A Brand of Islam with a Difference

A Brand of Islam with a Difference A number of Sufi centres have been set up in the Western countries including the U.S. where people take an interest in Sufi literature. It is worth noting that these same people of the West are appreciative of such a philosophy, while they should be allergic to the political interpretation of Islam by the fundamentalists. What is the reason for their being attracted to Sufism and their being repelled by fundamentalism? It is because the way of Sufism is the way of persuasion. Sufism speaks purely of spiritual development and strictly confines its activities to the peaceful dissemination of its message. In stark contrast to this, Muslim fundamentalists believe in imposing their viewpoint on others by force. And it is against the mental make-up of Western people to allow themselves to be subjected to any such imposition. This does not mean that the Western nations are the enemies either of Islam or of Islamic fundamentalism. This is not a case which hinges either on friendship or enmity. It is a matter of principle. To Western people, freedom has the position of the summum bonum of existence. It is the absolute right of all human beings. But it does not tolerate the freedom of one individual if it interferes with that of another. The concept of the West’s regard for human freedom is illustrated by the following anecdote. The story goes that when America was set free from the political domination of Europe, a certain American went out into the street to celebrate his freedom. Filled with exuberance and in a great state of excitement, he walked along the street swinging his arms to and