Supernatural Muslim Fighters

[Ravangames]

Okay so there is the Knights of the Cross and the Venatori Umbrorum that are essentially mortals fighting the good fight. 

Since Michigan has a huge population of Muslims, I was thinking of creating a Muslim group that fought the supernatural.  Just having a bad time of coming up with a name for the clued in group.  Any suggestions?

[ahunting]

I can't claim to have really any knowledge of real Islamic culture(s), but if we look back to old classics Arabian Nights, and related stories, we could find examples of heros fighting monsters. More modern stories tell of Islamic development of hashashin that could kill monsters.  Also mujahideen I believe translates ruffly to soldiers of god, (Something like, Wagers of Jihad) are certainly something that could be basis for a game. I don't see any reason why the Qur'an couldn't be used for justifying fighting monsters as easily as the Bible.

[ballplayer72]

Okay so there is the Knights of the Cross and the Venatori Umbrorum that are essentially mortals fighting the good fight. 

Since Michigan has a huge population of Muslims, I was thinking of creating a Muslim group that fought the supernatural.  Just having a bad time of coming up with a name for the clued in group.  Any suggestions?

maybe something like the Magi from the Mummy?

[Paynesgrey]

If you specifically wisth to tie them to a Islam rather than one of the specific cultural groups in that region, perhaps something tied in with Saladin, perhaps?  He kicked ass in 8 flavors but even his adversaries considered him chivalrous and honorable.  If you wish to go with something regional rather than religious, you'd likely have to work with pre-Islam characters like Gilgamesh.

[Frank Frey]

A name that I've used in the past is Al Seifedin (sic). It's arabic for "Sword of the Faithful". The Grand Master of the Order was referred to as Abu Seif (Father of Swords). Their battale cry was "Inshallah!" (God Wills It!)
Hope this is helpful.

[Ravangames]

All good suggestions.. I'll have to come up with a ranking system for them...

[Big Simon]

From http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/sufi.html - (typos are theirs)

Unlike Christianity, ceremonial magic has a legitimate place in Islam. According to Islamic law, sihr-al-halal or pemitted magick may be used as a vehicle for religious discovery. This has given Sufis room to preserve magickal practices from the ancient world which were systematically supressed in Europe, which had to wait for the Renaissiance for their re-introduction. Like Qabalah, Sufi ideas played an important part in the European Rennaissance, in particular being hugely influential on the Rosicrucian movement. In terms of esoteric practice, there is also a large overlap between Qabalistic and Sufic magickal practice, hardly surprising when one considers the related languages, geographical proximity, and common religious heritage. Like Qabalists, Sufis have alway sought to maintain their legitimacy within mainstream religion. Like Qabalists, they maintained an intellectual tradition in continuity from the Hellenistic culture of the last few cenuries b.c.e.. There are also some similarities which both refuse to acknowledge. The practice of demonic magic (summoning and binding demons) has a central role in the magick of both traditions. This doesn't sit easily with modern Sufis, who like to stress the more image-friendly "spiritual development" side of their tradition. Nevertheless, demonic magick is probably one of the most ancient threads in the Sufi tapestry, dating back to the ancient Canaanite/Babylonian/Egyptian cultures. Many medieval grimoires (which mark the point at which demonology entered Western Europe) contain lists of demons with names directly traceable to these traditions. When [ref]Aleister Crowley 'restored' the Invocation of the Bornless One, he found good correlations between the nonsense-names contained in the Graeco-Coptic original and Egyptian godforms, correspondances born out by the context of the ritual.

[toturi]

You could take a page out of the Hashshashin. They could be "Nizari" with their leader being called "Hassan i Sabbah". Waging asymmetric warfare against the forces of evil, using their own weapons like fear and terror.

[CMEast]

Unlike Christianity, ceremonial magic has a legitimate place in Islam

Magical bread and wine turning in to the blood and flesh of the person worshipped so it can be eaten?

You could take a page out of the Hashshashin. They could be "Nizari" with their leader being called "Hassan i Sabbah". Waging asymmetric warfare against the forces of evil, using their own weapons like fear and terror.

Suicide bombers would make for a very short DFRPG campaign.

[Deadmanwalking]

Magical bread and wine turning in to the blood and flesh of the person worshipped so it can be eaten?

In fairness, there's a distinction between asking a God or Gods to do something, and doing it yourself via a ritual process. Basically, in DFRPG terms, the difference between Sponsored Magic and the regular sort. Christianity has a bit less room for the non-Sponsored variety.

Suicide bombers would make for a very short DFRPG campaign.

True, but all organizations based loosely on the Hashashin hardly need to duplicate all their methods.

[Paynesgrey]

This thread really, really doesn't want to go into suicide bombers and the like.  The original idea has a great deal of merit, but stay away from modern social/political issues like that. 

I assure you.

I most emphatically assure you.

[ahunting]

This thread really, really doesn't want to go into suicide bombers and the like.  The original idea has a great deal of merit, but stay away from modern social/political issues like that. 

I assure you.

I most emphatically assure you.

QFT

[Ravangames]

QFT

Yah, no negative spin.  I want to create a team that helps out against the vampires and the like. 

[CMEast]

True, the DFRPG isn't real life. I can edit my comment if you like, I'm aware that the majority of people on this forum are American and I'm also aware that religion is a sensitive topic. I'd prefer not to edit my earlier comment though as I feel my points were relevant for a fair and balanced view and mentioning Hashshashin or Sufi magic for Islamic knights is unfair when the DFRPG Christian Knights aren't influenced by the spanish inquisition, the crusades, witch burning or any of the more negative facets of Christian history.

I always forget irony and sarcasm don't translate well online.

Also, I think whatever you come up with, much of it will have to be invented totally, just as the KotC in the Dresden Files were pretty much totally made up. On a name, something based around the concept of the (greater) jihad or the jambiya (the knives Muslims wear)?

[toturi]

Suicide bombers would make for a very short DFRPG campaign.

How did you make the jump to suicide bombers from my post?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymetrical_warfare The American Revolutionary War was itself full of examples for such a kind of warfare.