Syrian Sufis Divided As Salafist Influence Grows
Sufism has long been the dominant strand of Sunni Islam in Syria, but is under threat as Salafism gains power.
The Syrian revolution has witnessed the clear rise of the Salafist current in its traditional and jihadist forms and as a movement. This is due to the nature of the revolution itself, which was launched and grew in the countryside and on the outskirts of small cities. Meanwhile, the Sufi movement, which is hostile to the Salafist interpretation of Sunni Islam and has predominantly thrived in Syria’s urban centers, split into pro-regime, pro-opposition and neutral currents.
This Sufi component raises fundamental questions about Syria’s religiosity, which during the past decades was dominated by Sufism. There are now questions regarding whether the religiosity of Syria's Sunnis will permanently adopt the Salafist trend or just temporarily while the rebellion continues, with Sufism reverting to its previous status, especially in its strongholds in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo, once the revolution concludes.
Over the past decades, Sufism divided into divergent political trends, the most prominent of which is the Zayd movement. It was founded by Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Rifai in the early 20th century. It spread in Damascus through conservative social circles and a network of mosques and sheikh-pupil-follower relationships.
In the 1980s, the Zayd movement suffered a heavy blow, when many of its members joined the Muslim Brotherhood’s insurrection against the regime in the 1980s, drawing the wrath of the regime. Its leader, Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, the eldest son of Abdul Karim al-Rifai and his successor as the movement’s leader, left the country, returning in the mid-1990s. The Zaydis quickly restored their religious network and expanded in Damascus. Osama al-Rifai's stature was widely respected, so much so that in 2002 President Bashar al-Assad visited him, which was contrary to the tradition of the religious leader visiting the president.
