Sufism in Algeria and foreign policy of Islamic Republic of Iran

Sufism is one of the manifestations of mysticism among Muslims. A significant number of Muslims in North Africa are Sufis, many of whom are interested in the life of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) and have an intellectual and doctrinal affinity with the Shiite faith. Algeria, whose official religion is Sunni Islam is one of the important North African hosts of Sufism. Sufism spread to Algeria in the 12th century, and with the rise of Sufism in North Africa from the 16th century onwards, followers of Sufism in Algeria significantly increased. Since some political and cultural aspects of Sufism in Algeria are consistent with those of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the present study uses the descriptive-analytical method and primary and secondary resources to identify aspects of Sufism in Algeria and to investigate the correlation between the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sufi sects and organizations in this country. The results show that in recent years, the Algerian government has used Sufism and its teachings to counter Salafism and terrorism. Sufism is relatively popular in Algeria, and some Sufi groups have a positive view of the Islamic Republic of Iran and tend to engage with Iran. Therefore, Iran can take advantage of this opportunity on behalf of its foreign policy.