Sufism holds more relevance in present times: Pak writer

At a time when the world reels under the shadow of terrorism, Pakistani writer and journalist Reema Abbasi feels the Sufi message of pluralism, unity and love, has become more relevant that ever.
The writer was speaking at the launch of her book, "Ajmer Sharif: Awakening of Sufism in South Asia" yesterday at Oxford book store here, which was unveiled by Bollywood actor Sharmila Tagore.
In her book, Abbasi talks about dargahs in a new light.
"The inspiration to write this book was to give a message diffrent from the existing perceptions about dargahs under Islam.
"At times when terror is sweeping across Pakistan and around the world, messages by sufi saints like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti hold much more relevance today," she says.

Her elaborately researched book chronicles the history, spiritual journey, mystical power, and legacy of the 12th century sufi shrines.

Abbasi talks about the story of Moinuddin Chishti, who founded the Chishti Sufi Order in South Asia and upheld the need to address hunger over practising doctrines, giving rise to a tidal wave of change.
"The messages that Moinuddin Chisti spread with his qawalli stemmed from similar circumstances that the world is facing today. Similar to the present times, the society was orthodox then, and he was witness to mayhem and bloodshed on his arrival in Hindustan, which made him set up a communal kitchen in a mud hut to eradicate hunger.

"That was the most powerful thing which drew me towards him. I believe everything eventually comes down to basic needs like hunger, shelter, poverty," says Abbasi.
She also has "Historic Temples Of Pakistan: A Call to Conscience" to her credit, in which she shed light on a little known facet of Pakistan.
For her, temples and dargahs hold equal importance and are symbolic of ancient heritage of civilisations.
"Temples and dargahs are both same to me. All places that I mention in my book talk about the heritage, unity and the roots of the region which binds all of us together," she says.

Abbasi who spent around a year in India to research for the book says she didn't face any unfair treatment here.
"I didn't face any challenge here except the dearth of information. I had a lovely time looking up for various archives in Aligarh Muslim University.
"Some of the manuscripts were ancient and written in Persian. Unfortunately, the sufi scholars who are capable of deciphering these texts are no more, so getting interpretations of the documents was a challenge," she says.