DAR AL HARB-ITALY: SUFI MOSLEMS TO MEET IN ROME - - - WILL THE VATICAN HOLD A MEETING IN MECCA?!?

Sufi Muslims focus on Islam in Rome


Rome, 21 Feb. (AKI) - The Sufi Muslim order of Burhaniya has organised a series of meetings in the Italian capital of Rome entitled, The East in the West.

The meetings will be held twice a month until April and are expected to explore the central theme of "The great figures of Sufi Islam, friends of God, saints for love".

Sufism is Islamic mysticism. Sufis believe in a mystical path to God through prayer, dance and music.

The next meeting to take place in Rome on Saturday will be held in the "zawiya", a meeting and prayer area, for the Sufi brotherhood in the Italian capital.

"The idea of meeting in the zawiya was born three years ago with the intention of better using the available space in our Tariqa (brotherhood) in Rome," said Abdul Ghafur Franco Grassi, the "murshid" or spiritual guide for the Burhaniya Sufi order in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI).

"We thought that this could be a useful way to begin conversations that will shed light on how Islam, the true Islam, often unknown, exists in the West; hence the title, The East in the West," Grassi told AKI.

"For the second series of meetings, [which were held last year], we added a subheading: The invisible reality: the roads to Sufism."

For the third series this year, Grassi said that the focus would be on the great figure in Sufism.

"We hope that this year we can let people know the more spiritual aspects, and the more acceptable aspects also in the West, of Islam - the way of the heart or knowledge," he said.

The complete name of the sufi order is Tariqa Burhaniya Disuqiya Shadhuliy and it was founded in the 13th century in Egypt by the Sufi saint Sayydina Ibrahim Dusuqi, nephew of the Imam Abu Hasan Shadhili.

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