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Mystics as Border-Crossers: The Contestation of Religious Homogeneity and Identity Shaping in Morocco

Mystics as Border-Crossers: The Contestation of Religious Homogeneity and Identity Shaping in Morocco
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Author(s): Sarah Hebbouch (Mohammed V University, Morocco)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 20
Source title: Identity and the Dynamics of Border Crossing
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Saad Boulahnane (Hassan I University, Morocco)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-2592-7.ch001

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Abstract

Religion in Morocco is marked by its dynamic landscape, which continues to shape individual and communal identities. While religious pluralism is a key feature of Moroccan culture, it remains a subject of essentially contested debate. This has complicated efforts to navigate Morocco's diverse spiritual landscape, undermining the visibility of other forms of religious expression. Positioned at the margins of institutionalized Islam, Sufi mystics have served as border-crossers. This long-standing spiritual life has faced ongoing contestation between Islamic orthodoxy and the fluid nature of the saintly and Sufi institutions. This chapter highlights the narratives of Sufi women, particularly those who have been marginalized in religious discourse, such as majdhubat (mentally impaired women). These women have challenged prevailing gender paradigms and institutionalized religious hierarchies, thereby deconstructing exclusionary attitudes toward them and transcending gender and doctrinal boundaries through their female sanctity, saintly authority, and community-oriented practices.

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