Involving Sufi Values

By Hana Abdul Hai, *I Ranked First in the Exhibition of Khartoum as Capital of Arab Culture, Interview* - Sudan Vision - Khartoum, Sudan; Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Sudanese plastic arts movement has passed different stages of development towards crystallizing its national identity since 1950s when first graduates of Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts joined social mobility aimed at liberating from colonialism as well as cultural alienation.

The graduates of the faculty exerted tangible efforts to find aesthetical values derived from the heart of the local community to cope with the national scheme of Sudanization adopted by Sudanese intelligence at time.

The artistic art then was relevant to social development took place not only in Sudan but also across the region since its beginning.

It is remarkable that number of Sudanese artists has increased tangibly throughout recent period. The increase has contributed negatively to change traditional visions adopted by considerable number of people accusing plastic art of uncertainty as well as ambiguity.

The remarkable turnout to galleries nowadays proves that the long journey paced by Sudanese artistic movement has finally reached a destination where plastic art can find a room in a society once gazed on it suspiciously.

Sudan Vision Daily interviewed the painter Adam Ali al Radi to enlighten readers about recent and current developments of plastic art movement in the country.

Q: When did your relation with art kick off?
A: Since early childhood I used to paint and use clay to make different shapes. When I went to primary school my talent began to draw others' attention and a number of teachers encouraged me.

Q: Has your family support you? Haven't they tried to make you change your mind?
A: I can say that I am part of democratic family. My elder brother is a good painter and my family prepared good environment for my talent to develop naturally.

Q: How did you join Faculty of Fine Arts?
A: I was admitted at Juba University-Faculty of Fine Arts. When we finished our first year at university there were no more than four fine arts students. The university asked either to join other faculties or joining Sudan University Faculty of Fine Arts. I chose to join Sudan University and my family encouraged me to do so.

Q: There are number of artistic currents in Sudan. Which one of them affected your artistic work?
A: During the 1950s a number of artistic currents emerged in Sudan. Khartoum School concentrated on reconsidering Sudanese artistic heritage while One School, established by late Ahmad Abdul Aa'al, concentrated on involving Sufi values in artistic work.

I think One School has contributed tangibly to the development of Sudanese plastic art movement.

Q: Can you remember your first gallery?
A: My first gallery was relevant to the event of Khartoum center of Arab culture conducted in 2005. I was the representative of Khartoum state at that gallery and I won the first prize allocated for the best contribution.

Later I took part in a gallery called "Secretary of the Unknown Streets" which allocated to portrait experiences of homeless children. The gallery was based on innovative vision as it didn't follow traditional rules systemizing galleries. We display our paints in the open air.

Q: What other galleries have you taken part in?
A: I am a member of a group of artists organizing annual gallery based on partnership between number of artists work together to produce artistic works belong to the a group not to individual. I also took part in "Black and White Gallery" and "What else?" in addition to various galleries.

Q: What the message that the gallery titled "What else?" tries to convey?
A: It is my current gallery conducted in Al Rabei Center for Youth. The gallery has been named in the name of one of the paintings bearing the same name.

The gallery simply points out that there are many questions in our life need for answers.

Q: What are your favorite materials when you paint?
A: I almost use all materials including pencils, water and oil colors. I also use all types of cloth and wood used for painting.

Q: Who is responsible for misunderstanding of paintings among the members of public?
A: In general understanding of abstract paintings depends on one's culture however misunderstanding of artistic works can be attributed to lack of artistic culture as well little knowledge of artistic rules. I think negligence of arts by government is one of the important factors contributing to misunderstanding.

Q: To what do you ascribe high prices of particular paintings?
A: I think it is better that painting can be afforded by all citizens the thing facilitates spread of artistic culture.

Q: Can you tell us about the most adorable painting that has left strong effect on you?
A: I love the paintings of Renoir and Cézanne. The two in addition to other artists left striking paintings still enjoying incredible admiration.

An Electronic Battlefield

By Osama el-Mahdy and Hany ElWaziry, *Brotherhood, Salafis and Sufis wage electronic war ahead of elections* - Al Masry Al Youm - Cairo, Egypt; Monday, October 31, 2011

Brotherhood, Salafis and Sufis wage electronic war ahead of elections

Facebook has turned into an electronic battlefield for the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafis and Sufis campaigning for seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections, as they increasingly criticize each other and promote their own candidates on the popular social network.


Sufis have quoted fatwas (religious edicts) by Salafis denouncing demonstrations and prohibiting women from being members of parliament, shown video clips about Salafi militant wings and promoted Sufi candidates, whom they call “relatives of the Prophet.”

The Brotherhood, on the other hand, has been posting the slogans it has been using in its parliamentary campaign, including “Islam Is the Solution” and “We Bear Good for Egypt.”

The group has also posted maps of Egypt's electoral districts and used illustrations to educate citizens on how to vote.

The Brotherhood has focused on spreading its party platform, which emphasizes social justice and combating corruption.

Translated from the Arabic Edition

A Peaceful Feeling

By TT Culture Desk, *Nematollah Vali, the 14th century Sufi* - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran; Monday, October 31, 2011

Nematollah Vali, the 14th century Sufi

Thirty five kilometers south of the city of Kerman, in the small town of Mahan, stands the beautiful pilgrimage shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Nur-ed-Din Nematollah Vali who was an Islamic scholar and a Sufi poet from the 14th and 15th centuries.

Nematollah was born in Aleppo (now in northern Syria), spent much of his early life in Iraq, including seven years in Mecca, and then traveled to Samarkand, Herat and Yazd before finally settling in Mahan in 1406.

He is said to have lived for one hundred years, from 1331 to 1431, and is the founder of the Nematollahi order of Sufi dervishes who still gather at the sanctuary in Mahan.

The shrine complex comprises three courtyards, a reflecting pool, minarets and a mosque. The earliest construction is attributed to the Bahmanid ruler Ahmed I Vali who erected the sanctuary chamber in 1436. Shah Abbas I undertook extensions and renovations in 1601, including reconstruction of the tiled blue dome, one of the most magnificent architectural masterpieces in old Persia.

During the Qajar period the site was particularly popular, necessitating the construction of additional courtyards to accommodate increased numbers of pilgrims. The minarets also date from this period.

The small room where Nematollah Vali prayed and meditated contains beautiful tile decorations and has a wonderfully peaceful feeling.

Source: Sacred Sites

Wisdom and Piety

By Staff Reporter, *Sufi Sheikh Assassinated In Southern Russia* - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty - Prague, Czech Republic; Saturday, October 29, 2011

A Sufi sheikh has been shot dead at his home in a village in southeastern part of the Russian republic of Daghestan, RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reports.

Sirajudin Israfilov, 56, was imam of a Sufi mosque in the town of Derbent and reportedly had between 5,000-10,000 supporters. He was not recognized as a sheikh by Daghestan's official Muslim clergy.

Israfilov's brother said he was shot dead at close range on October 27 in the village of Khurik by two men in camouflage clothes who entered the yard of his home.

In a joint statement, Daghestani President Magomedsalam Magomedov and the republican parliament and government paid tribute to Israfilov's "wisdom and piety" and underscored his rejection of "extremism and terrorism."

The authorities said they believe Israfilov was murdered by members of the Islamic insurgency, which has killed a dozen local imams over the past two years.

But those killings were all in the northern and central districts of Daghestan. Khurik is in the southeastern Tabasaran district, close to the border with Azerbaijan.

Daghestan's Muslims are divided between adherents of canonical Sunni Islam represented by the Shafii legal school; a local form of Sufism; and the Salafi ("wahhabi") Islam professed by members of the North Caucasus insurgency.

Of Daghestan's 19 Sufi sheikhs, the official Spiritual Board of Muslims of Daghestan (DUMD) recognizes only four.

The DUMD website was inaccessible at the time of this report. RFE/RL was unable to contact the DUMD for comment on Israfilov's death.

‘Artefacts of Devotion’

By Staff Reporter, *Jhoolay Lal: Mystic beauty of Sehwan inspires Frenchman to compile book (Karachi city)* - The Express Tribune - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, October 30, 2011

Jhoolay Lal: Mystic beauty of Sehwan inspires Frenchman to compile book (Karachi city). How can an interest in Sufism lead someone to write a book? Well, just ask Dr Michel Boivin.

Karachi: Seated in a crowd of around 70 people, dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and open ended shoes, Sufi enthusiast Michel Boivin sat next to a student, raring to talk about his book on Sehwan titled ‘Artefacts of Devotion’.

The French author, who is currently heading an international and interdisciplinary study group on Sindh, sat humbly at Alliance Francaise, Karachi, on Friday to discuss the Red Saint, his shrine and his new book.

All heads turned towards Boivin, who was standing in a corner of the room, the audience was waiting quite eagerly for Boivin to step up and talk about ‘Artefacts of Devotion’ and Sehwan.

He walked up to the podium with a slight grin on his face. It caused quite a stir in the audience as people fidgeted and craned their necks trying to catch a glimpse of the good-looking Frenchman. Once the crowd settled down, Boivin had everyone’s undivided attention.

He started off with a presentation which included some photos and extracts from the book. The author also talked about how some Frenchmen and women had visited Pakistan in 1958 and were fascinated by the remains of the 1947 partition.

According to Boivin, a lot of work has been done on Gandhara art and civilisation. “I visited Sehwan once and it just caught my attention,” he said with an intense look on his face. “It is fascinating because it deals with Sufism, shrines, devotees and rituals.”

The main topic of the book, he explained, was the shrine of the unconventional qalandar, the Red Saint. He mentioned that his interest was mainly in Sehwan because of his fascination with Sufism.

To show the audience how much Sehwan had developed, he showed them photos from the early 19th century. The author made the audiences imaginations run wild with details from the four main chapters which talk about the history and significance of each aspect of the shrines in Sindh. The last chapter focuses on everyday objects of devotion.

While responding to a question, he said that he had always been fascinated by the tangled and complexity of the culture practised in this small town of Sindh.

Visit Dr Michel Boivin website

Remembering the Ustad

By Padmaja Challakere, *Tribute - Nusrat's legacy* - The Hindu - India; Saturday, October 29, 2011

Tribute - Nusrat's legacy. Remembering the Ustad in the month of his birth anniversary.

Did Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan take too many liberties with the qawwali in order to popularise it?

Given how awash we are with copies of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's music, given that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, his nephew, has bagged so many popular music awards, it seems fitting to examine the legacy of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997) who made the traditional Sufi qawwali yield stunningly new melodies.

I wish I could do with words what those sketches of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan by Japanese artists have done with just one or two precise broad strokes: Reveal the exceptional qualities gathered in him, the kindness of his face, his powerfully intelligent mind, and his vocal prowess.

Nusrat Sahib is known mainly for his jaunty fusion music, fast-paced sargam improvisations and disco-beat songs that Peter Gabriel introduced to the Western world through “Shahbaaz Qalandar” (1990).

But to know Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan only through the Peter Gabriel collaborations or the Bally Sagoo remixes is to know only a comic strip travesty of a tremendous singer.

Listen to his classical Sufi qawwalis — especially Hazrat Khwaja Sang Kheliye Damaar, “Shamso Doha Badaroo Kuja”, “Allah Hoo”, “Data Tera Darbar hai”, “Aaj Rang Harima”, “Mera Piya Ghar Aaya”, “Ya Haiyo Ya Quayuum” — to reach the true musical magic of his expressiveness.

His voice marshalled levels and kinds of piety, beauty, energy, and musical ingenuity that went beyond anything I had heard before. The music was majestic, demanding, exciting, and deeply joyful, and it threw classical music into totally unexpected corners.

I felt the need for a book which explained the structure of the classical qawwali — jikr (verbal invocation) and zarb (stroke of the drum or clap) and this I found distilled in Regula Burckhardt Qureshi's book entitled Sufi Music of India and Pakistan: Sound, Context and Meaning in Qawwali.

But mainly I was curious about his subjectivity and I wanted to read a biography of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one that linked the musician to the man, and this I found in the 1992 biography of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, written by Ahmed Aqeel Ruby, translated by Sajjad Haider Malik, published in Pakistan.

Scarcity of material

What is odd is that there is no other biography or book devoted to this extraordinary musician.

The Aqeel Ruby biography tells us that Nusrat Sahib absented himself from “the business” of music. He let people trouble him and use him. He opened himself up to commotion.

Biographical evidence shows Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to be a singularly kind man, one completely uninhibited about his kindness. We are told he was a Sufi at heart, a non-conformist in what we call “pragmatic matters”; that he divided his income into 21 equal parts and each member of his group got paid the same amount that he took himself, and the same amount was set aside for charity and for family.

It is my belief that this Sufi self-unconcern is what kept Nusrat's traditional qawwali innocent of corruption and obsoleteness although he opened himself up the musical corruptions of pop and improvisations like no other classical artist.

Improvisation in classical music is not about the artist spinning out of traditional legacies with the goal of outstripping his/her forerunners but rather about imagining a different sort of affinity with tradition and with teachers of the past. There is no feverish competition with the forerunners; the improvisation is the surprise of something gathered in response to the moment.

Improvisation is more than newness and ingenuity; it is the process by which the truth of tradition becomes an active principle in the mind.

But these days, improvisation bows to commercial pressures, and the commercial, in all times, has always destroyed art and communities. Maybe it is fitting to recall that the two fundamental conceptual poles of qawaali are: sama (to listen) and jikr (to mention), and listening here goes beyond consumption or enjoyment.

Listening here signifies listening in order to empathise with others and to merge with the sacred in order to relinquish the ego.

There is no doubt that Nusrat gave a significant place to fusion perhaps out of a sense of responsibility to popularise qawwali among the youth. But it seems to me that the innovator Nusrat and the traditionalist Nusrat cannot be divided.

He was tremendously good in both these irreconcilable realms but he did not try to have it both ways. I see Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as a traditionalist who saw tradition in terms of an active struggle; in other words, as making room for improvisation.

Picture: Magical moments... Photo: The Hindu Photo Archives.

Embrace It with Love

By Mavra Bari, *Tareeqat: Bringing mystics back into the spotlight* - The Express Tribune - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, October 30, 2011

Tareeqat: Bringing mystics back into the spotlight

Islamabad: Dr Kamran Ahmad launched his second book, Tareeqat – Seven Elements of Living Sufism in Pakistan, under Mehergarh Publications among an intimate gathering of academics, representatives of various international organisations, members of civil society organisations and human rights activists.

His first book was the research-based Roots of Religious Intolerance in Pakistan and India, in which he focused on the fluidity of spirituality, contrasting with the intolerance arising from an emphasis on stagnant forms.

Ahmad is an academic, with a PhD in South Asian spirituality in addition to other disciplines.

He has taught religion and psychology at universities in Pakistan and the US, and has travelled around the world exploring spiritual sensibilities in Buddhist monasteries.

Through this book, Ahmad is attempting to instil awareness in the Pakistani consciousness of the inherent spirituality in our everyday practices and traditions.

He emphasised on the spirit within everyday life and relationships instead of a misplaced focus on relearning religion or spirituality. “We just need to recognise it for what it is, embrace it with love, and live it with pride, in its eternal flow, in its ever-changing forms,” he said.

Furthermore, Ahmad’s work elucidates the importance for Pakistanis to reclaim their spiritual plurality as a nation. He fears that terrorism and extremism have become the uniform ‘spiritual’ face of Pakistan.

Ahmad regretfully reminisced about a terrorist attack at his office two years ago. The suicide bombing took the lives of friends and colleagues.

Feeling partially responsible for what happened, he now believes that “such acts of terrorism and extremism would not thrive in our country if there were not a significant number of people ready to justify or excuse the acts of these terrorists.”

Despite the serious subject matter, the launch had a light and welcoming aura as incense burned and Farrukh Mehdi, a trained classical singer, performed sufi poetry and the ghazals of Buleh Shah, Baba Ghulam Farid, Sachal Sarmast, Waris Shah and Shah Husain.

Picture: A dhol player and traditional singer perform during the launch of Dr Kamran Ahmad’s book at Mehergarh in Islamabad on Saturday. Photo: Muhammad Javaid.

In Our Daily Lives

By Staff Reporter, *‘Preserve Sufis’ messages of spirituality, pluralism’* - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan; Sunday, October 30, 2011

‘Tareeqat - Seven Elements of Living Sufism in Pakistan’

Islamabad: Amongst a huge gathering of academicians, representatives of various international organizations, members of civil society organizations and human rights activists on Saturday night, Dr Kamran Ahmad, author of ‘Roots of Religious Tolerance in South East Asia’ launched his book ‘Tareeqat - Seven Elements of Living Sufism in Pakistan’.

Mehergarh organized the event. The book provides the reader with the essence of Sufism that we all experienced in our daily lives.

The programme included talk by the author. Ahmad said this book comes from the heart. “I don’t want the reader to indulge in the intellect of Sufism but to feel what it is, he said that an incident happened two years ago in my office, there was a terrorist attack and a suicide bombing on the office in which I lost some dear colleagues and friends, I had blood on my hands and till date I still have blood on my hands because I consider myself partially responsible for what happened.

He further stated that such acts of terrorism would not thrive in our country if there weren’t a significant number of people ready to justify or give excuses for the acts of these terrorists.

He also said all I feel is that we need to protect the spirituality that we have experienced for thousands of years rather than having a small minority shaping us or becoming a face of Pakistan in front of the rest of the world.

“We need to acknowledge, protect and preserve the spirituality of the land which we can easily lose if we keep putting ourselves in boxes and not connecting with others on a human level, if this growing religiosity did not culminate in picking up body parts, we would not be against it. We believe in pluralism,” he added.

The gathering indulged them in the Sufi performance by Farrukh Mehdi.

The ambience of the event matched the theme of Sufism and Spirituality. He sang poetry of Buleh shah, Baba Farid, Suchal Sarmast, Waris Shah and Shah Hussain. At the end a Sufi music programme was organized.

A Unifying Factor

By Yusuf Fernandez, *’Islam’ in the Libyan Revolution* - Al-Manar - Beirut, Lebanon; Friday, October 28, 2011

’Islam’ in the Libyan Revolution

Libya has traditionally been a religious country. Many Cyrenaicans have historically belonged to the Senussi Sufi order, which became a part of their religious identity from the 19th century until Muammar Gaddafi´s “Al Fateh revolution” in 1969, after which he tried to control the religious institutions, suppress Islamic independent groups and make his revolutionary doctrine the dominant ideological trend in the society. The new Libyan leader also excluded Muslim conservative sensibilities from politics.

At the same time, Gaddafi tried to use the religion to spread his influence in different parts of the world by setting up the World Islamic Call Society and the World Islamic Leadership; two organizations which held numerous conferences in Libya and abroad and served the Libyan regime to establish good relations with many Muslim personalities and entities in the world. Therefore, Libya supported Islamic activities in Africa or played an important role in the negotiations between the Filipino authorities and rebel Islamic groups supporting independence for the island of Mindanao.

In recent weeks, most of Western media have published stories about the new leaders of the Libyan revolution and their links to the political Islam. They have often mentioned Abdel Hakim Belhaj, the commander of the Libyan rebels' Tripoli brigade, who was previously a target for US and British intelligence agencies, which considered him as a “terrorist” and an ally of Osama bin Laden. He was arrested by CIA in 2004 and sent to Libya after being interrogated and tortured in Thailand.

Such allegations of terrorism have been denied by Belhaj, a veteran of the war against Russians in Afghanistan and former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), who was persecuted by Gaddafi´s regime. The group led a three-year, low-level insurgency mainly based in eastern Libya in 1995 and 1996.

Gaddafi regarded Islamists as the greatest threat to his authority. His regime arrested and imprisoned thousands of Islamists and kept their organizations illegal. Some of their leaders were tortured and killed. Others took refuge in the Arab Gulf countries, where they collected funds to support their organizations, in European countries or in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

In 2010, Belhaj was released after he and other LIFG leaders renounced the armed struggle, except in invaded Muslim countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. As the Guardian notes, citing jihadi “expert” Noman Benotman: “The experiences of the LIFG leaders in armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya and Algeria have forced them to mature politically, recalculate strategically, moderate behaviorally, modify their ideological beliefs”.

In 2011, after the Libyan revolution broke out, Belhaj and his associates in the ex-LIFG formed the Islamic Movement for Change and called for NATO to intervene on the rebels’ behalf. The Islamist militants played an important role among the rebels’ forces because of their fight experience in Afghanistan and other places. Islamist-controlled brigades fought well in the battlefield and their commanders gained influence.

Most Libyan Islamists support a democratic system where the power lies “in the hands of the Libyan people.” Islamists are also trying to set up an Islamist party to compete in the elections. The party would try to create a democracy founded on the Islamic principles, and make the Islamic Law or Sharia main source of legislation. It would be a party which is deeply religious but operates within a system protecting liberties.

A prominent Islamist leader is Abdul Basset Haroun al-Shahaidi, who lived in exile for 21 years because of his opposition to Gaddafi. According to the Washington Post, he has travelled abroad to seek money for security training in Libya. “The Islamic way is not something dangerous or wrong. The West hears “Islamic law” and they think we want to lock our women in boxes,” Shahaidi said. “The Islamic groups want a democratic country, and they want to go to the mosque without being arrested. They are looking for freedom like everyone else.”

However, the two most influential Libyan Islamists are probably the Salabi brothers. According to Der Spiegel, “Ismail Salabi commands one of the toughest rebel brigades in Benghazi. His brother Ali, considered one of the country's religious leaders, spent time in Libya prisons in the 1980s for criticizing the Gaddafi’s regime. Two decades later, he was recruited by Gaddafi’s son Seif el-Islam to help negotiate freedom for imprisoned Islamists who renounced violence, including Belhaj.”

After the anti-Gaddafi uprising started, Ali travelled back and forth between Libya and Qatar, the Arab nation on the Persian Gulf that supplied the rebels with weapons and trained its fighters.” In those months, Ali emerged as an important figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, one who has contributed to the constitutional charter and is seen as a spiritual leader for some of the fighters. He is also a close associate of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

He has played down any suggestion of tensions between religious and secularists within the opposition’s ranks, though other sources claim otherwise. “You cannot say there is a power struggle between secularists and Islamists,” he says. “We are happy and ready to accommodate all differences of opinion, even religions and beliefs.”

Despite those claims, Ali has described the leaders of the National Transitional Council (NTC) as “extreme secularists”. He told Al-Jazeera television that Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril and his allies are “extreme secularists” who seek to enrich themselves via “the deal of a lifetime.” Jibril and his associates were guiding the nation into “a new era of tyranny and dictatorship,” he said.

DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM

“The goal for which the Libyan people have sacrificed so much, including their blood, is to have democracy, justice, freedom and equality,” he told The Irish Times. “My biggest fear is the possibility that there may be no real democracy in Libya or that people might come to power in the name of democracy and then become tyrannical. All I want is for the international community, especially the big countries like France, Britain and the US, to respect the Libyan people’s decision in choosing their representatives.”

When asked what role he would like to see Islam play in post-Gaddafi Libya, Salabi talks about the place he believes it should have in the constitution. “Islam was the fuel of this revolution, it motivated people. Islam is part of the culture in Libya and it always has to be part of the constitution.”

DEBATE OVER SHARIA

Actually, according to the Post, Islamists and secularists on the Transitional National Council clashed last summer on whether Islamic law should be the primary source for legislation. Initially, secularists prevailed, winning approval of a provision that established Islamic law as one guidepost for a future Libya, but not the dominant one.

Days later, however, Islamists led by the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood took advantage of secularists’ absence from the eastern city of Benghazi to win passage of a revised provision that made Islamic law the principal law of the land, said a council member involved in the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the fraught subject.

This new reality was reflected in the first public speech in Tripoli of NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, who said “moderate Islam” would guide post-revolution Libya. “We seek a state of law, prosperity and one where Sharia (Islamic law) is the main source of legislation, and this requires many things and conditions,” he said. He added that Libya's new leaders would not accept any extremist ideology. “We will not accept any extremist ideology, on the right or the left,” he said.

According to the document issued by the TNC, Islam will be the state religion, where the principal source of legislation will be the sharia (Islamic law). The rest of the draft constitution describes the country´s future political institutions and includes the rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and a multi-party electoral system.

In conclusion, Islam has always been a unifying factor of the different tribal, social, and regional sensibilities in Libya and will remain so for the foreseeable future. It can, therefore, be expected that moderate Islam will become a key component of both popular discourse and politics and a stabilizing force in the country. The Islamist opposition is certainly one of the best organized in the country and its political role will turn out decisive in the following years.

Picture: Libyan Mustafa Abdel Jalil & US Obama. Photo: Al-Manar.

Mutual Karseva

By Sanjay Sharma, *Spiritual heir of Muslim founder of Harmandir wants Amritsar free of drugs* - The Times of India - India; Thursday, October 27, 2011

The spiritual heir of Muslim founder of Harmandir wants Amritsar free of drugs

Lahore: Amritsar being touted as the gateway for entry of narcotics from Afghanistan to India, has saddened the 19th generation spiritual heir of the founder of the Golden Temple Sai Hazrat Mian Mir.

The Sufi saint Mian Mir's spiritual heir, Sai Makhdoom Syed Chand Pir Quadri, and his son Syed Raza Ali Qadri told The Times of India "Amritsar should be free from intoxicants" to maintain the sanctity of the holy city.

The two spiritual persons also said Golden Temple should not be called by this name but by its original identity of Hari Mandir (Temple of Hari).

Pirs of the Qadri sect of Sufis asked Sikh administrators to hang a plaque in the "Hari Mandir" mentioning that the foundation stone of the temple was laid by Sai Mian Mir despite inviting the ire of the then Mughal emperor Akbar who had banned construction of any religious place in the country for eight years as the emperor was promoting his own religion "Deen-e-Elehi".

While Mian Mir laid the foundation of the Hari Mandir Guru Arjan Dev, a close friend of Mian Mir, laid the foundation of a mosque made inside the Hari Mandir complex for followers of Mian Mir who did karseva (voluntary work).

This fact of the mutual laying of foundation stones for each other's places of worship is almost not known but needs to be revealed to promote inter-faith harmony and understanding, the spiritual heir of Mian Mir said.

The Pirs now have a personal collection of belongings attached with Guru Arjan Dev who stayed with them for more than three years at Lahore.

Aurangzeb's scholarly brother Dara Shikoh was so close to Mian Mir that his body was laid adjacent to the mausoleum of Mian Mir whom mighty Mughals refused to defy.

Syed Chand Pir Qadri said at least a lakh volunteers worked for the temple and happily 95,000 were from other countries.

[Picture: Makhdoom Syed Chan Pir Qadri. Photo: Sikhi Wiki (Encyclomedia of the Sikhs).]

Beyond Entertainment

By Indi, *The Sufi magic of Sain Zahoor* - Desi Blitz - UK; Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Sufi magic of Sain Zahoor

Sain Zahoor is a Sufi street musician and wandering minstrel from Pakistan with an incredible vocal style that takes you beyond entertainment and embodies the cultural wealth and soul of Pakistan’s popular street culture. DESIblitz was present at his performance at The Drum in Birmingham (UK).

Sain Zahoor is an incredible Sufi musician from Pakistan. His recent performance on 8th October 2011 at The Drum in Birmingham captured the audience’s attention as soon as he walked on stage wearing bright colours and a Tumbi with colourful tassels. His presence was very self assured and comforting as he commenced singing tales from the folklore past.

Sain Zahoor is also known as Saieen Zahoor or Saeen Zahur Ahmad. Sain, which is not his first name but a Sindhi honorific title, spent most of his life singing in Sufi shrines and developing his magical voice which many times put listeners of his music into a trance.

Throughout his singing at The Drum he was inspired on by chants and shouting from the audience, who were mesmerised by his lyrics and hypnotising flow. Every once in a while in the chorus of a song, Sain span around, moving his Tumbi round in circles.

His dancing is of a frenzied style with the tassels on his instrument whirling around him. His singing style is unique, colourful and full of energy. His voice has an earthy tone, almost cracking at the edges, but capable of a strong vocal and emotional range.

Sufi singing is focused on poetry with themes of devotional love, which shares much with Persian mystic poets like Rumi and with other South Asian traditions such as the Bhakti cult.

Half way through the show Sain stamped his foot hard onto the stage floor and shattered his ankle bells, which were immediately brushed away by one of the backing singers so not to cause any harm to Sain.

At some points during the show people from the audience threw money onto the stage, a traditional way of showing a sense of appreciation for this magical Sufi artist.

Sain was born in the Okara district of the Sahiwal region in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. He was the youngest child in a rural peasant family. He started singing at a tender age of five and from that time he had dreamt of a hand beckoning him towards a shrine. He left home at the age of thirteen, roaming the Sufi shrines of Sindh, Punjab, and Azad Kashmir, making a living through singing.

Whilst walking past a small shrine in the south Punjab town of Uch Sharif (known for its Sufi traditions), Zahoor recalls seeing what he often dreamt about. He says, “Someone waved at me with his hand, inviting me in, and I suddenly realised that it was this hand which I saw in my dream.”

Subsequently, Zahoor studied music under his first teacher of Sufi verses, Raunka Ali of Patiala Gharana, whom he met at Bulleh Shah’s dargah (shrine). He also studied music with other Uch Sharif-based musicians.

Zahoor is illiterate but he is known for his memory of song lyrics; mostly he sings compositions of the major Sufi poets, Bulleh Shah, Shah Badakhshi and others.

He sang an ost in 2011 for *West Is West*, a British comedy-drama film which is a sequel to the 1999 comedy *East Is East*. He also acted and appeared in the film.

At the end of the show Sain and his band bowed down and left the stage but were called back by the crowds for an encore. Zahoor agreed to one more song and then finished off the show with a three minute prayer.

Before Sain had the opportunity to leave the stage for a second time, he was immediately surrounded by members of the audience who shook his hand, hugged him and had photographs taken with him on stage.

The magic of this Sufi singer brought a sense of uplift to the whole evening with a buzz in the atmosphere of The Drum amongst everyone who saw Sain Zahoor perform his repertoire of songs live and direct in Birmingham.

[Click on the title to the original article with many pictures (ed.)]

Tale of Love

By Staff Writer, *Literature: Heer recital to revive interest in Sufi poetry* - The Express Tribune, Karachi, Pakistan; Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Faisalabad: University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, on Tuesday organised a Heer recital to revive student’s interest in Sufi poetry.

Several folk singers were invited to the event to recite Heer Ranjha’s epic tale of love.

Speaking at the occasion, UAF vice chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan said more events on Sufi poetry would be held in the future to enable students, and the youth in general, to understand and appreciate Sufi teachings.

He said a large number of Sufis had inhabited the areas now included in the country and that their was a vast collection of literature containing Sufi saints’ poetry in various regional languages like Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki, Sindhi, Pushto and Balochi.

He said the university had decided to organise the Heer recital in view of the declining trend in the new generation’s interest in such literature.

He said poets like Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain and Khwaja Ghulam Farid were among the leading reformists of their times. “They preached pacifism and strived to end warfare and differences among the people of the sub-continent,” he said.

Dr Iqrar said most Sufis were critical of the rulers of their times. He said Sufi had devoted their lives to promotion of peace, brotherhood among different religious communities, tolerance and patience through their poetry.

He said though English and Urdu translations of Sufi poetry was now widely available, the real message could not be grasped without reading these in the languages these were originally written.

He paid homage to folk singers for keeping the poetry alive by performing it. He said folk artists’ role could not be ignored in preserving Sufi poetry and spreading the message it contains.

Senior Tutor Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam said Waris Shah was renowned for his contribution to Punjabi literature.

He said Heer remained the most critically acclaimed work of the poet. He said to date folk artists recite the poem during get-togethers at almost every Punjabi village.

'Ya Waris'

By Staff Writer, *'Faith keeps tradition alive'* The Times of India - Lucknow, India; Sunday, October 23, 2011

Lucknow: The annual fair organised to ensure that Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah stays in Dewa for his devotees ended with glittering fireworks on Saturday.

The saint is believed to be the 26th descendant of Hazrat Imam Hussain who lived about 100 years ago.

Legend says that Sarkar, as Haji Waris Shah is remembered by his followers, preferred wandering. But, his devotees wanted him to stay at Dewa for sometime. So they proposed to organise a fair to mark the death anniversary of his grandfather. He accepted the proposal on the condition that the mela be held around Karwa Chauth.

Dewa Mela attracts pilgrims from across the country to seek the saint's blessings.

They can be seen carrying chadars over their heads and chanting 'Ya Waris'.

"The echo of qawwalis and devotional songs makes the visit a spiritual experience," said MA Khan, a devotee.

Over the years, Dewa Mela has grown manifolds. "In the three important days of the festival (October 16-18), an estimated 20 lakh people visited," said Vikas Gothalwal, district magistrate Barabanki.

On what makes Dewa Mahotsava special, he said, "Faith keeps the tradition alive."

The fair, housing scores of stalls, a cattle and horse market, serve business purposes to the rural populace.

Cultural events, that saw performances from ghazal singer, Ghulam Ali and qawwali duo Sabri brothers, Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tewari, bhajan singer Anoop Jalota, acted as a bigger crowd puller. Kavi sammelan, Mushaira and Kishor Kumar night were equally popular.

Keeping the worldly characteristics aside, the mela is an occasion to remember the saint who was blessed since childhood. According to legends, Sarkar memorised the Quran even though he took lessons rather reluctantly.

As he grew up, instances proving his exceptional powers increased. Once the saint was crossing river Ghaghara on his way to Bahraich, but floods came in the way. Since there was no boat available, he decided to swim. This scared his companions who followed him reluctantly when the saint directed them. Surprisingly, the water was only knee-deep and everyone easily waded through.

It is also said that Haji always appeared tall in any gathering while his feet never showed any sign of dirt even though he remained bare-footed. Another commonly known thing about him is that he did not have a shadow.

[Picture: Urs in Dewa Shareef. Photo: Saint Waris Ali Shah Website.

A Rare Spell of Magic

By Ammar Shahbazi, *A tryst with history* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, October 23, 2011

Silence. Dimly-lit chandeliers and flickering candle lights yellowed the breadth of the hall. The measured chiming of her ghungru in perfect sync with the beats of tabla went on and on freezing the sense of time.

Nahid Siddiqi’s Kathak performance at a Supporters of The Citizens Foundation’s fundraising event, celebrating the classics of great Sufi poet and musician of the Indian subcontinent Amir Khusro, cast a rare spell of magic on the audience.

It was veritably an enactment of an evening founded only in the books of literature or paintings stilled forever by anonymous artists at some princely court of Mughal India; it was virtually a rendezvous with history.

The event was hosted by Zia Mohyeddin, who clued up the audience with his encyclopedic knowledge of Indian classical music and the sheer impact of Amir Khusro in shaping the genre in so many ways.

“Amir Khusro could be summed up as light upon light. His literary and musical output was enormous. He gave the world of music Khayal and Tarana, two of the most vibrant forms of classical singing. He created Qawwali, and invented Taals and Ragas which are still in vogue.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mushtaq K Chapra thanked the supporters of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and revealed that their help had enabled the TCF to run 730 schools across the country and impart quality education to 102,000 underprivileged children all over Pakistan.

Some of the leading names in contemporary classical music in the country performed Khusro’s Ghazals in Persian, Hindi and the hybrid languages that he wrote in, and played instrumentals of his famous compositions.

“The native Persians (Iranians) don’t have a very high opinion about Persian literature that came out of the Indian subcontinent. They don’t even see Ghalib as someone significant, but when it comes to Khusro, the Persian critics are silent in awe,” said Mohyeddin, who was not only the MC of the show but played he role of a performer, narrating in his signature style the history of the giant of Indian classical musician.

The performers mainly comprised the alumni and faculty members of the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). Nafees Ahmad on sitar, Ustad Bashir Khan on Tabla, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan on harp, Mohammed Hussain on harmonium and Ustad Salamat Hussain on flute made up the orchestra for the singers who took turns to pay their tribute to Khusro.

Ustad Salamat Ali, Mehnaz Begum, Ustad Nasreuddin Saami along with a troupe of young singers from NAPA performed.

When the famous compositions of Khusro like Mera Piya Ghar Aya and Mankunto Maula were performed by the Ustads with the utmost classics finesse, keeping the subtleties of ranges and the intricate structure of the melody just on dot, with perfect stretches of the highs and lows, the audience broke in applause.

To commend many a time in between the performances, say, a long breathless stretch of note or an intense sweeping stroke of sitar and table together.

But Nahid Siddiqui simply dazed. The critically acclaimed international Kathak dancer performed after a long time in Karachi, and to say the least, she made her presence on stage not only felt but a memorable one.

[Visit The Citizens Foundation]

The Intolerance Game

By Mohammed Wajihuddin, *In God’s name* - The Times of India - Mumbai, India; Sunday, October 23, 2011

The original Sufis, celebrated in Indian culture, were men who lived frugally and shunned publicity, confining themselves mainly to meditation and sermonising. Their disciples couriered messages to distant, and often hostile, destinations. The Sufis connected with the creator and cleansed the society they lived in.

Times have changed, and so have the Sufis' ways of opposing evil forces. Take last week's denouncement of Wahabi Islam by the All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board, a Sunni Muslim group rooted in the Sufi traditions of Islam.

At a mahapanchayat in Moradabad, UP, the Board's general secretary Syed Mohammed Ashraf Kachochavi claimed that Wahabi-inspired outfits like the Deobandis, Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind and Ahl-e-Hadees were radicalising Muslim youth. The Deoband seminary rejected the charge as a "malicious" campaign by the Sunni clerics who, according to the Wahabis-Deobandis, are bidatis (those who indulge in 'innovations' not practised in the Prophet's time) because they visit the mausoleums of Sufi saints.

The hardline attitudes of the Wahabis, who champion Saudi-backed petro-dollar Islam, apart, the supposedly Sufi-believing Sunnis (also called Barelvis) too are facing flak from Muslim liberals. The latter say that the Sunnis (who comprise around 80 per cent of Mumbai's Muslims) are not as moderate as they claim to be. They may not practice extremist Islam like many Wahabis do, but they too are conservative, patriarchal and sometimes viscerally sectarian.

The behaviour of certain Sunni groups bears out this charge. A couple of months ago, the Raza Academy, a Sunni organisation, opposed the appointment of a woman officer at the male-dominated Haj Committee and petitioned the central government to keep the committee "clean of women".

More recently, some members of the Academy protested against the title of a Hindi film called Azaan on the grounds that it signified the call to the faithful for prayers and, therefore, was provocative and sacrilegious. In Mumbai, many Sunni mosques have shut the door on Wahabis as well as Tablighis, the vagabond preachers who are also Deobandis.

"There are boards at Sunni mosques asking Wahabis and Deobandis not to pray there. Many Sunnis believe their mosques will get dirty and their namaz will be spoiled because of the presence of Wahabis.

This is against the message of Sufism, which has no place for hatred and discrimination. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's dargah is open to people of all faiths because he loved all human beings," says Farid Batatawala, who has practised Sufism for over six decades.

Of late, the Sunnis have started barring Deobandis from funerals as well. "I was stunned to hear a Sunni imam asking Deobandis to leave a funeral congregation recently," recalls a prominent Sunni in the city.

Sufi-Pandit Ghulam Dastagir, a Sanskrit scholar who also manages the mausoleum of a Sufi saint called Junglee Peer in Worli, says that such conduct is unbecoming .

"True practitioners of Sufism would not have protested or petitioned the court against naming a film Azaan. They would have sorted it out through dialogue and, if the film-maker had stuck to his stand, they would have prayed to Allah to forgive those who, according to their perception, insulted His words," he explains.

Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan adds that there are hardly any real Sufis today.

"Great souls like Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Hazrat Bakhtiar Kaki and Nizamuddin Aulia were real Sufis who practised and propagated tolerance and inclusiveness," he says. "Today most of those who claim to be practising Sufism are actually donning a facade."

Sunnis in Pakistan have gone one step beyond in the intolerance game.

The Sunni Ittehad Council, a Karachi-based organisation established in 2009 with the avowed aim of fighting "the growing Talibanisation of the country", last year rose to oppose the death sentence handed out to Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

In the name of Namoos-e-Risalat (preservation of the Prophet's prestige), many Sunni ulema justify the brutal killing of Taseer who had opposed Pakistan's draconian Blasphemy Law. So are Sunnis too becoming intolerant?

"I would not like any Muslim to be intolerant and extremist. Islam will be endangered if blasphemy, especially by fellow Muslims, is not contested," says Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, secretary general of the London-headquartered World Islamic Mission, who is in Mumbai to participate in the three-day Sunni meet at Azad Maidan.

A. Faizur Rahman, secretary-general of the Chennai-based Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought among Muslims, points out that original Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as the spiritual union between man and God achieved without any intermediaries.

"Real Sufis in history have led almost ascetic lives, distancing themselves from physical lusts and worldly desires," he says. "If at all they had a public life, it was dedicated and confined to the service of humanity."

If only the self-proclaimed Sufis of today would heed this credo.

The Changing Nature

By Mo Hashim, *From Nubia to Sudan: a rare Sudanese exhibition in Athens* -Sudan Tribune - Paris, France; Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Benaki Museum for Islamic Arts is located in a busy road in the tourist-packed Monistraki district of Athens, the Greek capital.

Under the Acropolis hill, where the Parthenon temple stands, a five-storey high building, with its collection of Islamic artifacts covering the 14 centuries of Islam, is host to a rare event happening in the agora of ancient Athens. An exhibition of photographs documenting the changing nature of the Sudanese Nile valley, from antiquity to present time.

This 80-pictures-large exhibition, is a genuine labour of love by archaeologists Alexandros Tsakos and his wife Henriette Hafsaas-Tsakos, a Greek-Norwegian couple, whose dedication to furthering our understanding of the Sudanese past is unquestionable, creative and thought-provoking.

The two researchers’ enthusiasm for Sudan is evident through this collection of images that captures several themes that are of great relevance to a new generation of young Sudanese and Sudanphiles.

But it is also a chance for visitors, Sudanese or otherwise, to ponder the fate of the country. The images contrast between the Meroitic pyramids, where monarchs of antiquity rest, with the Qubbas or shrines of Sufi saints, ancient temples and medieval mosques, the duality of the Nile and its deserts, of old rituals and new practices, Christianity and Islam, mud bricks and concrete walls.

Walking around the exhibition halls, from floor to floor, the pictures are laid out in a meticulous manner and arrangement as to fit in with the museum’s layout.

The pictures are introduced with simple extracts of verse encapsulating the human traits that bind us all together.

Visitors to the exhibition are handed out a map of the Northern Sudanese or Nubian Nile valley from Khartoum to Aswan. Places are named in English and Greek, as whilst English was introduced as international language to Sudan by its last colonizers, Greek was the language that for millennia had been used to document and communicate with the Nubian valley.

Visitors are introduced to Sudan’s Sufi or mystically inspired Islam. A tolerant religiosity that transcends time and is deeply rooted in the way the Nubians have held their faith in the Creator of the Nile, from the old dynastic times through the era of the Christian creed, and now in the age of Islam.

No image in the whole collection presents this tolerance as the one showing children of a Nilotic southern Sudanese family playing near the gate of their house in a village in the heart of the Mahas. The door to this family’s home is adorned in true Nubian fashion with Christian crosses with a rather large one on the door. This contrasts to the Islamic symbols that are used by their Nubian neighbours.

A set of images captures the Friday afternoon Zikir at the shrine of Omdurman’s Qadri saint, Shaykh Hamed al-Nil Al-A’raki. Images of prayers in prostration, capture the significance of prayers to the faithful.

The visitor is subsequently taken into a quick journey into the meaning of the Mosque. How the shrines of sufi saints could be seen as a historical parallels, a form of cultural continuity, to the Tarabeel, as the pyramids of northern Sudan are locally known.

The images carry subtle hints to the realities that impact the lives of those living in Sudan.

One picture captures a hole made by a mortar shell on minaret in Midan al-Khalifa opposite the dome of Al-Mahdi in Omdurman, when forces of the Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality movement, launched an ill fated, albeit daring attack, against the seat of the NCP regime in Khartoum in May 2008.

Water a most essential requirement for survival in the Nubian desert is celebrated by the photographers in all the different forms it impacts the lives of the Sudanese.

One set of photos brings a genuine Sudanese object to the fore of our attention. Clay pots that hold cool water for the thirsty, or for those seeking ablution for prayers, the Zir. A Zir by a Qubba in Abu Haraz is important for those visiting the Wali, as it is the Baraka-blessed water that quenches the thirst of the seeker.

We see water as rain, and how children of the Manaseer in the Fourth Cataract, before its flooding by the Merowe dam, were jubilant when raindrops caressed the banks of the river they knew for generations.

We then sail on the river, with Bantoons, Marakib, Falukas all boats on the river, before we encounter the artificial lakes of the dams, and the pristine ancient banks they flooded.

This gently weaved thread of narration gives the viewer a warmth of feelings harboured by the Greek Norwegian mission for Sudan. However, the exhibition is most of all, a gentle appeal to sensibility.

It raises concern and urgently calls for action, from the Sudanese and their friends worldwide, to pause and rethink once again as to how they want their country to develop and at what price?

This point, although not explicitly spelt out by the Athens celebration of the Nubian Nile, which is after all a cultural event, not a political protest, is one that all Sudanese need to address immediately.

Politics are never too far from all affairs Sudanese, with plans to build more dams and reservoirs along the Sudanese Nile and its tributaries; be it in Dal, the Third Cataract, Al-Setait or any where else, the need for action can not wait.

Many Sudanese needs are concerned with the development of electric power, but there are alternative options that are more cost-effective and environmentally sound, to hydro-generated electric power. We should not hark on Egypt of the 1950’s for inspiration; after all, this is the 21st century.

There are several other options for the Sudan, mainly in developing solar and wind generation alternatives. For the lobby calling for utilizing the river’s waters, there are better ways than changing, and forever, the nature and the environment of the age-old Nile.

However, one particular lobby, which reigns supreme in Khartoum, is that one opposed to any furthering of our knowledge of pre-Islamic Sudan, of Christian Nubia’s needs to change its understanding and accept alternative models of "development" other than hydro power, and what would mean flooding huge areas of land.

It is this lobby that considers the false Arab genealogies of late 18th century Mecca as the key proof of our misguided, beastly delusion of Arabism that must be challenged.

This view that ideologically rests upon the narrative purported by Ibn Kholdoun that Arab incursions succeeded in pacifying Nubia and its populations in their totality, and how our political identity is currently being fashioned. This lobby needs to be made to understand that the crime of destroying our land, to wipe out our history and our knowledge of it, will be in vain.

As I write these lines, the Sudanese government of the "Islamic Republic of Sudan" - as the state would shortly and in due time be renamed to – is considering the construction of more new dams along the Nile.

The exhibition is a subtle reminder of the fate that befell the Halfaweyeen and other Nubians in the 1960’s, but it is an actual documentation of what befell the Manaseer of the Fourth Cataract in the 2000’s.

It is a warning of the danger facing a river, that was kind to its neighbours, but is constantly being exploited under the guise of development, to displace peaceful docile populations, impoverish them, and destroy histories buried under the sands of time, and the Nubian Desert.

Mo Hashim is a Sudanese journalist living and working in the UK. He can be reached at ✉moehash@yahoo.com.

Picture: Qubba of Shaykh Idris Ali al-Rady "Al-Mahjoub" resident of Kweika an early 19th century Sufi shaykh and khalifa of al-Khatmiya tariqa in Sai in the land of the Mahas. Photo: ST.

The exhibition From Nubia to Sudan at the Benaki Museum runs from
October 7, 2011 to February 19, 2012.

Well Together

By PTI Staff Writer, *Arab Spring, Rumi and Sufism highlight at Jaipur Lit Fest 2012* - Firstpost.com - India; Wednesday, October 19, 2011

New Delhi: Sufism and the revolution that swept across the Arab world recently, is all set to take the limelight at the next edition of the Jaipur Literature festival in January 2012.

“Jaipur festival gets the best writers from everywhere. In India we get a varied range of writers we can showcase. Last year Namita Gokhale had tried to focus on Dalit literature. The next edition of the festival will focus on Sufi and Bhakti literature,” says William Dalrymple, one of the directors of the festival.

Jalal ad-Din Muammad Rumi who is a 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic would be the subject of talks among experts.

“We have tried to bring in experts on Sufi and Bhakti literature. There will be renowned Rumi experts like Franklin Lewis attending the festival. Also experts on sufism such as Carl Ernst and Richard M Eaton would be present, ” Dalrymple says.

Besides Sufism, the festival would extensively feature discussions on the Arab World which had faced a series of demonstrations and protests against totalitarian regimes earlier this year, with varied range of writers from Middle East pouring in.

“We will hold discussions on the ‘Arab Spring’ in the Middle East. Reza Aslan from Iran Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian lawyer and writer, Isham Matar, a Libyan author and Hanan Al-Shaykh, a Lebanese author will attend these discussions on Middle East,” says Dalrymple.

Dalrymple, himself a lover of Sufi music has featured Sufis in his various works.

His latest book Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India talks about Sufism. He also recalled his travel to Istanbul and Lahore where he says “Sufi music and great food always seemed to go well together”.

The noted Scottish author and historian was recently in the capital in a conversation with author Somnath Batabyal at an event at the Alliance Francaise here.

Co-founded in 2005 by Dalrymple and Indian author and publisher Namita Gokhale, the Jaipur Literature Festival has over the years managed to successully build itself as a brand with participation from international authors.

Over the years the attendees have included Nobel Laureates J M Coetzee and Orhan Pamuk. It is estimated that over 20,000 people, including foreign visitors turn up every year at the event that is held in the palace outside the walled city.

As the literary festival draws near, remarking on his hectic schedule Dalrymple says, “Jaipur festival is in danger of taking too much of my time. The only way to manage everything is to cut back on sleep,” he says.

Picture: William Dalrymple. Photo: AFP.

A Call Across India

By Vidya Subrahmaniam, *Sufi Maha Panchayat denounces Wahabi extremism* - The Hindu - India; Sunday, October 16, 2011

“When anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the police”

Moradabad: The All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) on Sunday gave a call to Sunni Muslims across India to reject and rebuff hardline Wahabism so that Islam could return to its tolerant, Sufi roots:

“When an extremist turns up at your door seeking your support, when anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the nearest police station,”

said Board general secretary Maulana Syed Mohd Ashraf Kachochavi, addressing a large-sized Maha Panchayat of Sunni Muslims here.

The Maulana also asked the government to immediately pass legislation to set up a Central Madrasa Board so that fundings to madrasas could be audited and a watch kept on the flow of Saudi petro-dollars into madrasa education.

The Maha Panchayat was a sort of “coming out” event for the AIUMB, which claims to represent 80 per cent of Sunni Muslims (themselves accounting for the largest share of Indian Muslims) and yet has been barely visible on the Indian Muslim political and cultural scene.

The AIUMB's case is that despite their huge numbers, they have not been able to assert themselves because the Deobandis and the Wahabis have captured key Muslim institutions such as the Wakf Board and the madrasas, and also wield political influence far beyond their size:

“The government listens only to the hardliners. It has handed over Wakf properties and Masjids, which belong to us, to them.”

Board members stressed the threat from Wahabi extremism over and over in their speeches to the Maha Panchayat, arguing that a small group of people had succeeded in giving a bad name to Islam and Muslims, most of whom were Sunni Sufis and therefore peace-loving, tolerant and intensely patriotic.

Speakers also emphasised the essentially inclusive nature of Sufism which did not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims and allowed all communities to pray in their shrines. The Deobandis, on the other hand, did not allow their followers to go to Sufi dargahs.

“The time has come for us to come out and claim our rights. Let us take a pledge that we will never support Wahabi extremism — not today, not tomorrow. Let us take a pledge that we will work for the unity and integrity of our motherland,”

Maulana Kachochavi told the gathering. Later talking to the press, the Maulana made a strong pitch for a Madrasa Board saying:

“Right now the madrasas are under the control of Wahabi-inspired organisations which run on Saudi money. The ideology they teach and spread is hardline Wahabism. These organisations have put pressure on the government not to enact the Act. We want the funds to go to the really needy and poor.”

Remarkably, the Maha Panchayat appeared to have been boycotted by the influential Urdu press.

Last week, when the Board held a press conference in Delhi, Urdu journalists were openly hostile to the organisers, arguing that the AIUMB was trying to divide Muslims, and was no different from the Sangh Parivar, which saw all Muslims as terrorists.

Opposed to Congress

When journalists brought up the issue of the AIUMB's political leanings on Sunday, AIUMB members insisted that they were apolitical. However, Maulana Kachochavi made it clear that the AIUMB was opposed to the Congress,

“which propped up hardline organisations like the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.”

Asked if the AIUMB would put up its own candidates in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he admitted that it was an idea they were considering, as

“that seems to be the only way to make people and the government hear us.” But for now, “we will vote whoever supports all our demands.”

Picture: Voice Against Terror: All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board president Hazrat Syed Muhammad Ashraf Ashrafi addressing the Muslim Maha Panchayat of board in Moradabad on Sunday. Photo: PTI.

A Great Value

By Staff Writer, *Moderate Islam Sufi sheikh joins Sawiris' Free Egyptians Party* - Ahram Online - Cairo, Egypt; Monday, October 17, 2011

With Saudi wahhabi version of Islam on the rise in Egypt, the more characteristically Egyptian Sufis field another candidate for parliamentary elections in alliance with the Free Egyptians Party

The Free Egyptians Party has announced that Sheikh Tarek Yasin of the Sufi Rifai Order has joined the party and will work through its Political Office.

“Sheikh Tarek will be a great value to our party,” says Bassel Adel, a member of the party's presidential committee.

“He represents the Sufi order, which adopts moderate Islam. This is what Egypt needs at the moment. We want to show the best we have and display our values of tolerance. We cannot waste any more time in disputes that aim to divide Egyptians.”

Adel added that the party will field Sheikh Yassin for the Imbaba seat in the parliamentary elections set for 28 November.

Some surveys suggest that at least six million people - or one in every three young men - belong to one or another of the more than 40 Sufi orders. However, experts and locals have noted a change away from the more spiritual form of Islam (Sufi) to stricter more Gulf-oriented Islam (Wahhabi).

The Free Egyptians is a liberal party founded by Egyptian business tycoon, Naguib Sawiris, after the revolution.

[Picture: Free Egyptians Party (Al-Masreyeen Al-Ahrrar) Logo. Photo: Wiki.]

To Find Peace

By Rizwan Buttar, *A trip to Bullah Shah’s shrine* - Dawn.Com - Karachi, Pakistan; Friday, October 14, 2011

Baba Bullah Shah (1680–1757) was a sufi from Punjab. He was a follower of the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry and followed in the footsteps of the greats including Shah Hussain (1538–1599), Sultan Bahu (1629–1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640–1724).

He was well known for his liberal views and humanism.

According to popular lore, Bullah Shah traveled to Lahore in search of a murshid (teacher).

He found Hazrat Shah Inayat, a well-known Qadiri Sufi and gardener by profession. He told Shah Inayat that he was searching for God. To this Shah replied:

“What is the problem in finding God? One only needs to be uprooted from here and replanted there.”

Blessed by his teacher Shah Inayat, Bullah Shah went on to find abundant spiritual insight. His poetry is filled with his search for God as he goes on a spiritual journey.

Bullah Shah’s Kafis have been immortalised by Pathany Khan, Abida Parveen and Sain Zahoor.

The younger lot too has been exposed to his sufi thoughts due to Rabbi Shergil and Junoon with Bulleh ki jana mein kaun getting ample airtime.

A trip to Baba Bulleh Shah’s shrine is an experience in itself. Be it the devotees who come here to pay their respects or the malangs lost in their own world, everyone aims to find peace.

Picture: Baba Bullah's Shrine. Photo: Rizwan Buttar. [Click on the title to the original for more beautiful pictures (ed.).]

Time to Speak Up

By TCN News,*A conference in Moradabad to check ‘Wahabi extremism’ in India* - Two Circles Net - Boston, MA, USA; Friday, October 14, 2011

New Delhi: All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board is concerned about the spread of ‘Wahabi extremism’ and radicalisation of Muslim youths in India.

The group of Sunni Sufi Muslims is holding a conference on 16th October in Moradabad with an aim to spread the message of peaceful co-existence to check the growth of hardline ideology in the country.

“Wahabi extremism is sweeping across the sub-continent. And after Afghanistan and Pakistan, the radical Wahabi Ideology is aggressively engaged in the radicalization of a few Indian Muslims.

It is time for the silent majority to speak up and take the centre stage. A vast majority of Muslims in India are Sunni Sufi Muslims who are nationalistic, patriotic and followers of the Sufi Saints”

Said Syed Babar Ashraf, National Secretary, All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board in a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi.

He also said that his group is organising a nation-wide campaign to spread the message of peaceful co-existence, in an attempt to check the growth of hardline ideology in the country. He said poverty and unemployment is pushing youths to radicalism.

“Increasing unemployment and rising poverty among Indian Muslims provides a fertile ground for breeding of this ideology.

The Wahabi hardliners through charities and by capturing mosques /madarsas have been indoctrinating innocent Muslims and are spending billions of dollars to hurt the democratic and secular fabric of the country built over centuries through peaceful activities of the Sufi saints”

Ashraf said, adding that it is the “need of the hour to stand up and raise the voice against this menace which poses a big threat to entire humanity as well as the internal security of our Nation”.

Named as Muslim Maha Panchayat, Moradabad conference will also discuss issues and problems confronting the Muslim community in the country.

Major issues to be taken up are: Transparency in appointment of members to various Central and State bodies and induction of Sufi Sunni Muslims in such bodies; Reservation for backward Muslims (as per the recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra Report) and Central Madarsa Board Bill (with amendments proposed by the Ulama and Mashaikh Board).

He said that Sajjadanashins or caretakers of most significant Sufi Khanquahs in India – Ajmer Shareef, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Kicchauchha Shareef, Marahra Shareef, Bareilly Shareef, Pandva Shareef (West Bengal) have come together under one umbrella body - The All India Ulema and Mashaik Board - to redefine the agenda for Indian Muslims.

The Muslim 'Maha Panchayat' is scheduled to be held on 16th October 2011 from 9 am onwards at New Moradabad Colony, Zero Point, Pakbara, Delhi Road, Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh).

The Shrine of Ibn Arabi

By Amr al-Fahham, *Sheikh Muhiddine: Shrine to an A-class philosopher and mystic* - Forward Syria Magazine - Damascus, Syria; Wednesday, October 12, 2011 / Issue # 55

When the Andalusian Sufi and philosopher Muhiddine Ibn Arabi decided to move to Damascus and spend the last 17 years of his life, he probably did not know that the place in which he was buried would hold his name forever.

Ibn Arabi, of course, died in Damascus at the age of 75 on November 10, 1240.

Ibn Arabi was not just a philosopher. He was a mystic, a poet, and one of the world’s most spiritual teachers. Known as al-Sheikh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master) he was born in 1165 into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the centre of an extraordinary flourishing and crossfertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought.

He wrote over 350 works including the Fusûs al-Hikam, an exposition of the inner meaning of the wisdom of the prophets in the Judaic/ Christian/ Islamic line, and the Futûhât al-Makkiyya, a vast encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge which unites and distinguishes the three strands of tradition, reason and mystical insight.

In his Diwân and Tarjumân al-Ashwâq he also wrote some of the finest poetry in the Arabic language. These extensive writings provide a beautiful exposition of the Unity of Being, the single and indivisible reality which simultaneously transcends and is manifested in all the images of the world.

Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has profoundly influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human.

The Muhajreen Neighborhood

The Sheikh Muhiddin district in Damascus, named after the philosopher, is part of the historical neighborhood called al-Muhajireen, lying along the slopes of the Mount Qassiun, overlooking the Syrian capital. Al-Muhajireen was a magnet for emigrants coming to Damascus during the late 19th century, sought after for its favorable climate, and panoramic view of Damascus.

Among the residents of the neighborhood were incoming Kurds, Circassians, and Albanians. By the early 20th century it became an attractive residential quarter as well, noted for the palace of the Ottoman Governor of Damascus, Nazem Pasha, which in 1943 was transformed into the Syrian Presidential Palace, hosting every Syrian leader from Shukri al-Quwatli to President Hafez al-Assad. Briefly in 1919-1920 it also served as the residence to Syria’s first—and last—monarch, King Faisal I.

The Damascus middle class soon moved to al-Muhajreen, setting up impressive homes among the madaress (schools), Turkish baths, mosques, shrines, and historical tombs.

Ibn Arabi in Damascus

To visit the Sheikh Muhiddin district, one needs to begin a pedestrian stroll from the Al-Afif Square (near the current French Embassy) at the eastern end of the Muhajireen neighborhood. That walk automatically takes tourists uphill, until reaching a white dome from which they have to turn right and walk along the paved narrow street historically known as the Street of Schools (Sharee al-Madaress).

Thanks to the historical tombs that dot the district, dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman eras, the street has managed to remarkably maintain its charm, despite the passing of centuries.

Different architecture is noted on every street corner, along with different types of calligraphy, ornamentations and tiles. One of the first buildings that draws a visitor’s attention is a newly renovated one with a red dome, originally built back in 1298 and known as Al-Turbah Al-Takritia. Opposite to it is Darul-Hadith Al-Ashrafieh built in 1236 and Al-Madrassa Al-Murshidiyya.

The most outstanding monument, however, is the Sheikh Muhiddin Mosque where the Sufi philosopher's shrine lies since the mid-1200s. The mosque was originally a humble place of worship, carrying a shrine with Ibn Arabi’s name within it.

When the Ottoman Sultan Salim I conquered Damascus in 1516, he decided to renovate the mosque into its current shape and form. The mosque is an example of early Ottoman architecture with some local Damascene touches such as the basin in the middle of its courtyard.

Beside the tomb of Ibn Arabi lies the empty tomb of Emir Abdul Qadir Al Jazaeri, the Algerian resistance leader who died in Damascus in 1883 and whose remains were transferred to Algeria after the Algerian independence from France in 1966. Try not to miss the wooden noria situated south of the mosque. Designed in the 13th century; the noria was part of the world's earliest water supply system to be driven by gears and hydropower.

Damascene treasure

Although revered by Sufis and respected by historians across the world, Ibn Arabi’s shrine is one of the generally overlooked treasures of Damascus. Most tourists usually tend to visit the Umayyad Mosque and the Street Called Straight, or the ancient city of Palmyra, overpassing—unintentionally—the shrine of Ibn Arabi.

Surrounding the shrine are a Damascene patisserie shop that prepares traditional giant Damascene cookies (Ajweh), an Oriental broom shop, and a very vibrant fruits and vegetables bazaar known as the Friday Market.

A big portion of the historical neighborhood has been altered, sometimes beyond recognition, by wild urban planning, causing the Ibn Arabi neighborhood to lose some of its original charm and historical value.

A considerable part of it, however, has been maintained and upgraded by several Syrian governments since 1920, serving as an example for generations to come who have followed Ibn Arabi’s teachings.

Religious Tensions

By Kim Gamel, *Islamic hard-liners attack rival shrines in Libya* - San Francisco Chronicle / Associated Press - San Francisco, CA, USA; Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tripoli, Libya: Islamic hard-liners have attacked about a half-dozen shrines in and around Tripoli belonging to Muslim sects whose practices they see as sacrilegious, raising religious tensions as Libya struggles to define its identity after Moammar Gadhafi's ouster.

The vandalism has drawn concern at the highest levels as Libya's new rulers seek to reassure the international community that extremists will not gain influence in the North African nation.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the governing National Transitional Council, reacted with alarm to reports that graves were being desecrated and appealed to a top Muslim cleric, al-Sadek al-Gheriani, to issue a fatwa, or religious ruling, on the issue.

He also called for restraint. "I ask those destroying these mosques to stop doing that because this is not the time to do that," Abdul-Jalil said Tuesday at a news conference. "What they did is not on the side of the revolution."

The campaign appears to be aimed mainly at shrines revered by Sufis, a mystical order whose members often pray over the tombs of revered saints and ask for blessings or intervention to bring success, marriage or other desired outcomes. Hard-line Sunnis deem the practice offensive because they consider worshipping over graves to be idolatry.

In one case, witnesses said dozens of armed, bearded men wearing military uniforms ransacked a Sufi shrine in Tripoli this week, burning relics and carrying away the remains of two imams, or prayer leaders, for reburial elsewhere.

The assailants arrived in pickup trucks mounted with heavy weapons and stormed the gate to the compound housing the shrine, then dug up the two imams, identified as Abdul-Rahman al-Masri and Salem Abu Seif, and took the remains to be buried in a cemetery, according to the witnesses.

Many residents in the Al-Masri neighborhood welcomed the attack, accusing worshippers at the shrine of practicing "black magic." Sufism is a mystical tradition in Islam. The order says its mission is to live a simple life of contemplation and prayer but followers are frequently targeted by extremists.

Witnesses offered conflicting details, with some saying the attackers were heavily armed and came from other parts of the city and others saying it was a small group of unarmed locals.

Abdul-Hamid al-Sunni, one of the residents, said the presence of the bodies had prevented people from the neighborhood from praying there. He claimed it was a small group of some 20 people that exhumed the bodies.

He said residents had long wanted to get rid of the graves and he presented a petition signed by 120 people supporting the action, which began about 11 p.m. Sunday.

Dirt and rocks were piled high around the empty graves that had been dug in the floor of the white and light blue building in Tripoli's al-Masri neighborhood. Blackened piles of ash and pieces of pottery were in the courtyard outside after the attackers burned relics and other items from the shrine, which sits next to a Quranic school in the same compound.

"We need to build a new school here, a Quranic school, and we need to build a mosque and we need to build a small hospital for the area," al-Sunni said.

The attackers then jumped back into their vehicles and drove to another neighborhood where they dug up the grave of a man who had built a mosque there and was buried inside.

A shopkeeper in front of the al-Badri mosque who identified himself only as Mohsen said the men used hammers and shovels to exhume the remains, which they planned to bury in a cemetery. Mohsen said about 150 men blocked the roads leading to the compound and bragged about having come from al-Masri and planned to target more mosques.

"They shouldn't have done this because the relatives had already applied to rebury him anyway," the witness said Wednesday in an interview outside his store, declining to give his full name because of fear of retaliation.

Nader Omrani, who oversees religious affairs for the Tripoli local council, said three or four incidents had been reported in Tripoli and one in the town of Janzour, six miles (10 kilometers) to the west of the capital.

"Because of the public condemnation and quick action by this council ... this conduct has been contained," he said Wednesday.

Council members said the attacks were under investigation and it was not yet known who carried them out.

But observers familiar with the issue blamed Islamic fundamentalists known as Salafists and said talks were under way to persuade them to stop.

One man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said many Libyans opposed Sufi traditions but did not want them handled violently.

Al-Gheriani, who was a key supporter of Libya's revolution, said in an audio recording posted Monday on his official website that he opposes the building of shrines over graves but he does not sanction their removal, particularly as fighting continues on two fronts, stalling efforts to form a new government.

"The country doesn't have a government with authorities imposed everywhere. Security is not prevalent, it is shaky and there are too many factions," he said, calling on groups to stop the attacks. "The time is not right. It may cause sedition ... and more bloodshed."

Stephen Schwartz, the executive director of the California-based Center for Islamic Pluralism and a Sufi himself, said the act showed Islamic extremists were starting to make their move. He said the targeting of rival mosques and cemeteries has been used throughout history as a highly symbolic way to assert control.

"It illustrates that there's a void ... and ... the radicals, the fundamentalists are going to try to fill that void," he said in a telephone interview. "They'll go where the opportunity is, where Muslims are divided and authority is weakened."

Picture: Libyans walk in front of an empty grave hole at the Shrine of Sidi al Masry, in Tripoli, Libya. Photo: Abdel Magid Al Fergany / AP.