Mysticism | Sufism
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Interview with James Morris
Ibn Arabi's vision for a fully human global civilisation
Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (1165-1240) is one of the most influential Arab philosophers and mystics. James Morris, Professor of Islamic Theology at Boston College, explains why his writings are still popular and why, today, they give the most productive answer to fundamentalist approaches in Islam. Interview by Claudia Mende
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Inaugurating West Africa's largest mosque in Dakar
Thousands of followers from the Mouride brotherhood descended on to Dakar from across Senegal for the inauguration of the Massalikul Jinaan or 'Pathways to Heaven' mosque. By Maya Hautefeuille
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India, Modi and the Muslim minority
"Not yet a Hindu Pakistan"
Many regard Modi's Hindu nationalist policies as an attack on India's pluralism. But does this mean that pluralism has really died a death? Marian Brehmer reports from the Muslim pilgrimage city of Ajmer
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Sufism in Iran
Finding joy in times of trouble
Islamic mysticism from the Sufi tradition is experiencing a renaissance in Iran – much to the irritation of the Mullahs. In recent years, tensions between Sufis and the orthodoxy have escalated into tangible enmity. By Elisabeth Kiderlen
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Nuit Sacree 2019 in Paris
"No-one has a monopoly on transcendence"
On Pentecost weekend – for the fourth year in a row – numerous musicians and religious leaders of various faiths came together in the Parisian parish of Saint Merry to send out a message of peace in the face of religious fundamentalism. Zahra Nedjabat reports
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Religion and media in Turkey
Reviving Sufism with Yunus Emre
The TV series "Yunus Emre: The journey of love" was a massive hit in Turkey when it was first aired four years ago. But this popular television spectacle is not the only evidence of a renewed interest in Sufi spirituality in Turkey. Marian Brehmer reports from Istanbul
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Kurdish Art Rock band Adir Jan
Rainbow's hope in hell
The music of Adir Jan, a Kurdish singer-songwriter and saz player born in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin successfully brings together the diverse worlds of queer poetry, Kurdish folk, Sufi mysticism and psychedelic art rock in a music whose hypnotic rhythms bring together many different communities. By David Siebert
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"Salib Sufi" project
Peace in their hearts, love in their minds
"Salib Sufi" (literally: "Sufi Cross") combines Christian chants and prayers with Sufi chants and recitations. Accompanied by instruments from East and West, the band performs a mixture of classical recitation and modern singing, featuring elements of Old Coptic. Eslam Anwar interviews project initiator Salib Fawzy
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Interview with Islamic scholar and philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush
"The Sufis were prophets of pluralism"
Islamic scholar and philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush explains how he draws on the work of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi for guidance in his search for a comprehensive approach to religion that doesn't rely solely on rationality and logic, but also on a sense of the other dimension. Interview by Dara Alani
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Sufism in Egypt
Sufis, sheikhs and charlatans
Sufism has a tradition going back centuries in Egypt. Now the government is coming out in support of the mystics in a bid to undermine Islamism. Some fear that the essence of the movement will be lost in the process – but there are other more unexpected by-products of the Sufi trend. Christian Meier reports from Cairo.
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Visiting the Sufis in Sehwan Sharif
Defying the extremists
It is over a year since an IS suicide bomber blew himself up at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, claiming the lives of at least 88 people. Followers of the Sufi order, however, remain stubbornly defiant. Philipp Breu reports from Sehwan Sharif
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Ethnicity in the Muslim caliphates
To be a son of Quraish
The Ottoman Caliphate, which dominated the Muslim world for over thirteen centuries, was abolished on 3 March 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, putting an end to one of the most significant political-religious powers in history. By Mohamed Yosri