Mogadishu, Somalia - Hundreds of sweating Sufis
chant and sway as the lead sheik moves into the middle of a circle of
worshippers and bursts into a chant louder than anyone else's
Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, is having a
major comeback since al-Shabab, an armed militant Islamic group, was
pushed out of Somalia's capital in August 2011. The Sunni insurgents
had banned Sufis from gathering and prevented them from worshipping.
Sufi sheiks, or elders, were attacked, graves of their saints were
desecrated and rituals and celebrations became rare or secretly
performed.
Beyond the circle of worshippers are dozens of
women, some of them so moved that they are crying.
Nearby is the grave
of a Sufi saint where the worshippers go to pray to show reverence. Free
food, including toasted coffee beans fried in oil, is distributed in
wooden containers.
“With Allah's wish, we are here free and
worshipping today,” said Sheik Abdullahi Osman, a 72-year-old Sufi
cleric, who has beads dangling from his neck. Sufis in Mogadishu spend
hours feasting, praying, and invoking Allah's name. Traditionally Sufis
used sticks to protect their shrines but now it's common to see a guard
with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder in this seaside capital.
“There's no choice other than defending
ourselves and our faith,” said Mohamed Ahmed, an armed Sufi follower
guarding the gathering. The arrivals were being checked and other guards
stood outside a gate.
Ruqiya Hussein, a veiled woman, traveled from
an al-Shabab-held town 90 kilometers (55 miles) away to get to a place
of worship.
“I am thrilled to see my sheiks come back to
lead us again,” she said, squeezing her henna-tattooed fingers before
she joined a group of women swaying and chanting rhymes.
Sufis were known for spreading Islam across
Somalia through peaceful teaching and practicing tolerance toward other
faiths. Some Sufis hope that their style finds fertile ground in a
nation recovering from the wounds of extremism and war.
“Unlike others we don't kill or harass people.
Instead, we provide examples of how to live.” said, Sheik Abdirizaq
Aden, the regional leader of the faith.
Al-Shabab, a group of al-Qaida-linked militants
that seeks to instill an ultra-conservative brand of Islam across
Somalia, controlled Mogadishu from roughly 2007 to 2011. The group still
dominates most of south-central Somalia but has seen its territory
reduced after military pushes by African Union and Somali forces.
The Sufis in the capital now feel free to
practice their faith. In central Somalia, after the graves of sheiks
were desecrated and killings occurred, Sufis used weapons to kick
militants out of some key towns. The conflict in that part of the Horn
of Africa nation persists.
Somalia fell into chaos in 1991 when warlords
overthrew longtime dictator Siad Barre and turned on each other. Two
decades of violence followed, but the capital and some other towns have
seen strong security gains during the last 18 months that have allowed
businesses and even sports leagues to thrive. - Sapa-AP
By ABDI GULED
Photo: In this photo taken Friday, April 19, 2013, Sufis eat traditional
toasted and fried coffee beans during a ritual service at the Sufi's
main center in Mogadishu, Somalia. (AP
Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
