Sufi minorities in argentina: Expansion, diversification and presence from the late 20th century to the present day

Abstract

This article presents ethnographic findings on the insertion of Sufi orders in the Argentinean Islamic field in the last quarter of the twentieth century, based on two different transnational processes. On the one hand, it will analyse the formation of groups of Argentine converts belonging to the Naqshbandi order originating in Central Asia, which was expanding when it came into contact with local spiritual seekers; on the other hand, it will describe the relocation of the Mouridiyya and Tijaniyya orders carried out by African-Senegalese migration. Both processes configured inverse patterns in the conformation of their communities: the Senegalese settled in urban environments through diaspora networks; conversos, on the other hand, expanded territorially and even formed rural communities. The hypothesis in this respect is that these groups are determined by the employment opportunities of their members and the guiding principles of each order: migrants concentrated in cities to develop street vending and to be able to meet weekly to reinterpret their ethno-religious identity; while converts diversified their economic activities - trades, professions, alternative therapies linked to the new religious era - and emphasised a community model that enables expansion into rural spaces.