Sufism enters Egypt's political arena
A Sufi sheikh has been elected to lead the majority Support Egypt Coalition in the Egyptian parliament, leading some to wonder if it signals the rise of another religious current in the wake of the Muslim Brotherhood's fall.
CAIRO — Sufism appears to be politically ascendant in Egypt, with one of its leaders tapped to lead the parliamentary majority for the first time. This has led many to speculate about the future of Sufism in the political arena and the possibility of a return of political Islam after the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sheikh Abdel Hadi al-Qasabi, vice president of the Nation’s Future Party, chairman of parliament’s Social Solidarity Committee and head of the Supreme Council of Sufi Orders, became the leader of parliament’s majority alliance, the Support Egypt Coalition, assuming the position by acclamation on Sept. 17. The coalition consists of seven parties represented by some 400 independent and partisan parliamentarians. There is a total of 596 seats in the parliament.
Sufi sheikhs in Egypt view Qasabi’s victory as burnishing Sufism's reputation and as acknowledgment of its positive role in society. It also symbolizes Sufis' desire to be represented in Egypt’s political future. Sheikh Alaa Abu al-Azayem, a member of the Azamiyah Order and the Supreme Council of Sufi Orders, asserted in a Sept. 21 press statement that Sufis are qualified to give voice to the religious community.
According to Qasabi, approximately 15 million Egyptians, out of 104 million total worldwide, are Sufis. They belong to 77 officially recognized Sufi orders, or tariqa, congregations of followers gathered around a leader seeking the truth.
