Sufism: Interfaith Coexistence or Poisoned Gift? A Case Study of Elif Shafak`s Forty Rules of Love and Mohammed Alwan`s A Small Death

Abstract

In Alwan’s A Small Death “Mouton Sageer” (Alwan, 2016) and Shafak’s Forty Rules of Love (2010), Sufism was promoted in as in many literary works because they believed Sufism is the remedy to oppose today's religious bigotry in essence that it called for universal spirituality, equality, love and coexistence among humanity across cultures and religions. This paper investigates the writings and debates of both authors on Sufism from two viewpoints on some of the most critical socio-political issues related to peaceful coexistence and women's empowerment since securing women's rights in society is the keystone of the quest for coexistence and social justice.

Received: 10 May 2023 / Accepted: 17 September 2023 / Published: 5 November 2023