The author of this blog

My name is Yafiah Katherine Randall and I have recently completed my doctoral research on Sufism in Israel. The title of the thesis is “Remembering Al-Andalus: Sūfī Pathways of Engagement Between Jews and Muslims in Israel and Its Contribution to Conflict Transformation”. Following the completion of my BA I spent some time living in Andalucia, Spain pursuing independent study of Al-Andalus and Ibn ‘Arabī, and completing a novel with Sufi themes. The inspiration and enthusiasm I felt for the history of convivencia in medieval Al-Andalus, and my ongoing interest in dialogue between the Abrahamic faiths, were pivotal in my decision to pursue postgraduate study. I completed an MA in Contemporary Religions and Spiritualities at Bath Spa University, UK and it was during that time that I met the team at Radio Salaam Shalom in Bristol and appeared as a guest speaker in five broadcasts of Abraham Nexus. The radio station is run voluntarily by Jews and Muslims of Bristol. I spoke on Sufism and on a range of issues relating to Israel and Palestine including the diverse grass roots activities for peace initiated by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and the conflicting narratives of the Israeli War of Independence/Nakba in 1948. I enjoyed the group spirit of community between the Jews and Muslims working at the radio station and the openness and curiosity we all had about each others faiths and our experiences as minorities in British society. This experience contributed to my enthusiasm for the history of Jewish-Muslim relations and the situation in Israel and Palestine today which then became the topic for my doctoral thesis. When I discovered that there are Jews and Muslims engaging in Sufi practice together in Israel then I knew this was the topic I wanted to research and to investigate its potential contribution to grass roots reconciliation work.