Sufism And Radical Islam

1. The previous reading on Islam from the Bilhartz textbook did connect to the the web article and the web video regarding Sufism and Radical Islam. Bilhartz explained that the term "Sufism" derived from ascetics who " adopted the custom of wearing austere garments made of suuf, the Arabic word for wool" (2006, p. 117). The practice of wearing wool garments was to reject worldly clothing. This may explain the origin of the word Sufi, which is the Arabic term for "mystic" and is used to describe the spiritual and mystical philosophy of Islam. This corresponds with the web article when it stated that Sufism is " a spiritualism that centers on the mystical connection between the individual and the divine" (Tharoor, 2009). According to Bilhartz,
It could be argued that globalization is what brought on radical Islam. The Western ideals of capitalism, democracy, or liberalism may have threatened Islamic beliefs and cultural practices of many Muslims. The violence and the hostility from radical Islam is the response of the globalization movement. Poverty and corruption has stricken many countries due to the costs of the global war on terror. Radical Islam is enshrouded with fear and violence has become the dominant image in the minds of many Westerners. Unfortunately, Sufism, which is the more tolerant Islam, has declined and lost ground to the emerging radical Islam. According to the web article, Sufism began to decline with "the fall of Islam's traditional powers-imperial dynasties such as the Mughals and the Ottomans"(Tharoor, 2009). Although Sufism has declined, Sufism has blended with the local cultures and established Islamic beliefs from North Africa and South Asia. Furthermore, governments believe that using Sufism would defuse terrorism and radical Islam. According to the web article, the Algerian government promoted the nation's Sufi heritage on radio and television to combat the influence of Salafism, which is a radical form of Islam supported by the al-Qaeda militants (Tharoor, 2009). However, I think that using Sufism to diffuse terrorism would make Sufi Muslims a target for terrorism. The web article mentioned that the Taliban in Pakistan have set about destroying shrines of Sufi saints. The article also mentioned that instead of promoting a form of religion, governments should promote the core values of Sufism which are "love, harmony, and beauty" (Tharoor, 2009). Over all, the tension between tolerant spiritual Islam and puritanical Islam was the result of the West propagating Sufism in order to defuse radical Islam,which was brought on by