And how can this be?

 

I´m not a big "Dune" fanboy...but then, I never read Frank Herbert´s novels. I *have* seen David Lynch´s cult film and the first of the two more recent "Dune" flicks, directed by Denis Villeneuve. Not even sure what the story is supposed to be about, or why I should give a damn. 

That being said...yes, I noticed both the pseudo-Muslim angle, and the equally fake Russian one.

The video above contains a description of the religions of the "Dune" fictional in-story universe. The religion of the Fremen is obviously based on Islam (perhaps even Sufism) - even the terminology is sometimes identical - while also having some "pagan" traits. 

I wasn´t aware of the strong religious syncretism in Herbert´s novels. For instance, the official religion of the Galactic Empire is based on something called "the Orange Catholic Bible". The video above never points out that this name presumably refers to the anti-Catholic Orange Order on Northern Ireland, here syncretized with Catholicism! 

The YouTube clip also discusses the Bene Gesserit, a scheming secret order in Herbert´s story. Was their religion inspired by Hindu yoga, including the chakra system?

An interesting thought never explored further is that Herbert was inspired by al-Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldun´s famous book on the philosophy of history. The Muqaddimah is the introduction to the Kitab al-Ibar by the same author. That is, in the real universe. In "Dune", the holy scripture of the Fremen is called (you guessed it) Kitab al-Ibar...

And how can this be? ;-)