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University of South Carolina

Publication Date

Fall 2021

Program Name

Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights

Abstract

Sufism has earned an exponentially prominent role within Morocco’s political and social arenas through recent decades. The Moroccan monarchy’s endorsement of the religious variant and its prevalence in pop-cultural events, national journalism, and literature are a few indicators of its growing influence. However, the tradition is, by no means, a modern construction and has existed since the beginning of the larger Islamic tradition. What qualities, then, has granted Sufism its relevance as a cornerstone of Moroccan society today? Its chief focus on introspective and meditational practices, rather than physical religious discipline, may foster a more inclusive and liberal form of spirituality to match Morocco’s recent political agendas. This paper will investigate what types of exposure Moroccan people have for education on Sufism, what its general perceptions are by Moroccan society, and how its meditational and introspective differentiators might open doors for marginalized groups.

Disciplines

African Studies | Islamic Studies | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Sociology of Religion

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