Sufism – Pakistan’s most accepted brand of Islam

In Pakistan's heartland, holy men with doorbell joined to their feet close their eyes and bend to the music. Nearby, rose petals are tossed on tombstones. Free food is distributed to devotees.

This peaceful tableau is part of Sufism, Pakistan's most admired brand of Islam, which attracts millions of worshipers at about a dozen major festivals throughout the year. Each day, thousands visit shrines dedicated to Sufi saints.

But the rituals came under serious attack in 2010, as alternative hard-line militants took liability for five holy place attacks that killed 64 citizens, a noticeable bigger compared with 2005 to 2009, when nine attacks killed 81 people. Attacks in earlier years occurred in the middle of the night or when worshipers were not present, apparently in an attempt to avoid causalities. But in 2010, terrorists approved out suicide bombings when thousands of worshipers were present, and in the nation's largest cities, like Karachi and Lahore.