October 21st, Sonipat: Sufism, a recondite dimension of Islam, has maintained a mystifying scent within the global landscape.
In an event held at O.P. Jindal Global University, Dr. Annika Schmeding, a senior researcher at NIOD (Institute for the Study of Genocide, the Holocaust, and Mass Violence) revealed parts of her research to the students, revolving discussion around Sufi Civil societies before and after the Taliban takeover. Hosted by the Centre of Afghanistan Studies, Dr. Schmeding’s inspection of Sufism through a multifaceted lens served as a catalyst for curiosity and interest within the present audience.
One of the pivotal distinctions she makes is the distinction between Sufism and Islamism. She mentions while Islamism often opposes musical expression, Sufism embraces it as a medium to connect with the divine. This divergence serves as a microcosm of the larger issues that partition Sufism and Islamism.
Sufism, however, is an entity beyond religion. Dr. Schmeding elucidates that Sufism emerges as a socially embedded entity. An entity built on the foundations of adaptation and assistance. She showed various images illustrating how Sufi communities left meals for one another during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One Sufi teacher had students with connections to the Taliban. So, whenever ministries came to shut these lodges down, the teacher used to send his students to talk to the ministries. Up until the US takeover of Afghanistan, deployment of these tactics kept the lodge open for 5 years.
While Dr. Schmeding's research sparks a heightened curiosity to delve deeper into the world of Afghan Sufis, her research houses reduced representation of women. One of the first attacks of the Taliban takeover revolved around women. Dr. Schmeding admitted her research mostly consisted of male collaborations. This meant that women who were stripped of their right to access education failed to get much say in the research.
Amid the limited representation that women achieved, they illuminated shades of optimism. Dr. Schmeding found a distinct perseverance in women, who continue to believe in the resurgence of education and empowerment. One example she presents is of women who continue to educate other girls on online meeting platforms like Skype.
Dr. Annika Schmeding has done an incredible job at presenting a concise report that aims to present muted Afghani Sufism to mainstream media. The distinction between Sufism and Islamism, variance in global Sufism streams, future of Afghani women are some of the many subjects that the research demands conversations about. Safe to say, her book might serve as a resolution to these curiosities.