Seventy thousand secrets: Sufi esoterism and revolutionary politics in Libya

In 2011, a revolution broke out in Libya, and the Gaddafi regime collapsed. To grasp this event, one first has to understand what kind of project Gaddafi wanted to establish, and the factors that pushed Libyans to revolt.

Igor will argue that an insightful way to explore these dynamics is to look at the regime’s interaction with the ‘Issawiya, a brotherhood of practitioners of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. His analysis will help illustrate how the Libyan revolution was a revolt against a contradictory ruler, and that the forms of religion and politics that are currently dominating the Libyan scenario have emerged as a direct response to the regime’s inconsistencies.

This in-person event will be particularly useful for those interested in Libya, Sufism, Islam, revolution and Gaddafi.

Related links

• Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU)
• TCRU seminar series
• Social Research Institute