Milad Milani

The Cultural Products of Global Sufism

This chapter introduces the Sufi worldview as a basis for the examination of its specific cultural productions. Sufis first appeared in the ninth century, and their movement grew rapidly within the Persian lands, primarily in Baghdad and later in Khurasan. Hirschs case study focuses on commercial organisations as the filters for cultural products. The chapter expands upon his definition to include religions as cultural filters and specific arts and crafts as their products. It notes, for example, the traditional Iranian singers, Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri, who actively promote the egalitarian spirit of the Sufi poets, Hafiz and Rumi, in the West. The chapter outlines the changes in Sufism over time in order to vouch for its ongoing variability and cultural impact. The relationship of Islam with the civilisations and the cultures it conquered is made apparent especially in the history of Islamic art and architecture. Keywords:cultural products; Islam; religions; Sufism

Modern talking: Sufi socio-political discourse

Abstract This article shares the findings of a socio-political discourse analysis of modern Sufism. The study is conducted from the multi-disciplinary perspective of studies in religion, and is based on the assessment of one-on-one qualitative interviews about the approach of three prominent world Sufi orders—the Chishti, Naqshbandi, and Nimatullahi—to society and politics. The case studies present a new interpretation of modern Sufi religious and political practice, which is then formulated into a working typology as a contribution towards the categorisation of Sufi socio-political disposition.

Branding of Spiritual Authenticity and Nationalism in Transnational Sufism

This chapter is a comparative study of well-known transnational Sufi orders, Haqqani and Suleymanci (Naqshbandi), as well as the Khaniqahi (Nimatullahi). This is a preliminary work that draws on in-depth qualitative interviews to examine the process of self-representation and localization of Sufism in Australia and Indonesia. Despite the fact that these Sufi orders each have established transnational networks and cyberspace presence, they also demonstrate strong local identities and indications of adaptation and appropriation. Recognized Sufi orders have historically operated through a complex local social network, often with links into local politics. This initial study, based on fieldwork analysis across Sydney, Melbourne, and Jakarta, offers insight into the changing attitude of contemporary Sufi orders on issues to do with religion, spirituality, consumerism, nationalism by proxy, and transnationalism. This chapter will explore the theories on the “branding” of faith to understand the “branding” of nationalism of a religious group.