunis. Photo by Getty Images]

‘Lets Go to the Faqir’s Feast’

By Abdul Manan - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan - Sunday, July 15, 2007

Thousands of people visited the shrine of Shah Inayat Qadiri on the second day of his three-day 281st urs (death anniversary).

Qadiri, whose real name was Hafiz Inayatullah was a sufi saint and mystic poet and is famous as the mentor of sufi poet Bulleh Shah. Qadiri was born in 1699 in Mozang and got his early education from his father Sher Muhammad.

Qadiri spent his life in Lahore and Kasur and adhered to the Qadiri order of Sufism.

He grew vegetables as a profession. His poetry was mostly in Persian and focused on mysticism. His major poetic works include Ghayatul Hawashi, Lataife Ghaibia, Islahul Amal and Dastorul Amal.

Qadiri died in 1735 and was buried at Mozang. Bulleh referred to his mentor as Shah Inayat. Much of Bulleh’s poetry is addressed to his spiritual guide.

Qaswar Abbas, a visitor to the urs, said he was a follower of Qadiri’s ideology. He said the saint struggled to propagate the message of love. He said Pakistan needs Sufism because it teachs contentment and love.

Mian Muhammad Hammad Qadiri, heir of the shrine, said that followers from across the country and abroad come to the shrine all year long “to quench their thirst of spiritual knowledge and peace”.

He said the various techniques for transferring peace to the people are qawali and dhamal.

[About the Qadiri Sufi Order: http://www.uga.edu/islam/sufismorders.html#Qadiri]

[picture: http://www.tourism.gov.pk/northern_areas.html]

A Protector of the Poor

MIL/ANI - International Reporter - New Delhi, India
Friday, July 13, 2007

Ajmer (Rajasthan): Security has been beefed up in and around Muslim shrine as worshippers gather in Ajmer to mark the 795th Urs death anniversary of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.

Organisers said security has been stepped up as thousands of devotees, including hundreds from Pakistan and Bangladesh, have come to the city.

"As per my information gathered from the intelligence agencies, about 500 to 600 worshippers from Pakistan and also some from Bangladesh have come here. Keeping the recent incidence of terror attacks in mind, security in the area has been strengthened," said Ahmed Raza Najim (manager) of Dargah committee.

According to Ahmed Raza Najim, the six-day long Urs will begin either on July 15 or 16 depending upon the rising of moon.

Apart from heavy deployment of security, 15 closed circuit cameras have been fitted in the shrine to check any untoward incident.

Legend has it that in 1236 AD, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti had entered his cell to pray in seclusion for six days, at the end of which he died. Since then, the Sufi saint’s death anniversary is marked in a six-day long Urs every year.

Throughout the ceremony, devotional music and reciting from Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's own works and other Sufi saints are presented in traditional Qawwali style and in chorus.

The annual event culminates with readings from the holy Quran and special prayers.

Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti was a great Sufi saint who was the harbinger of Islam in India. He is popularly known as Gharib Nawaz (protector of the poor) because he dedicated his entire life to the service of mankind.

[picture from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moinuddin_Chishti]

"Politics Corrupts Religion and Not Vice Versa"

By Matt Purple - CNSNews - Alexandria, VA, U.S.A.
Friday, July 13, 2007

Muslim Figures Condemn Violent Tactics of Islamists

A panel of Muslims leaders and filmmakers gathered at the Heritage Foundation Thursday to speak out against violent extremists whom they believe are corrupting Islam.

Muhammed Hisham Kabbani - chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America [ISCA] and the Sufi Muslim Council of Britain - and Hedieh Mirahmadi - a political advisor to the Sufi Muslim Council of Britain - condemned Islamic violence and warned of the consequences of allowing Islam and government to be intertwined.

"The Muslims today are mixing religion with politics," Kabbani said. "They are using religion for their own political advancement."

Contrary to many who advocate for separation of church and state, he contended that politics corrupts religion and not vice versa. He said Islam and politics were fundamentally incompatible and called on Muslim leaders to advise politicians rather than seeking to obtain power themselves.

"The real connection between God and [individuals] has to be complete and continuous," Kabbani said. "And politicians don't say the truth sometimes. Instead they use religion to get their agendas enacted."

Kabbani and Mirahmadi subscribe to the Sufism tradition of Islam.

Adherents say the tradition holds that knowledge and reason are necessary to achieve meaning and faith, although some scholars of Islam dispute the notion that Sufism is inherently moderate, citing the rhetoric of revered Sufi thinkers.

Kabbani disputed the notion that Muslims were called upon by their prophet, Mohammed, to engage in violent acts of jihad against non-Muslims, saying that true jihad was a personal and internal struggle for faith.

After the "war against the aggressors in Medina" was finished, he said, Mohammed declared that [the war] is finished. "We will build bridges with everyone. We will have good communities. We will have relationships with the Jews. We will have relationships with the Christians."

"Now we will have the greater jihad," Kabbani added. "And the greater jihad is against the self."

Also on the panel were Martyn Burke, director of the documentary film "Islam vs. the Islamists," and producers Alex Alexiev and Frank Gaffney, both from the Center for Security Policy. The movie, which showcases Muslims with moderate views and the attacks they have faced from fundamentalists, was shown prior to the panel discussion.

[picture from http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/country_reports/World_Tour_2001/abouttour.htm]

A Timeless yet Timely Culture of Peace

By Sana Aftab Khan - UN Chronicle - New York,NY,USA
Thursday, July 12, 2007

Rumi was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the United Nations on 26 June 2007.

The event, held at UN Headquarters in New York on the occasion of his 800th birthday, was jointly organized by the Permanent Missions of Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey-countries that revere Rumi as a saint, poet, philosopher and cultural treasure.

Maulana Jalal-ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, known in the West simply as Rumi and deeply admired for his poetry and philosophy, was born in the region of Balkh, which is now Afghanistan, but lived in the Khorasani region of Persia.

He died in the Turkish region of Konya, leaving behind a rich body of work in Persian and sowing the seeds for the tremendous following he gained after his death in areas far beyond the Asia Minor.

The marvel of this Asian poet is that his work remains relevant to our world today, even though he lived eight centuries ago. This is perhaps most evident in the religious culture emerging among today's youth, who are increasingly drawn to spiritual movements, such as a secular humanism based on Rumi's philosophy.

As a historical figure, Rumi has come to embody "universality", although he belonged to the Asia Minor region, and his way of thinking, as documented in his poetry and retold through generations of followers, displays interconnectedness and universal unity.

The commemoration began with a panel discussion featuring renowned academics and representatives such as Prof. James Morris, Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter's Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, and Dr. Hossein Nasr, Chairman of George Washington University's Islamic Institute, along with other Rumi specialists of Persian, Afghani, and Turkish background, who highlighted the relevance of Rumi's work to today's world.

The panel discussion was followed by recitation, with translation, of some of Rumi's most famous poetry, a musical performance, and a "Sama" performance by 'whirling dervishes'.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa were present during the cultural performances, with Mr. Ban making official remarks regarding the relevance of Maulana Rumi to present-day issues and in motivating the work of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

While some Rumi specialists discussed how Rumi's words revealed an undeniable relevance to current international politics and regional sociocultural debates, others highlighted how he was remarkably universal and yet keenly particular in his self-exploration, and how his work foreshadowed the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Dr. Nasr pointed out that even though Rumi's work is often treated as universally applicable, making him widely perceived as beyond national and ethnic boundaries, it remained solidly rooted in Islamic mystical thought, as evident in the traditional title "Maulana" and references to his divine being in accordance with Islam.

The duality of Rumi's poetry, understood as firmly grounded in Islamic thought but simultaneously seen as universal by diverse societies, is proof of the possibility of strong religious values and secularism coexisting harmoniously. The conflicting cultural, political and religious divisions in today's world promise to be reconciled through an open communication, similar to the kind of approach applied by Rumi, focusing on tolerance, compassion, commonality and beauty in diversity.

While the Secretary-General acknowledged that "Rumi's poetry is timeless", he pointed out that "its celebration at the United Nations is extremely timely", noting that it underscored the Organization's efforts to promote a culture of peace through the Alliance of Civilizations and to bridge divides and promote understanding.

Indeed, Rumi's celebration of love for humanity, life, the divine and universality offers solutions to problems we continue to struggle with even today.

[related article: http://sufinews.blogspot.com/search?q=ban+ki]

Poetry Talks to Our Emotions

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Mesnevi fully translated into Turkish centuries on
One of the most important works of 13th century Sufi saint and poet Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, "Mesnevi" is now available in Turkish in its entirety, around eight centuries after it was first written in its original Persian.

The six-volume book, in which Mevlana recounts his views of Sufism in the form of stories connected to each other over 25,618 stanzas, was written in the prosodic style of "aruz" -- an Ottoman poetic meter taken from Persian.

The voluminous book took 10 years for Ahmet Metin Şahin to translate into Turkish, reported the Anatolia news agency. Şahin, who began the project in 1996, told Anatolia that although there were numerous attempts to translate Mevlana's verses into Turkish, none of them were ever completed.

"Many poets attempted to translate 'Mesnevi' into Turkish in aruz style but some of them translated only half of one volume, some translated one volume, and some only translated 1,000 verses. But I persisted, didn't give up, and translated the entire Mesnevi into Turkish in aruz style," he said.

"The first such attempt was made in 1730 by Süleyman Nahifi during the Tulip Era [of the Ottoman Empire]. Some 276 years later I have become the one to complete the translation."

Şahin, underlining the difficulties in translating the epic tome, said he had to go over his translation numerous times to make the necessary corrections. "While I was working on my translations I reviewed the previous translations as well.

One verse can be translated to give varied meanings by various translators. So whoever goes over all versions has the opportunity to grasp the meaning of that verse better. I made use of that opportunity," he added.

Explaining that since "Mesnevi" is actually a poetic work, Şahin said translations in prose style cannot always be given the same meaning and sense. "One aspect of poetry is that it ... attracts the attention of people and talks to their emotions... I wanted people to enjoy 'Mesnevi'," he said.

The Turkish translation of "Mesnevi" was published this year by Kaynak Kültür Publishing House in three volumes; its second edition will be launched next week.

[Link to the translation http://ailem.zaman.com.tr/?bl=39&hn=5408]

"Gel, Gel, Ne Olursan Ol, Gel!"

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

"Gel, Gel, ne olursan ol, gel!
İster kâfir, ister mecûsî, ister puta tapan ol, gel!

Bizim dergâhımız ümitsizlik dergâhı değildir.
Yüz kere tövbeni bozmuş olsan da yine gel!"

Hz. Mevlana

İstanbul's historic Sultanahmet Square over the weekend became the scene for an open-air sema (whirling dervish) ritual as part of cultural events around Turkey and on numerous spots around the world marking UNESCO's Year of Mevlana. 2007 marks to 800th anniversary of the birth of Sufi saint and poet Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi.

The first of the open-air sema performances, held on Saturday, drew around 2,000 spectators, most of them foreign tourists, the organizers said in a written statement on Monday.

The show, organized by the Greater İstanbul Municipality's culture enterprise Kültür A.Ş., will continue to be staged at various squares of İstanbul throughout summer.

The upcoming performances, which will be held on Saturdays through Aug. 25, are scheduled to take place in the squares of such thoroughfares as Eyüp, Bakır-köy, Taksim, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş. Admission to all events is free of charge.

[picture from: http://www.mevlanayili.gov.tr/Default.aspx?F6E10F8892433CFF670AAAC19264C5A8BB24141ED0709C75]

Spreading Rumors

By Kerry Day - Style Weekly -Richmond, VA, U.S.A.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

A collective art show at Sol Cooper Gallery in Petersburg is a lot like a game of telephone, but with a palette.

Stars burn clear
all night till dawn

Do that yourself, and a spring
will rise in the dark with water
your deepest thirst is for.

— Rumi

These words, written nearly 800 years ago, form the catalyst for “Lineage,” an exhibition at the Sol Cooper Gallery in Petersburg. The exhibit, opening July 13, features the work of 13 artists — painters, photographers, sculptors, a printmaker and a filmmaker — who created their pieces sequentially, basing their work on the work that came before it.

The idea originated while contemplating the evolution of a rumor, says gallery owner and painter Bobby Lynch. The concept moved into the “visual” realm, and the impetus for the exhibit took root: an artistic version of the game telephone.

For the first piece, Lynch derived inspiration from the Rumi poem. A thought-provoking, figurative work, the painting draws the viewer into the introspective posture of a woman seated in the morning light.

This he passed on to prompt the next artist, continuing the conversation.

The exhibit took 14 weeks to complete. Lynch delivered each finished piece to the subsequent artist, and artists were then given one week to develop their own piece. Outside of the artwork that came directly before, no artist was told of the other pieces or of the original poetry.

The result is quite extraordinary: a string of images that stretches from figurative, to landscape to abstract to textural and back again.

“If I had to describe the relationship and what surprised me the most is that there are two shows,” Lynch says. “There are the images — the things one sees hanging on the wall — and then there are the pieces between the pieces, the places where they intersect. To me, that’s the real show.”

This added dimension makes the exhibit particularly compelling. It draws viewers into the visual dialogue, like a conversation, and offers an opportunity to participate in its progression.

“Your emotional narrative is threading itself throughout,” he says, “moving it along.” The momentum captures images of bodies, bridges, rivers, arches, blood, hills, light, dark, trains, trestles, solitude and self. The recurrence of certain elements often is inexplicable. The color palette used in the initial painting, a blend of ochre, sienna, olive, orange and rust, re-emerges throughout the series — even though there are stretches of black and white in between. This occurs, too, with certain shapes, the human form, light and water.

Given that the first painting offers no concrete connection to water, but the poem has this imagery at its core, Lynch asks, “Are we just passing on images?”

The sound of his words travel along the 50-foot-long pine floors and floating toward the exposed ceiling trusses. “Or are we passing on an aura?” he continues.

“How much is being carried within the piece that we don’t see?”

Another unintended benefit has arisen for the artists themselves. Rather than working within the framework of their own particular collection, they’ve been asked to step outside their comfort zone and play in different media. According to Lynch, nearly all of the artists have remarked on the liberating nature of this experiment.

“The fact that there is no historical intention from piece to piece to piece is really a beautiful thing,” says Lynch. “How many times in life do you get to do that?”

“Lineage” opens at the Sol Cooper Gallery in Petersburg Friday, July 13, with a reception, 7-9 p.m. The show runs through Sept. 7. 306 N. Sycamore St. 240-6859.

Art News from Tehran

RM/HG END MNA - Mehr News - Tehran, Iran

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Gorgan to host “Step by Step to Meet God” festival
The “Step by Step to Meet God” international festival, which will focus on the character of Molana Rumi, is to be held in October in the northern Iranian city of Gorgan.

Scholars from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and probably Turkey and Pakistan will be attending the literary festival to discuss the mystical character of Rumi.

Works of Iran’s monotheistic religions poster exhibit heading to Poland
The top works of the first Monotheistic Religions World Poster Exhibition will go on display at the Turlej Gallery in Krakow, Poland in a show that opens on July 19.

The show was held at Tehran’s Imam Ali (AS) Religious Arts Museum last year.

The second Monotheistic Religions World Poster Exhibition will focus on works produced this year. Those interested in participating should submit their works to the secretariat of the museum by September 27.

Bangladesh to host “Women and Resistance” photo exhibit
The Palestine Museum of Contemporary Art, the Saba Art and Cultural Institute, and the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense Photographers Society are organizing a photo exhibit entitled “Women and Resistance”, which is to be held in Bangladesh in the near future.

The exhibit will feature 100 photos by prominent Iranian photographers depicting the activities of women in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, especially their dedication and sacrifice.

Saffarzadeh to translate Nahj-ul-Balaghah into Persian and English
Poet and translator Tahereh Saffarzadeh plans to translate the Nahj-ul-Balaghah of Imam Ali (AS) into Persian and English.

She said here on Monday that the letters and discourses in the book are very deep, adding, “I would like to make the contents of the book accessible to foreign readers since there is no precise translation of the book into the English language.”

[picture: Golestan (Rose Garden) Palace
http://www.persia.org/imagemap/tehran.html]

Khawaja Moinuddeen Chisty' Urs Begins

The Times of India - India

Monday, July 9, 2007

Ajmer: The annual flag ceremony, which will mark the beginning of the 795th Urs death anniversary of Sufi Saint Khawaja Moinuddeen Chisty also known as 'Garib Nawaj', will take place in Ajmer on July 11 [today].

The six-day long Urs, which will begin either on July 15 or 16 according to the rising of moon, will be attended by thousands of devotees, said Ahmed Raza Najim (manager) of Dargah committee.

Three temporary shelters - nasagar , kayad and transport nagar - have been set up near shrine for devotees, District Magistrate Naveen Mahajan said. Administrative camps will be set up at 'Motikatala' and 'Tripoli' from July 15 and 12 medical dispensaries will work round the clock, Mahajan said.

The city has been divided into eight zones for the security purposes and more than 2500 police personnels have been deployed under the supervision of 16 ASPs, 32 DSPs.

About 17 CCTV cameras have been fixed for surveillance in the area, said the superintendent of police S. Sengathir.

[picture from: http://www.nikkistravel.com/rajasthan/ajmer-pushkar.html]

Whirling Tires the Body, but Rests the Spirit

Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey

Monday, July 9, 2007

Konya: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Konya Turkish Sufi Music Ensemble, one of the two official whirling dervish groups in Turkey, will break a record with the number of ceremonies they will have put on by the end of this year.

2007 was declared the Year of Mevlana by UNESCO, in honor of the 800th anniversary of the birth of 13th century Sufi saint Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, with numerous celebrations -- including sema (the whirling dervish ceremony) performances -- taking place across Turkey and beyond.

Director of the ensemble Ömer Faruk Belviranlı said that their 44-person ensemble has 14 whirling dervishes and for large events they were helped by other well-trained whirling dervish friends. He said that the youngest and least experienced member of the group had been whirling for 25 years.

They have been invited to a great many events both at home and around the world, he said, and added that the ensemble performed whirling ceremonies in hundreds of world cities. He noted that the interest in Turkish Sufi music and whirling was increasing worldwide and said the number of their sema performances had risen accordingly.

"The number of whirling ceremonies we put on last year in and outside the country was about 250. The number will be around 500 this year; twice as many as before. Also, last year between Dec. 1 and 17 we put on 27 whirling ceremonies as part of the commemoration ceremonies organized in honor of Mevlana Rumi. This year we will put on 36 ceremonies between the same dates," he said, noting that he expected the exposure generated by the Year of Mevlana to keep interest in sema elevated beyond 2007.

He also emphasized that whirling is a very tiring activity and performing it 500 times a year is exhausting, however he added everyone in the ensemble was happy it would be a world record at the end of the year: "Whirling tires the body, but rests the spirit. So this busy schedule will not be hard on our whirling friends.

But if this schedule were that of another field, nobody would be able to withstand this tempo."

*Every Man Has a Dream*

By Huda al-Kibsi - Yemen Observer - Sana'a, Yemen

Friday, July 6, 2007

The story of Joseph’s dream that the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to him, a story related both in the Quran and in the Bible, is depicted by German artist Berno Heitmann in his painting of 11 planets and the sun and moon bending down to the land.

The painting is one of 30 paintings on display in an exhibition titled Every Man Has a Dream at the Bab al-Yemen Gallery in Sana’a. And this painting, which has meaning for both Muslims and Christians, suggests that Heitmann is perhaps seeking with his work to visually create harmony between the two religions.

“I painted eleven stars, the sun and the moon in this painting, which is a story about Joseph and his achieved dream,” said Heitmann. “The story is found in the Quran as it exists in the Bible, like other stories.”

Heitmann read the Quran in the German language for three weeks, seeking the commonalities between the Quran and the Bible. Heitmann is a Christian, whose holy book is the Bible. He tried to translate a number of concepts from Quranic verses in his paintings, using a language of painting and lines.

Heitmann’s paintings were inspired by stories of prophets, such as Joseph, and various religious wisdoms. He added lines to his paintings, both in Arabic and in English.

“You cannot serve both God and money,” said Heitmann on one of his paintings, taking a quote from Caesar. Heitmann studied Arabic calligraphy, including Kufic, Diwani and Persian handwritings. “I think Arabic calligraphies are very beautiful,” he said. “Though I write in English, I think Arabic is more beautiful and could make the painting more beautiful and effective.”

“Many people are asking me why am I writing on my paintings, but I am telling them that this is my own style.”

Dr. Amnah al-Nasiri, an artist, expressed surprise at what she described as Sufism philosophy included in Heitmann’s paintings. “Such Sufism usually stems from the religious culture of the artist, whatever this religion is,” she said. “Either Islam, Judaism or Christianity, they all could tell religious ideas.”

Al-Nasiri believes that Heitmann lives a state of spiritual purity, due to his living in Yemeni places and regions like Hajja, where he works. This state enables him to ponder on the relationship between human beings and God, she said. Heitmann tends to use very pure and simple colors, said al-Nasiri.

Born in Hamburg in 1969, Heitmann is a German lawyer. However, he now works as a representative for a non-governmental organization in Yemen. He has lived in Hajja for the past year.

[picture: "One cannot serve both God and money" one of the paintings on show ]

“Sufi Music and Poetry” in Madrid

SB/MA - Mehr News - Tehran, Iran
Sunday, July 8, 2007

Madrid to host Sufi music and poetry workshops
A four-day workshop on the works and life of Rumi, the celebrated 13th century Persian Sufi mystic and poet, entitled “Sufi Music and Poetry” will be held at the la Casa Encendida Center in Madrid commencing on July 17.

During the first three days Rumi’s poetry will be reviewed. On the fourth day the European-based Iranian musicians Javid Afsari-Rad, Behnam Samani and Reza Samani will be performing musical works on the theme of Rumi.

Spanish translator of Persian literary works Clara Janes Nadel and Iranian scholar Ahmad Taheri will be reviewing Rumi’s biography and analyzing the symbols and terminologies used in the Divan of Shams, the Masnavi and other works.

Taheri, the Spanish-based linguist and translator, mentioned that the workshop is the first significant project to be undertaken by a Spanish institute in commemoration of the 800th birth anniversary of the Persian poet.

"One and the Same"

MNA - Tehran Iran

Saturday, July 7, 2007

West Azarbaijan is to host the first film festival on Shams ad-Din of Tabriz in the near future.

Shams was an Iranian Sufi mystic born in the city of Tabriz. He initiated Molana Rumi into Islamic mysticism.

Sponsored by the provincial Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Cinematic affairs, the festival aims to present Khoy as the place where the master grew up.

“Perhaps, it is better if some of our national festivals are held in the provinces. For example various sections of the Fajr Film Festival took place in different parts of Iran. This reflects the rights of the people.” said Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Mohammadreza Jafari-Jelveh.

Jafari-Jelveh did not refer to the exact timing of the festival.

Shams Tabriz is immortalized in Rumi’s collection of poetry named the “Divan of Shams ad-Din of Tabriz”. Shams lived together with Rumi in Konya for several years.

Rumi’s love for Shams and his bereavement at his death found expression in an outpouring of music, dance, and lyrical poems. Rumi himself left Konya and went out searching for Shams, journeying as far as Damascus before realizing that Shams and himself were, in fact, "one and the same".

[picture: Shams of Tabriz as portrayed in a 1500 painting in a page of a copy of Rumi's poem dedicated to Shams. BNF Paris.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwan-e_Shams-e_Tabriz-i]

A Message from H.M. Mohammed VI

[from the French language press]:

La ville mythique et mystique de Fès a abrité du 26 au 29 juin le forum mondial des adeptes de la Tijania, une confrérie de l'Islam fondée par Cheik Sidi Ahmed Tijane.

Le Potentiel, Kinshasa, Congo - 6 juillet 2007 - par Adrien Wayi Lewy

The mythical and mystical city of Fez, Morocco, sheltered from June 26th to June 29th the world forum of the followers of Tijaniya, a Brotherhood of Islam named after Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (1737-1815 CE)

In a message, read by the Moroccan Minister for the Islamic Affairs, Sidi Ahmed Taoufiq, His Majesty the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, reaffirmed the vocation of his country to be a land of peace.

[picture: an official portrait of H.M. Mohammed VI from: www.ambasciatadelmarocco.it/marocco/il_re.htm]

A Spiritual Journey

By Deborah Caldwell - Belief Net - New York, U.S.A.

Friday, July 6, 2007

He's given up religion in favor of spirituality and he's embraced Sufism, says Hana Ali of her father Muhammad Ali [once known as Cassius Clay].

What is your father's most important spiritual goal?
All he's ever done and even more so now than before, is try to do good, be kind to people, to lead a clean moral life, and most of all help people in need.

His spiritual journey comes back to loving people. He loves his fans and people in general, so it comes more naturally to him than most people. He really does believe he's working for God-being kind to people, having time for people.

He gets up every day and does his fan mail. He goes around the office and looks for stuff to do. People leave messages for him with their phone number included, and he'll have his office call them back. He gets hung up on a lot.

Really?
Oh yeah. When I was 13 or 14 and we'd come to be with him for the summer and we'd go through the phone books, my dad would call people and say, "This is Muhammad Ali." And just go down the list.

He's really happy when he gets a number, because he loves surprising people. Because no one expects him to actually call.

So he just dials them up?
Sometimes people talk to him, but nine times out of 10 he gets hung up on. Other times he gets voice mail messages, so he leaves a message saying "Hi, I'm Muhammad Ali, and I got your message."

Even when we're in a car driving, my dad will stick his face in the window and look at people in other cars. It's kind of dangerous on the freeway because they get excited. It's like having a kid in the car, the speed up-slow down game.

It gives him a sense of contentment and enjoyment.

All of that contributes to his spiritual growth. He's so grounded, even though he's had so much fame and love and admiration. He says it's constant work, especially when you've got the world at your feet.

How does your dad practice Islam-does he pray five times a day?
My dad feels guilty when he doesn't get to pray five times a day. Sometimes it's more difficult for him to actually get down and pray. When the Parkinson's accelerated, he stopped getting up at 5 a.m. to pray.

But he used to?
Oh, yeah. Are you kidding? He never missed prayer. And if he did, he felt guilty about it. He probably hasn't actually done the formal prayer for a few years regularly-five times a day. He just takes moments out when he sits in his chair and prays. And he reads constantly.

His life is like a prayer. God is constantly on his mind. It's not in a preachy way. It's subtle, but you feel like you're in the presence of angels around him--especially now because he's so patient.
Is he able to attend a mosque?
Yes, he does go to the mosque, but not regularly. He goes to the one in Chicago when he can. And there's a small mosque about 20 minutes away. The only problem is it's so crowded, and that's hard for him. And he won't turn anyone away.

How did your dad come to embrace Sufi Islam, and what attracts him to it?
My father has a collection of books by a man named Hazrat Inayat Khan. They're Sufi teachings. He read them front to cover. They're old and yellow and the pages are torn. They're amazing. He always says they're the best books in the world.


(...)

[picture: Hana Yasmeen Ali, 28, is the third-youngest of Muhammad Ali's nine children.]

What Is Really Required Is the Revival of Sufism

By Philip Blond and Adrian Pabst - International Herald Tribune - Paris, France
Friday, July 6, 2007

London: The attempted bombings in London and the attack on Glasgow Airport last week underscore the continued and long-term Islamic terror threat that Britain and the world is facing.

To date, all of those detained are highly educated foreign-born medical staff.

Far from being affronted by this incursion, young British Muslims are increasingly likely to support domestic jihad. The radicalization of British Muslim youth proceeds apace. According to a recent poll by Populus, growing numbers of Muslims aged 16-30 subscribe to extreme versions of Islam, and almost 40 percent want to live under Shariah law.

Britain faces the prospect of a whole new generation of young people embracing extremism and religious fanaticism.

So far, the government has refrained from introducing more Draconian legislation. Instead, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his ministerial colleagues have promised to reinforce the government's campaign "to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim community."

However, like Tony Blair's sterile appeal to moderate, mainstream Islam, this strategy is bound to fail because of two fatal assumptions. First, that every culture and every religion wants to become like the secular West. Second, resistance to Western secularization is fueled by false grievances and as such can be legitimately ignored.

In practice, this sort of approach marginalizes traditional Islam in favor of an ersatz "progressive" version that robs it of all its distinctive character and vision. The litmus test for integration is whether Muslims are willing to be like "us." Unsurprisingly, many young Muslims are increasingly alienated by an aggressively secular culture that enforces liberal transgression of moral norms and taboos.

Crucially, current policies are not working because they fail to address the real cause of radicalization and fanaticism. Contemporary Islamic violence is religious in nature. Its origin lies in Islamic scripture and the destruction of the traditional medieval schools that dictated its interpretation.

The Koran contains clear and lethal injunctions against apostates, idolaters and those who challenge Muslim territorial ascendancy. While the sacred texts do sanctify violence - they also codify it, limiting its range and application.

Thus, there is no legitimation in classical Islam for suicide bombing or the wanton slaughter of innocents.

That said, warfare and a consequent defense and extension of Islam was both a religious duty and a scriptural requirement, albeit one framed by chivalry and relative restraint.
Moreover, unlike the claims of contemporary fundamentalists, there never really was a unified political/religious authority in Islam. On the contrary, the role of religious scholars (the ulama) was to limit the power of the caliphs.

And since there were four traditional schools of religious interpretation, which themselves varied according to time and location, what constituted a proper Islamic practice varied according to local norms and customs. As such traditional Islam prohibits the very totalitarian state Al Qaeda seeks to impose.

For example, if Islam recovers the traditional practice of ijtihad, a process of textual reinterpretation that replaces the scriptural literalism of the fundamentalists with a more medieval allegorical reading of the Koran, this would enable the Muslim faithful to distinguish between immutable God-given laws and mutable human interpretations.

It is worth stating all of this because the only force that can challenge Islamic terrorism is not liberal progressivism but Islam itself. Those who have abandoned terrorism did so not as a result of secular injunctions or indeed horror at what they were doing. Rather, it was the realization that the variant of Islam they were killing for was itself Western, modern and secular.

The great innovators of Islamic fundamentalism - Sayyid Qutb and Maulana Maududi - were deeply influenced by pagan Nazi literature and its supremacist critiques of modern life and culture. Demonstration of the essentially blasphemous nature of contemporary fundamentalism is crucial for the deprogramming of its adherents.

However, the mere rebirth of classical Islam is not enough. Islam in both its Sunni and Shiite derivations suffers from an absolutist unmediated relation to God. Since faith is separated from reason and nature it becomes a self-authenticating phenomenon that invalidates all other perspectives.

What is really required is the revival of Sufism - a practice previously common to all forms of the faith and one that stresses the mystical unknowable nature of God and His transcendence of all forms of human knowledge.

Such a recognition deprives Islamic fundamentalism of its primary motivating principle - that it knows the will of God and is therefore justified in enforcing it upon the earth.

A renewal of Sufism could help Islam to broaden its understanding of authority beyond rulers and the ulama to include civil society. This would also restore the consensus of the community (ijma). And thereby empower Muslim society to challenge the fundamentalist assertions of its heretical preachers with reasoned belief.

Given that we are losing the battle of hearts and minds, we would be well advised to chart a different path. By encouraging an Islamic renaissance and reviving traditions that the fundamentalists have so violently suppressed, Muslim youth might be diverted from their present course.

Phillip Blond is a senior lecturer in philosophy and religion at the University of Cumbria, Adrian Pabst is a lecturer in theology at the University of Nottingham.

Sufism Still Holds Sway in Doda

By Renu Bhran & Syed Junaid Hashmi - Counter Currents - India

Friday, July 6, 2007

"When I come to Love, I am ashamed of all that I have ever said Love"

Sufism (tasawwuf) a spiritual philosophy of Islam, the essence of which is to establish a direct relationship with Allah by purifying the soul, has been flourishing among the hills of district Doda [Jammu & Kashmir] since long.

Regarded as most backward district of the country, Doda has traditionally been a place where religion has dominated the discourse and knitted people of different faiths together.

One may argue that massacres created fissures between communities and subsequent creation of Village Defence Committees (VDC's) widened the gulf yet one has to agree that secularism continues to blossom.

Ask people in district Doda, they would tell you that being an area where Sufism has been thriving from centuries, possibility of communities getting engaged in religious, regional, racist and gender conflicts are meager. Despite changing times, Sufism continues to enjoy supremacy in district Doda.

Historical manuscripts written mostly in Persian maintain that Sufism flourished in district Doda during the 15 century when Sufi saints from various parts in India started reaching reached Doda.

However, tasawwuf gained prominence with the arrival of Hazrat Shah Mohammed Farid-ud-Din Baghdadi (RA) and his two sons Hazrat Shah Asrar-ud-din (RA) and Hazrat Shah Akhyar-ud-din (RA) during the 17th century. These revered saints propagated Islam and value based education among the people of all religions, castes and creeds.

Researchers maintain that before Hazrat Shah Mohammed Farid-ud-Din Baghdadi (RA) arrived in district Doda, the region had already been visited by some other great Sufi saints which included Hazrat Shah Hamdan (RA), Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA) and Hazrat Zain-ul-deen Rishi (RA).

These revered saints taught people basics of Islam and pleaded with them to come out of the darkness of illiteracy and ritualism. These revered saints propagated love and brotherhood. They taught tawhid or monotheism, i.e. oneness of Allah, asked people to follow teachings of Holy Quran and the Hadith.

Historical manuscripts are witness to the fact that Sufis were able to convert large numbers of people to Islam by preaching the essence of Islam and Sufism. They taught love, brotherhood and equality.

Many of these Sufi preachers who came to district Doda and propagated Islam have a earned a distinct place for themselves across the world. Their tombs are still respected as holy places, with people from all walks of life visiting and praying for earthly prosperity and spiritual salvation. Legends about the miracles performed by the Sufi saints, who are believed to have been possession of miraculous powers, continue to be a part of social set-up in district Doda.

Interestingly one can watch names of different Sufi saints inscribed on the bodies of buses, trucks, matadors and private cars to ensure safe journeys.

Of the many revered saints, Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA) needs a special mention. Born in a royal family of Kishtwar, he was the disciple of highly revered saint Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA). According to a popular legend, when Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA) was a child, he fell severely ill. When the chances of his recovery started thinning, his mother began crying bitterly and started praying to the Almighty to save his son.

It is believed that a man, who is believed to have been an angel, appeared before the mother of the boy. He asked her about her grief. Mother of Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA) narrated the entire story and asked him, if he could help her. The man promised to help the aggrieved mother but he kept a stipulation that if her son recovers well in time, she along with her son would start propagating teachings of Islam.

She agreed and promised. The man left but not before telling her not to forget her promise. But when he recovered, his mother forgot the promise she had made with that man. When the condition started deteriorating, she began remembering her promise. Caught in a dilemma, she reached Kashmir. With the help few people, she reached to the place where Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA) had been living.

When she saw him, she was stunned to find that he was the same man with whom she had made a promise. It is believed that she pleaded with the revered saint to forgive her for having forgotten her promise. Sheikh Sahib forgave her and she along with her son began preaching Islam. This is how Sheikh Zain-ud-din (RA) entered Islam and began propagating it among people of different faiths.

He became a disciple of Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA) who sent him to Ashmuqam, a village located in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. He began teaching Islamic tenants to the people in that area. Soon his name gained prominence all over the state and people started visiting him from various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The other Sufi saint who is highly revered across the state is Hazrat Syed Farid-uddin-Qadri (RA) popularly known as Shah Saheb. His shrine is located in the midst of Kishtwar town.

Historical records maintain that Syed Muhammad Farid-uddin Bagdadi (RA) was born in the family of Syed Mustafa, a descendant of Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) of Baghdad, in the year 1689. Although historians have a conflict over the date of birth of Shah Saheb (RA) but according to noted writer, scholar and intellectual Wali Mohammed Aseer (Kishtwari), when Shah Saheb came to Kishtwar in the year 1664, he was 75 year old.

"After completion of his studies, he set out on an extensive tour, offered pilgrimage at Mecca. During the pilgrimage, he met Sheikh Jalal Uddin Al-Maghribi (RA) in Mecca and Sheikh Mohi-uddin-Qadri (RA) in Egypt," added Aseer.

He maintained that thereafter Shah Saheb (RA) reached Sindh where from he traveled towards Agra. "From Agra, Shah Saheb (RA) in 1664 reached Kishtwar which was being ruled by Raja Jai Singh; when he reached Kishtwar, he was accompanied by his followers namely Dervish Muhammad, Shah Abdal, Syed Baha Uddin Saani and Yar Muhammad," added the noted litterateur.

According to "Focus on Jammu and Kashmir" written by Aseer Kishtwari, Shah Saheb (RA) began propagating Islam. The book says that Shah Saheb built a monastery and busied whole heartily in the service and propagation of Islam.

After the death of Raja Jai Singh, his son Kirat Singh succeeded him, embraced Islam and assumed name of Saadat-yar Khan. Seeing their King turning to Islam, a large number of his subjects followed their King and turned to Islam.

According to a popular legend, Shah Saheb reached Kishtwar via Deeng-batal. At Deeng-batal, a daughter of the landlord was greatly impressed by the piety of the sage and married him and assumed the name Roshan-dil. Shah Saheb (RA) stayed there for seven days [years?].

He consummate his marriage for the third time with the daughter of Shah Noor Ali, a convert who was at that time a lumberdar of village Nagri of Doda town. Shah Saheb (RA) gave her the name Mai Malahat. From there he traveled went to Bhandar-kot and thereafter reached Kishtwar.

According to a popular legend, when a blind man came and prayed for the eyesight. Shah Saheb told him that it is nice to pray both for eye-sight and subjugation. Legend says that Shah Saheb touched his face with his hand and the man not only received the eyesight but insight also.

It is also believed that once upon a time, when the King approached him for stopping the earthquake, he prayed to the Almighty and the earthquake subsided.

Shah Saheb had three children. Syed Anwar Uddin who died at an age of two and a half years; Syed Akhyar-ud-din (RA) and Syed Asrar-uddin (RA) were saints bestowed with revelations and miracles. Syed Asrar-uddin was a born saint and exhibited wondrous revelations at an early age which his father Shah Saheb (RA) did not approve of.

One day he gave him a bowl full of water and asked him to drink water from it. The son declined. He reiterated by saying "This is your father's order". Hazrat Asrar-uddin (RA) held the cup, covered his head with a sheet and drank it. He died soon after.

His other son Hazrat Akhyar-uddin proceeded to Gurdaspur, under the orders of his father to be admitted as a follower by Syed Badar-Uddin Sa'mani. He returned to Kashmir after the death of his father and stayed at the Shrine of Sultan-Ul-Arifeen Sheikh Hamza (RA) for seven years and died there.

His shrine stands in the center of Kishtwar town, while Syed Asrar-uddin's tomb is on the other side of the town facing Chowgan. Syed Akhyar-uddin (RA) has been buried in the outer adjoining room of the Shrine.

These Sufis and saints have left yet their shrines continue to hold a significant place in the hearts of the people. These shrines have kept the spirit of communal harmony alive. Shah Saheb used to say "The true seeker should tread the highway of love fearlessly and patiently."

"If one cannot drink up the entire ocean One can drink to one's limit"

[Official web site of District Doda: http://www.doda.gov.in/]

[picture from: http://www.indnav.com/servlet/Browse?mt=goToName&name=Kishtwar]

A Challenging Work

By Abdul-Rehman Malik - Alt Muslim - U.S.A.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Composed by a famous convert to Orthodox Christianity, inspired by a Sufi sage, commissioned by the future head of the Church of England and performed in a Roman Catholic cathedral, The Beautiful Names - a meditation on the 99 names of Allah was performed [on June 19th] by theBBC Symphony Orchestra and sung in impeccable Arabic by the BBC Symphony Chorus with tenorJohn Mark Ainsley.

The Beautiful Names is a challenging work. It doesn't easily fall on the ear and it doesn't immediately make the listener feel comfortable. It demands that we be involved, pay attention to each name as it is recited and to notice that no two Names are the same in their musical quality.

As Tavener himself points out, there is almost no repetition in the entire work. It is a contemporary piece that has a traditional sensibility: it requires patience and needs to be experienced at its own pace - slowly as it unfolds. "The Beautiful Names came to me as a vision. I contemplated the meaning of each of the Names as well as the sacred sound of the Arabic, and the music appeared to me spontaneously, neither chaotic nor random," says Tavener.

The 99 names are divided into nine groups with the first eight being proceeded by the "magisterial cries of Allah." In the first part, for instance, each name is sung by the tenor - a robust performance by John Mark Ainsley - and echoed by half the choir, who are quickly followed by the other half. The meaning of each name is mirrored in the music, the result of a meditation that is precisely crafted.

Taken from the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, the 99 names or attributes of God are a mainstay of Muslim devotion. They are committed to memory at an early age, chanted and sung. Scholars of classical Islam, like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, wrote treatises exploring the spiritual power and significance of these attributes. They are a means to come to terms with the vast ineffability of the Divine.

The Names often appear together in the text as sets of opposites - as ying-yang pairings: Al-Muhyi, The Giver of Life is followed by Al Mumit, The Taker of Life. God is at once Al-Tawwab, The Ever Relenting and Al-Muntaqim, The Avenger.

Tavener beautifully captures this sacred poetry. Al-Ghaffar (He who is full of forgiveness) is sung in a plaintive tone, announced with gentleness by the tenor, echoed sweetly by the choir. It is followed by Al-Qahhar (The Dominator), sung with intensity and force, the sound of the brass darkly rising to meet the voices of the choir. Al-Adl (The Just) is announced with categorical force, a vocal punctuation. It is followed by a soft, breathy Al-Latif (The Very Subtle) that stretches until it becomes almost inaudible. The singers proclaim Al-Dhahir (The Manifest). Yet Al-Batin (The Hidden) is concealed in the music, buried among overlapping voices. At times the choir falls into whispered entreaties, faint murmurs of either awe or humility. The Native American pow-wow drum is struck to announce each name.

Listening to The Beautiful Names, I was reminded of the dhikr gatherings held at the dergah of the Halveti-Jerrahi Sufi order in Istanbul's working class Karagumruk district where the congregation's singing and rhythmic repetition of prayers is at once disciplined, meditative and rapturous. I could hear in the steady, triumphant chanting of "Allah, Allah" by the BBC chorus, the controlled ecstasy of the dervishes as their ritual of divine remembrance reached its crescendo. The Beautiful Names is indeed more prayer than performance.

Tavener's work has precedence in writings of another Englishman, Sir Edwin Arnold, the 19th century editor of The Daily Telegraph who wrote a popular treatise on the life and teachings of Buddha and then followed up with a remarkable volume entitled Pearls of the Faith, a lyrical verse commentary on the "Beautiful Names" of Allah. Having lived in India during the 1857 uprising, Arnold was keenly aware of the dangers of religious conflict; his work no doubt came out of a desire for amity. "For Islam," he wrote presciently, "must be conciliated; it cannot be thrust scornfully aside or rooted out. It shares the task of the education of the world with its sister religions."

The Beautiful Names is a timeless plea for tolerance that is grounded in spiritual reflection and musical imagination. Composers write for posterity. I hope future generations will remember (perhaps stumble upon) this work and see it not just as a piece of music shaped and bounded by the current debates over the presence of Islam and Muslim in Europe, but as a testament to religious devotion that transcends the discrete bounds of any single faith.

*The Islamist* Book Review

Egypt Today - Cairo, Egypt

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Memoirs of an ex-Jihadi
The Islamist created waves across Britain and North America in the weeks following its release in May, generating reviews and debates in The Times, The Guardian, CNN and MSNBC. The book, lauded by non-Muslims, has come in for vocal criticism from many leading Muslim voices.

Husain has been accused of being a government stooge and of pandering to Islamaphobes. Hizb ut-Tahrir, the group that forms the basis of Husain’s analysis, denies he was ever a member.

Despite receiving a number of death threats, Husain refuses to stay quiet. In June he spoke with Egypt Today via telephone from London.

Ed Husain’s journey begins in East London, in an area where you would be hard pressed to find a white face. As a teenager, he attended a school predominantly made up of male students of Muslim-Bangladeshi origins. It is here where he was first introduced to Islamist organizations.

Husain recalls the options available to a young man looking for acceptance in Tower Hamlets, where he grew up. “I had very little contact with non-Muslims. And even to this day, a young person in Tower Hamlets has just two or three choices: Join a gang, or choose the more glamorous option — join an Islamist organization.”

He speaks of a peculiar void in the lives of Muslim teenagers growing up in mono-cultural ghettoes of Britain, reflecting on his own upbringing as the child of immigrants. “What is it to be British? What unites us? Is it a pint at the local pub? Well, I don’t fit in. Is it dating and the disposing of partners willy-nilly? Well, I still don’t fit in.”

Husain embraced radical Islamism by first joining the Pakistan-based Jamaat-e-Islami, and then finally moving on to the Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) during his college years. Indoctrination into these groups included reading books such as Sayed Qutb’s Milestones and believing in the ultimate goal of a “transnational Islamic caliphate,” with a “policy of jihad.”

His fellow group members introduced him to the word kaffir (non-believer). These were the same members who drove around illegally without the compulsory car insurance, simply because it was seen as supporting the “kaffir economy.”

Some of his peers have gone on to become terrorists, including Majid Nawaz, the young Briton arrested in Alexandria in 2002 for attempting to reactivate the HT in Egypt (where the group is currently banned). Husain describes how, within four months of becoming president of the Islamic Society in Tower Hamlets College, he and his compatriots managed to radicalize the entire Muslim population on campus, overtake the student union and create a deeply hostile environment pitting Muslims against non-Muslims.

All this was in stark contrast to the Islam that Husain was raised with by his parents, who leaned toward a softer, Sufi-influenced thinking. Sufficiently forewarned by group members that his parents would attempt to sway him from ‘the right path,’ he resisted all attempts by his family to coax him away from his new lifestyle.

“I remember coming home and seeing my mother constantly praying. I would hear my father crying out for my guidance after his prayers,” he recalls. His father ultimately told him to make a choice: Islamism or the family. Husain, age 16, chose the former: He ran away from home and ended up seeking shelter at the mosque.

Ultimately, he says, it was the persistence of his family (his mother would call the mosque, accusing members of kidnapping her son) and a number of life-changing events that led to his move away from Islamist organizations. In his book, Husain describes the experience as culminating in an event that shook him and his adopted beliefs to the core.

In 1995, during his second year of college, a fellow student — a Christian Nigerian — was murdered on campus, surrounded by a crowd of students, including Husain. “It was inhumane, and it’s as if there was no differentiating between right and wrong,” he remembers.

Husain is certain today that the environment he helped to create in college, where outsiders felt confident coming in and distributing propaganda, led to the death. “Who gave these Muslims this idea of supremacy?” he says. “Who created this environment? Who created these clusters? Who gave them these ideas of jihad? Who said violence was legitimate? We did. HT did.”

One of the main aims Husain had in writing his book was to bring home the impact of ideas. “I saw the impact of ideas on people. That’s why I have a problem with people going around calling for jihad, and calling for the kaffir to be killed, without taking responsibility for the actions that such rhetoric leads to.”

The murder made Husain realize that there was something deeply wrong with the worldview he had so intensely adopted. “Luckily,” he says, he ended up leaving HT just two months before he was to become a “lifelong member. I say luckily because leaving a group like HT isn’t easy,” he explains, adding that the group is run in an almost cult-like manner.

Husain describes the difficulties faced by those who have tried to leave but failed because their lives are so deeply entrenched within the organization. Many marry into the organization, and leaving can mean a forced divorce. Members are expected to give up to 10 percent of their monthly income to the group, meaning that leaving becomes the loss of a major long-term financial investment, among other things.

Even if one were to leave, says Husain, it does not guarantee one’s mind will be “free of the contamination the organization wreaks on it.” Years after he had left HT, Husain recalls asking friends why they were not celebrating September 11th on its anniversary. He believes it took him 6 years to finally leave HT behind truly and spiritually.

In 1997, Husain attended a lecture by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, widely described as one of Western Islam’s most popular scholars. “It took me three years to trust Sheikh Hamza,” he remembers.

Taught not to trust these “scholars for dollars,” he did not accept the sincerity of the sheikh until 2001. He also looked to other traditional scholars such as Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller and Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad, along with Middle Eastern thinkers such as the Habaib of Yemen.

“I started to frequent these circles more and more, while distancing myself from HT ideas.” This ultimately led to the deep passion for traditional Islam he holds now.

“Political Islam is problematic to me on three levels: the rejection of Muslim tradition, the rejection of fellow Muslims and its political confrontation with the West,” says Husain.

“Traditional Islam is the opposite of all of the above, in that it doesn’t set itself up as a political force. It is more about the continuity of a tradition that goes back to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and this can be verified through the isnad system [used to verify the validity of the hadith by documenting all transmission of knowledge in Islamic tradition]. Nothing has been made up as a post-colonial ideology, everything is just the way it has been [for centuries].”

Husain points to Grand Mufti of Egypt Aly Gomaa as an example of someone who, he believes, has “a maqam (good standing) with Allah. He was an activist himself once upon a time. He understands what’s going on.”

Husain is so passionate about the subject that he is currently completing his doctoral dissertation on Sufi orders and politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Sufism itself has had its fair share of criticism and is accused of being unable to offer solutions to contemporary problems, especially political ones. But, as Husain points out, “Sufism is not detached from this world. It actually engages in a constructive way, whereas Islamism is destructive. [Islamism is about] ‘We will overthrow and start from year zero.’ Traditional Islam is about building on what we have from the past, not destroying the past. It is about continuity.”

He lists numerous examples of Sufism engaging with politics in the Muslim world, including “Sheikh Hasan Al-Senussi who was the king of Libya, Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah who was the vice-president of Mauritania and even the Sudanese political party set up based on Sufi orders predominant in the 1920s.”

Husain believes that if not for his parents, he would not have “returned to this side. The reason I came back, the reason I lost faith in extremism or Islamism, is that I had parents who raised me in an alternative Muslim tradition. Many of the people I was mixing with didn’t have that background. For them, being an Islamist was equivalent to being Muslim, full stop. For those of us who have had an alternative background, we know that there are 101 ways of being Muslim.”