LONDON: Hazrat Lal Shehbaz Qalandar Dhamaal was witnessed on the streets of London in order to commemorate the legendry Sufi Saint of Sehwan Sharif.
Pakistani activists performed Dhamaal here in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) to show solidarity with the Sufi culture and to pay tribute to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in Sehwan Sharif which was bombed few days ago.
Hundreds of Pakistani activists – students, professionals, rights activists and concerned community members, including members of the Hindu and Sikh community – attended the Dhamaal and Qawaali event to express their devotion to the Sufi tradition of Dhamaal and to remember the 90 devotees who were martyred when the suicide bomber struck at the shrine while the Dhamaal was being performed.
Insaan Culture Club organised the event which also raised funds for the victims who were injured during the attack. Drums and dhols created the sound that has long been associated with the shrines in the Sub-continent.
Qawaali music was played out loud in the university as activists swirled around to show their spiritual liberation that the Sufi tradition of Dhamaal brings with it.
Activists who attended the event to perform Dhamaal wore red scarves in support of the spiritual centre and to pay and to celebrate the importance of the shrines to Pakistan’s history, cultures, spirituality and humanity.
They performed Dhamaal to the tune of ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’ for over three hours and vowed to continue the tradition at any cost. They said that terrorists want to deprive Pakistan of its vibrant Sufi Islamic culture but they will not be allowed to succeed in their extremist mission.