30/03/2017 - Sufism: A Terrorist-Proof Religious Policy?

Sufism has become in many Muslim countries the sexy horse on which rulers bet more and more in order to counteract radical Jihadi Islam.

The lecture will question the grounds on which religious policies in Morocco are constructed and the extent to which they have incorporated, deeply or superficially, the Mystical elements. It will also present instances where Sufism has produced dissent and others in which it rhymed with consent through the comparison of two of the main active Sufi groups/orders/movements: 1) The Boutchichi order whose sheikh Sidi Hamza has just passed away and 2) the Adl wal ihsane whose leader Abdessalam Yassine is not alive any more. This comparative framework offers new perspectives on the connection between the monarchy and mystic realms, examining the myth of apolitical Sufism throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

WHEN: Thursday 30 March 2017, 1.20–2.50 p.m.

WHERE: MUP Praha-Žižkov building, Prokopova 100/16, room 201

LECTURER: Dr. Abdelilah Bouasria, Ecole de Gouvernance et d'Économie de Rabat, Morocco