Sufis,Wahabis,Princes and policemen.
This gives an idea of what has happened and what can still happen around sufism in Saudi Arabia ,but it also includes a ray of hope About.com: http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/world/article.jsp?content=20050307_101334_101334 .
posted by longgone1 at 5/12/2005 04:17:00 PM
4 Comments:
It's illegal to be a Sufi or own sufi literature in Saudi Arabia? What is it that the authorities consider so bad about sufis? *puzzled*
Good question!..Thereby hangs a tale.I think I shall marshall my thoughts and information on this one first.O.K.?
Let's just say that all of what I have been trying to communicate turns on this point..It's not so much what they themselves(Ihsan take note!) really consider bad..as what they have been taught is bad, so that Islam can lose it's real independent source of power which is spiritual.
Once the true spirituality of a religion is removed it becomes exoterically biased,thus cutting it off from its Divine Power Source and making it much more easy to manipulate politically and materially.
That's the general idea..that first the British and (then the Americans) taught the Muslims via Ibn al Wahab to leave the spiritual heart of Islam and concentrate on the exterior rites.This teaching was then implanted and implemented through the power of the Ibn Saud family.
It has now been extended all over the Muslim world from the Saudi base(which has become inextricably linked through oil deals to the American dollar and power structure) and is cleverly and effectively used by Americans and British alike to set the Muslims against each other and play into their hands doing so many un-Islamic things which could only be stopped (as say in the Catholic Church) if there was one controlling head or 'Khalifa'.But the last one,in the shape of the last Ottoman Sultan ,was removed(by the British and others) after WW1.
The poor Muslims are now in a sorry state being destroyed by themselves from within due to lack of a real cohesive teaching or a unique leader and this now lays them open to destruction from without in retaliation for the acts which those same enemies originally instigated!
A good general example are all the so-called 'jihads' which are declared,but which are,by Islamic Shariat law not valid unless there is one leader (Khalifa)for the whole Muslim 'Umma'or community.
Enough for now I think.
It is hard for me to comment on the Saudis considering I've never really known a Saudi who is a Wahhabi. It is also unknown to me whether Ibn Wahhab was indeed helping the British and Americans (coz the historical facts on this one is hazy).
But I know that some people who have been labelled Wahhabis in my country because they studied in Medina and choose a rather strict view on things, do actually preach on the spiritual side of Islam as well (although we're not talking about tariqat stuff here).
As for jihad, these so-called Wahhabis in my country has definitely spoken up against it.
So, I stick to my opinion that the "Wahhabis" in my country definitely do not sound like the Wahhabis people are so against! Some similarities in opinions, but not in character.
What I personally feel dismayed about is that this Wahhabi vs Sufi thing has created a bigger rift in Islam than ever before.
So, the question is what is the solution? To launch an all out war on the Wahhabis?
Wallahua'lam
I think the answer is simpleeducate people to throw some light on the misunderstandings.People need to know why some Muslims should want to become hard line exotericists or,which is worse,terrorists .. not least of all the Muslims themselves!
"The pen is mightier than the sword!"
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