Sufism and Politics in Morocco Activism and Dissent [Hardcover]

Presenting a political history and sociology of Moroccan Sufism from colonialism to the modern day, this book studies the Sufi model of Master and Disciple in relation to social and political life, comparing the different eras of acquiescent versus dissident Sufism.

This comparative fieldwork study offers new perspectives on the connection between the monarchy and mystic realms with a specific coverage of the Boutchichi order and Abdessalam Yassines Al Adl Wal Ihsane, examining the myth of apolitical Sufism throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Drawing on Michel Foucault and James Scott, this book fuses thinking about the political dimension of Sufism, a hidden transcript, involving power struggles, patronage and justice and its esoteric spiritual ethics of care.

Addressing the lacuna in English language literature on the Boutchichi Sufi order in Morocco, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Islamic Studies, Comparative Politics and the MENA region.

Introduction 1 The Moroccan Saint and his Masks 2 From The Saintan to the Satan: the Saint and the Sultan in Pre-Modern Morocco 3 The 'Coming Out' of A Boutchichi Saint: Sidi Hamza and Kryptopolitics 4 Abdessalam Yassine: A Boutchichi Avatar? 5 The Moroccan Sultan: Adli or Boutchichi 6 The Global Politics of the Saint and Sultan Conclusion

Dr. Abdelilah Bouasriareceived his PhD in political science from American University in Washington DC andis an adjunct lecturer of Middle Eastern politics at George Mason University, VA. He is the author of Master and Disciple(2007), Kingdom of Drought(2006) and is the co-editor of Lost in Translation: Forgotten Paradigms in Islam.