Alexander Knysh, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan, was quoted in two recent articles in the New York Times:

Who Are Sufi Muslims and Why Do Some Extremists Hate Them?

To the World, They Are Muslims. To ISIS, Sufis Are Heretics.

Professor Knysh is a renowned expert on Islamic mysticism (Sufism) in all of its shapes and forms, as well as Islamic theological, philosophical, and juridical thought in its historical development; Islamic/Islamist movements in local contexts (especially in Yemen, North Africa, Russia, and the Northern Caucasus) with special reference to conflicts between Sufis and Salafis; and the idea of the Islamic state and attempts at its realization across time and space. In Winter 2018, he will teach a course at U-M on Islamic Movements in Comparative Perspective.