Egypt's absurd ban on Sufi dhikr ceremonies continues. This is the most stupid government move since the great pig massacre of a year ago and a major infringement of religious freedom.

So far, the ban hasn't been getting much comment in the media or the blogs but it's good to see some resistance on the ground. Al-Masry al-Youm reports that "hundreds of Sufi followers entered Sayyeda Zeinab mosque [in Cairo] after noon prayers last Friday, reciting Quran and Sufi chants." And good luck to them.

The ban is symptomatic of the Mubarak regime's mentality: imposing uniformity and control for control's sake. Naturally, it's being implemented with "complete coordination" between the government and the government-controlled Supreme Sufi Council (SCC) whose chief, Abdel Hadi al-Qasabi (or Qasbi), is 
a Mubarak appointee.

“This decree comes as a re-enforcement of Law 118 that requires any Sufi sect to get a permit from SSC in order to establish a sect," al-Qasabi says, noting – horror of horrors – that many unregistered Sufi sects hold ceremonies when and where they want.

But why on earth is there a law requiring them to be registered? Why should they have to keep the awkaf ministry informed about their activities? Egypt has 74 Sufi orders; why can't they be allowed to function independently?

Of course, the Sufis are not alone in this. Newspapers, civil society organisations, trade unions and the like all have to be licensed, registered and supervised by the authorities too. The question, with all of them, is "why"?

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 5 May 2010.