Sudan’s presidential aide calls for promoting Sufism to combat religious extremism
August 1, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s first presidential assistant and son of the leader of Khatmiyya Sufi sect, al-Hassan al-Mirghani, has said that Sufi orders are the powerful antidote to violent religious extremism and Jihadist movements.
Al-Mirghani, who spoke during a visit to Al-Shaikh Al-Kabashi area in Khartoum north, pointed that Sufi sects are characterized by tolerance, cordiality and compassion.
“Hence they [Sufi sects] are capable of being the spearhead in defending Islam against any attempts to misinterpret it or use it as a tool to serve other purposes and agendas”, he added.
The presidential assistant also praised the role of the Sufi orders and its leaders in teaching Muslim people the true Islam and drawing their attention to the dangers of the violent and extremist approaches.
He also mentioned their role in restoring the national cohesion and mending the social fabric, saying they always sought to spread Islam by gentle persuasion and beautiful preaching without hyperbole.
It is worth noting that the Khatmiyya sect is a major supporter of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani who is also the leader of the sect.
The Sufi orders have largely suffered during the government of president Omer al-Bashir who came to power in 1989 after staging a military coup with the help of the forces of political Islam.
Salafi and extremist Islamic groups have widely spread among Sudanese youth during the recent years. Several college students had recently run off to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
(ST)