Why has Sufism become the preferred go-to ‘Islam’ for autocrats looking to sedate their populations? I met Dr Shadee elMasry in New York and he tells me that this subversion of Sufism is at odds with its past, when Sufi scholars were at the forefront of the struggle against colonialism.
The spread of quietism at the hands of sufi scholars, many of whom have huge followings, and the deligitimisation of political activism on Gaza, even the Palestinian right to resist - is part of an authoritarian capture of the idea.
The show will be out later today on our Youtube channel, Apple and Spotify.
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