Women and Sufism: Religious Expression and the Political Sphere in Contemporary Morocco

The sociopolitical changes in postmodern Morocco have reshuffled the dynamics of women’s in/visibility within the Sufi tradition and redefined parameters of religious authority, especially after the 2003 Casablanca terrorist attacks that prompted the Moroccan government to promote Sufism as a tolerant expression of Islam to counteract religious extremism. This article explores gender dynamics within Morocco’s Sufi tradition and women’s complex relationship with the public sphere, and traces women’s different styles of participation and leadership. This article also addresses the extent to which Morocco’s official Islam provides a broader role for women than other forms of Islam and increases their presence and visibility in the religious sphere.