A very original project that sheds light on the relations between Sufism and democracy in Senegal, West Africa, and globally by combining successful, high-quality articles from history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and religious studies.
Mohamed Mbodj, coauthor of Senegal: A Country and Its People Talk about timeliness! In a world riven by intolerance, here are ten engaging studies of democratic pluralism at work, ably introduced by Mamadou Diouf. Senegal is no utopia, and far from it; yet the republic is exceptional for its social contract between state and religious authorities across differences of faith, class, ethnicity, and region. Senegalese Sufism-mystical Islam-is deeply reflective but highly hierarchical, matching intellect with structure. Sufism's struggle (jihad) is with the imperfections of one's own soul, and as each pious person follows a path to perfection, there is respectful room for all. In this, 'Sufism is an antidote for political Islam' and perhaps 'the only way that Islam will be able to coexist with the West.' Anyone listening?
Allen F. Roberts, coauthor of A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal ...the book should be of interest not only to Africanists and Islamicists, but to all scholars interested in documenting the reformulations of the secular and in theorizing Muslim modernities.
Abdoulaye Sounaye Journal of African History A rich set of writings covering an array of topics and disciplines, this volume offers new insights into Senegalese 'exceptionalism' and an important contribution to the literature on Islam and democratisation.
Linda Beck Journal of Modern African Studies