1st Edition
The Qadiriyya Sufi Order Saints, Shrines and Politics in 21st Century Iraq and Beyond
Table of contents
Note on Transliteration
Introduction
PART ONE. Sufism and politics in Iraq: A fragmentation of identity?
Chapter 1. The politicization of Sufis, from the founding of the modern Iraqi state to the American invasion
Chapter 2. After 2003, (dis)connections with the institutional political field: Sufism caught between the democratic option and jihadism
Chapter 3. The competition between Sunnis and Shiites after 2003
PART TWO. The saint Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani and his shrine in Baghdad: Symbols of Iraqi Sufism, from the local to the global
Chapter 4. A material and symbolic patrimony under pressure
Chapter 5. The yearly pilgrimage to the shrine of the Sufi saint Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani in Baghdad, between communitas and contestation
Chapter 6. A Sufi scandal in Baghdad: The mobilizations in defense of the saint Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani
PART THREE. The Kasnazaniyya, Iraq’s largest Sufi order: Defending and celebrating a pluralist and ecumenical Sufi identity at a time of sectarianism and Jihadi violence
Chapter 7. An emotional community and an ecumenical grouping
Chapter 8. Festivals, identity-building and territorialization: The celebration of Imam Ali and the Prophet’s birthday in Sulaymaniyah with Shaykh Nehro
Chapter 9. Miracles: Central to Sufi identity and politics? A study of their uses and controversial interpretations in Iraq
Conclusion
Glossary of Arabic and Urdu Terms
Biography
Alix Philippon is Associate Professor of political science at Sciences Po in Aix-en-Provence, France. Her research has mostly focused on Sufism and politics in Pakistan and Iraq. She has authored the book Soufisme et politique au Pakistan (Sufism and politics in Pakistan) in 2011.
"This book, based on extensive field research among Shiites, Sunnis and Sufis of Iraq and Pakistan since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime, offers unique material and analysis on the intersection of Muslim mysticism and politics, as well as on the renewal of meditative practices and the functioning of dance and ecstasy rituals. It is an unparalleled guide to understanding the new mystical currents in the contemporary Middle East."
Thierry Zarcone, Research professor, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Université Paris Sciences et Lettres.
"Philippon brings Sufi practice to life against the backdrop of Iraq’s tumultuous political scene, where Sunnis are no longer in power. Much like her previous work on Sufis in Pakistan, she offers finely textured accounts of the complex politics of religious leadership, based on recent and extensive ethnographic fieldwork at the shrine of Abdul Qadir Gilani and among the sheikhs and followers of the Qadiri and Kasnazani Sufi orders. Her detailed accounts of the shrine of Abdul Qadir Gilani—including stories of pilgrims from Pakistan--are an especially fascinating read for anyone familiar with Sufi practice in Pakistan, where Abdul Qadir Gilani is a beloved saint, close in spirit but geographically remote. She is at her best when unpacking events like a scandal that momentarily transformed the grounds of the famous shrine into a political forum. The book is also especially engaging when presenting the life stories of Shias who have been drawn to join the dynamic, ecumenical Kasnazani Sufi order. Philippon captures important aspects of contemporary Sufi experience in its local and transnational dimensions!"
Katherine Pratt Ewing, Professor Emerita of Religion, Columbia University. Professor Emerita of Cultural Anthropology and Religion, Duke University.
