Ignorance drives attacks on Sufi tombs
By: Azzeddine Bensouiah
Religious extremists have never hidden their intention to reign as absolute masters over lands where they have support.
Indeed, in Muslim societies, there are institutions as old as the states themselves. These religious institutions, founded by erudite scholars who created brotherhoods and congregations, have survived the test of time.
By attacking mausoleums, religious extremists know that they strike a serious blow to the very foundations of society.
Sheikh Chamseddine Bouroubi is a respected religious teacher. He is not Sufi, but he supports the existence of Sufism and denounces the attacks made on mausoleums.
Unlike other preachers who openly attack Sufism, accusing it of being responsible for deviation, Sheikh Chamseddine points out that these mausoleums house the tombs of the “Friends of God” cited in the Quran.
The people buried in these ancient tombs had unquestioned knowledge and participated in spreading religion and science. Their memory endures for their contribution to Muslim societies.
Those who violently attack these mausoleums seek to tear down a system based on knowledge and faith, by imposing themselves on others through force of arms, without providing any knowledgeable argument to convince society.
Such fraternities have, throughout time, contributed to the spread of religion and knowledge. They educated generations long ago and continue to do so. Their books are taught worldwide.
What do these religious extremists do? What kind of contribution do they make to Muslim societies, except terror and destruction? the sheikh asks.
The argument often advanced by extremists is the transformation of these mausoleums into places of charlatanism and other practices contrary to religion.
Sheikh Chamseddine says the wisest choice would be to explain to society, in an educational way, the role of brotherhoods and the type of behavior to adopt when entering a mausoleum, to be able to distinguish between religion and charlatanism.
This will be achieved in a peaceful and dispassionate way, he says, away from any sense of superiority, away from any kind of extremism.
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Your Comments
commentsAnonymous About 7 months ago
Splendid article! I would like to add a few points. Although I don’t practice religion, I like Sufism and I respect all religions. I am surprised by the silence of the U.S. administration, given how prolix they usually are on freedom. Where is the U.S. administration? And where are the Westerners, the so-called defenders of human rights? There is no need to look any further for the sources that fund and support these criminals; it’s the Arab Gulf, Saudis and their accomplices. In this case, Americans make no criticism because money is involved?? Why do Westerners want to impose Islamist regimes on us?? I announce that they are accomplices in our tragedy, and do not wish our freedom. A Tunisian who does not want his country to become fundamentalist. Thank you.
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