(If there's been any doubts, yes, I'm still around – just busy with travel and work!)
I had the pleasure of experiencing Sufism at a superficial level in the past few days. After coming back to Lahore to spend Eid and Christmas, KLepo (from the AIESEC Pakistan team) and I went to a Sufi chanting night at the Shah Jamal Shrine in Lahore:
The night involved dancing and shouting by, accompanied by the beating of huge drums by two brothers (one known as "The Master"). As tourists, we sat there and absorbed everything that was going on. It is said that people that follow "the Sufi Way" see music and dance as a way of becoming closer to Allah.
At the shrine, we were welcomed warmly by the local people partaking in the chanting. Chai (or variant thereof with butter) was distributed, as were sweets, and I was struck by the warmness of the people there. One downside, in my view, was that many people used the session as an excuse to get high on hash.
Last night the owner of the hostel I'm staying at (the Regal Internet Hotel – recommended), invited some Sufi musicians to come play for us after dinner:
This was a much more intimate experience, as we got to see the musicians up close and really see the passion they put into their music.
This experience only adds to my changing perspective on Islam and Pakistan, challenging the views that have been drilled in by the media for so long. I only wish that more people could see this side of Islam, and Pakistan.
