ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how Sufism in Chechnya today is being exploited by the various political forces in the republic in pursuit of their own ends. In stark contrast to followers of classical Sufism, the present-day adherents of Sufism in Chechnya are not characterized by their mysticism or, it follows, their detachment from politics. The chapter examines the changes which have occurred in the Sufi tariqas in the recent past, including under the conditions of military conflict in Chechnya. It addresses the way in which they managed relationships during the wars, the factors driving society at a time of bloody conflicts, and the bearings by which Sufism is now trying to orient itself under conditions of neither war nor peace. The Sufi structure, which has adapted itself to the real life of Chechen society, has become more of a national phenomenon, having to a great extent lost the characteristics of classical Sufism.
