"But the jihadist movement has mystical traditions of its own. Hassan al-Banna, the founder of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, was profoundly influenced by the work of the 12th century Sufi Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali. The historian Ayesha Jalal’s superb work, Partisans of Allah, points out that figures like Shah Waliullah and Sayyid Ahmad, to whom the roots of modern South Asian neo-fundamentalism can be traced, were grounded in mystical traditions."
Shall we parse that?
"But the jihadist movement has mystical traditions of its own. (Such as the following example? that is a 'tradition?') Hassan al-Banna, the founder of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, was profoundly influenced by the work of the 12th century Sufi Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali. (Influenced how?) The historian Ayesha Jalal’s superb work, Partisans of Allah, points out that figures like Shah Waliullah and Sayyid Ahmad, to whom the roots of modern South Asian neo-fundamentalism can be traced, were grounded in mystical traditions.(Citing a historian -- once removed -- pointing out that two persons -- twice removed -- to whom 'roots' -- more loss of focus -- can be 'traced' -- how well and by whom? -- were 'grounded' -- really? -- in mystical traditions... meaning Sufi traditions?)
You call that writing?
Thanks for the suggestion but I don't need to read more of him, incisive he is not.
He blurs the lines between Sufism and primitive folk customs and beliefs.
People who know little of Sufism are going to finish that article knowing less of it and much misled.
Disclaimer: I'm not defending Sufism.
While I'm at it...Jalal's "superb" Partisans of Allah is utter trash. She attempts to deodorize jihad as an ethical concept in its pristine form, claiming it's been corrupted (like the hijacked ROP itself, which we delusional westerners find warlike merely because of certain bloody encounters we've had with them over the centuries). She tries to convince her readers, may they be few, that jihad is basically about the pursuit of freedom and justice. Her writing is on the same level as Praveen Swami's. It's birdcage filler.
I thought that this was a news article rather than a multi-volume treatise on the various traditions on mysticism in Islam.
Swami’s writings, on Islamic extremism,which I’ve followed for several years, are far better than western writers who either treat Islam as the hapless victim or the beneficiary of dumb liberal politicians.