Ramadan Kareem

Originally posted by DeepThought
You should read the page on Wikipedia about Sufism (which I just did). They have a long history of being oppressed by more 'traditional' and hardline forms of Islam. It also explains why Hakima can consistently say that she is not a Muslim.

Thank you for taking the time to come to an understanding of Sufism. On the Islamic Text thread I was asked what it meant to be a Universal Sufi, which is about as un-Sharia as one can get. There is among my Sufi colleagues some contemplation that Sufism predates Islam and Christianity...that it began in Egypt, was carried by nomadic groups to outliers such as the Essenes and further to India and the Middle East. The founder of my Sufi lineage, Inayat Khan was instructed by his murshid (or teacher) to leave his musical vocation and carry the message of Sufism (and specifically not Islam) to the West, honoring and acknowledging the religious traditions established here.