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International columnist, political analyst and senior journalist Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui’s articles are published across Asia, Africa and Europe. He writes for The Moroccan Times, The Tunis Times, India Tomorrow, Kohram News, The Etemaad Urdu Daily and for news papers published from Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. You can follow him on Twitter at: @journopolana[/symple_box]
Morocco and India are two great nations which have been greatly influenced by the rich Sufi heritage over the centuries. This has resulted in the spiritual bonding of the two countries from Africa and Asia. The Sufi way of life has influenced the king and the commoner in both the countries during the last 1,400 years. Sufism is the inner, mystical dimension of Islam which highlights unity in diversity through peaceful co-existence and tolerance with the aim of serving humanity and other creatures of the Almighty.
The India – Africa Forum Summit provides an opportune time to revisit the glorious Sufi tradition in Morocco and India. It is worthy to recall that H. M King Mohammed VI, who is leading a high level delegation to the summit, inaugurated his rule by a visit to the tomb of Moulay Idriss (died in 791) – the founder of Morocco and the shrine of Moulay Ali Sherif, the founder of the current ruling dynasty of Morocco. Idriss is a very popular name in Morocco. The young and energetic Editor -in- Chief of The Moroccan Times also goes by the name of Idriss. The Moroccan and Indian Sufis preached moderation and tolerance to unite all human beings with their practical wisdom. They practised what they preached.
The India – Africa Forum Summit will provide an opportunity to H. M King Mohammed to explore India as he loves travelling and sight- seeing. He has expressed his desire to visit some places in the Indian capital New Delhi. One should not be surprised if the itinerary includes a visit to the mausoleum of the patron saint of Delhi –Hadhrat Mahboob Al Ilahi Khaja Nizamuddin Auliya of the Chisti Sufi order. Hadhrat Khaja Muinuddin Chisti was the founder of the Chisti order in India. His mausoleum is frequented by millions of Sufis from all parts of the world. He is dubbed as the Sultan ul Awliya (King of Saints). India and Morocco have millions of Sufi followers thanks to the Islamic missionary work of the great Sufi saints. The Qadiri, Chisti, Naqshbandi Sufi orders are common to both the countries. H. M King patronises the Tijani Sufi order of Hadhrat Ahmed Tijani (1735 – 1815) but he believes in the equality and unity of all the Sufi orders as he expressed so in a speech earlier. On 27th November 2002, H. M King Mohammed appointed Ahmed Toufiq, a Sufi who is also a historian and a novelist as the Minister for Islamic Affairs. It is interesting to note that before his appointment, Ahmed sought the approval of his Shaykh Sidi Hamza Boutchichi Al Qadiri –only a Sufi can do that! Generally, people crave for power and cling to it.
The Moroccan monarch leads by example in promoting Sufism as a moderate and true form of Islam to counter the menace of religious extremism and terrorism.
‘‘On 27th March 2015, H. M King Mohammed VI inaugurated the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines, and Morchidates in the capital, Rabat. The religious training center aims to instill the values of Morocco’s open, moderate form of Islam, based on the Maliki rite and Sunni Sufism, in the next generation of Muslim religious leaders (imams) and preachers (morchidines and morchidates) from across the region and the world.
The center is a key element in Morocco’s ongoing efforts to promote religious moderation and tolerance as a shield against extremism in the region. Since late 2013, Morocco has signed accords to train imams from a number of countries across Africa and Europe, including Mali, Libya, Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, the Maldives, and most recently Belgium. In addition to the Moroccan students enrolled-including 150 imams and morchidines and 100 morchidates, the Institute currently hosts 447 foreign students. 212 are from Mali, 37 from Tunisia, 100 from Guinea Conakry, 75 from Côte d’Ivoire, and 23 from France.
The new institute, construction of which began in May 2014, has the capacity to train up to 1,000 students at a time on a modern campus of more than seven square acres that includes a library, a mosque, housing and dining facilities, as well as recreational facilities.
Morocco first began its innovative program to train morchidates in 2006, as part of a comprehensive “counter-radicalization” strategy following the 2003 bombings in Casablanca. In addition to counseling against extremism by using religion itself, the strategy aimed to provide social services and economic opportunities, including for youth. At the direction of King Mohammed VI and under the leadership of the Moroccan Ministry of Islamic Affairs, women morchidates were trained to work with imams in mosques and communities across Morocco providing counsel and “spiritual security” to counter the potential appeal of extremists. The program was recognized as “pioneering” by the US State Department’s 2009 report on terrorism.’’
The contribution of the rich Sufi heritage is accepted and applauded even by a staunch Hindu Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. In August 2015 after meeting a 40-member Sufi delegation at his office in New Delhi, Narendra Modi had to say this:
‘The ideology propounded by Sufi saints is an integral part of Indian ethos and has contributed significantly to the creation of a pluralistic, multi-cultural society in the country.’
Sufism binds India and Morocco together with a shared responsibility to spread the message of love and brotherhood for all the people in the world without any distinction and barriers. King Mohammed’s visit to India will reignite the Sufi passion in both the countries and pave the way to defeat terrorism.
