Movement of the Free Sufi Muslims

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This is an alternate history wiki. It mixes fact and fiction, and should not be mistaken for a reliable source.

Movement of the Free Sufi Muslims

Details
Active: 2013-2014; 2017-2018
Area: Hama Governorate
Ideology: Moderate Sunni Islamism
Sufi interests
Part of: Free Syrian Army
Operations Rooms: Hama Revolutionary Coalition


The Movement of the Free Sufi Muslims was a small Free Syrian Army group operating in Hama governorate. It was formed in April 2013 by a young Sufi sheikh named ;Omar Rahmoon. Amid a rebellion increasingly dominated by hardline Islamists, often of the Salafi persuasion, Rahmoon felt the need to gather more moderate, traditionally-minded rebels in a fighting force of their own. Though it was far from the only rebel brigade influenced by Sufism, the Movement of the Free Sufi Muslims was the only group to explicitly devote itself to protecting Sufi interests and promoting a Sufi understanding of Islamic politics. In forming his group, Rahmoon consulted with influential Sufi cleric Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, and the Movement of the Free Sufi Muslims became the only notable armed affiliate of Yaqoubi's Movement for Building Civilization. The group participated in a number of battles in Hama over the course of 2013; however, its activities dwindled after the end of the year and what was left of the group effectively disbanded in August 2014 after Rahmoon's brother was arrested by al-Nusra and Rahmoon himself fled to Turkey. Rahmoon would eventually become a spokesperson for the joint FSA-YPG Euphrates Volcano operations room before returning to Hama and reforming his brigade in DATE TBD during the rebel offensive against GOV AND/OR ISLAMIC EMIRATE???