Hendrikus Witteveen, 52, was appointed managing director of the IMF. He is also vice president of the Sufi movement, a Muslim sect that is dedicated to mysticism and to meditation.

Economists are often accused of indulging in mysticism; in the case of Hendrikus J. Witteveen (pronounced Wit-uh-vain) it is a simple statement of fact. A brilliant academic who twice was Finance Minister of The Netherlands, Witteveen is also a vice president of the Sufi movement, a Muslim sect that is…