[travel] Psychedelic Islam

[mattbell]

One sect of Islam, the Sufis, is much more mystical than the other prevailing sects of Islam.  They emphasize music and dance as a way of gaining a greater emotional connection with Allah.  One particular group of Sufis (aka the "Whirling Dervishes") uses repetitive spinning to achieve a trance state for an even stronger connection.  This spinning is usually done to music involving a group of drummers and a reed flute. 

While I'm guessing the costumes and the spinning were glammed up for tourists, the look is quite good and at times rather kitschy.

So, let's review:
- Drum circles
- Crazy colorful costumes
- Spinning something as a performance
- Inducing trance states through ecstatic dance

Sounds like Burning Man to me.

I think a psychedelic revival of Sufi dancing should be the next big thing to hit Burning Man.  I'm thinking blacklight-sensitive op-art robes... or perhaps a kevlar robe with a flame wick sewn to the bottom so that you can be a flaming whiling dervish.   

Comments

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

That picture really makes me want a "play" button :)

don't do it, please.

[(Anonymous)]

Dervish dancing is a Submission unto the Will of Allah, to such a degree that one's own identity is wiped away as if in death. Only Allah remains spinning.

For a non-muslim to pervert this sacred dance for profane reasons and in a place of moral wickedness like BM, which is offensive to Muslim morality would be travesty.

If you had spinning Jewish Rabbis, would that still be acceptable?

Please refrain from cheapening Islam at your haram burning man drug party. You are pagans, you are not Muslims.

salam,

Abdel

Re: don't do it, please.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

Thanks for writing. I'd like to address what you have written:

- Regarding spinning rabbis: Burning Man is a place of free expression. There are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, Atheists, and people of other religions at Burning Man. I have seen people at Burning Man borrowing from numerous religious traditions, including Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist ones. Usually, the borrowing is serious and respectful. Overall this borrowing is a good thing as it promotes cross-cultural and cross-religious understanding. If some adaptation of Sufi whirling was present at Burning Man, it likely would encourage the people involved to learn more about Islam and have more respect for it, which I think is a good thing.

- From what I understand, one of the core tenets of Islam is a personal relationship with Allah. Ecstatic dance is a powerful method of personal spiritual connection. However, the meaning of that connection happens within your mind and body, and is based on the intentions you set going into the dance. When someone else does a visually similar dance (and there are a lot of forms of dance that involve spinning) but with a different mental intent, they are having a different experience from you. It's literally a different dance with different meaning. I don't see how someone else half a world away doing a visually similar but fundamentally different dance can affect your ability to have a personal connection with Allah.

- There certainly are a lot of people who use drugs at Burning Man. There are a substantial number of people who use drugs in Muslim countries as well. I've seen it firsthand. I don't have a problem with drug use in either case if it's used in personally and socially productive (as opposed to destructive) ways. However, Burning Man isn't just a drug party. It's about art, social experience, play, adventure, and community.

Thanks for reading,
- Matt