[lit-ideas] pluralism (mostly for Lawrence and Omar)
- From: JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 04:33:23 EST
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Senegal shows tolerant face of Islam
By Diadie BaMon Feb 13, 8:51 AM ET
Maria Victoria Correa is a Catholic but she keeps a prayer mat in her house
for Muslim visitors, one of the everyday kindnesses which underpin Senegal's
religious tolerance.
At a time when cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad have triggered violent
protests in several Muslim countries, the respect between faiths in Senegal
remains unshaken.
While the overwhelming majority of its people are Muslim, the West African
country has made religious harmony a point of pride. Many families, like
Correa's, mix different religions.
Two of her sisters are Muslims, while one of her nephews -- whose father is
Catholic and mother Muslim -- has chosen to follow the Islamic faith.
"There is always a prayer mat in my house for my Muslim nephew and other
Muslims who visit us," said Correa, 52. "We all worship the same God,
irrespective of being Muslim or Christian."
During the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dawn until
sunset, Correa cooks her nephew the "iftar" -- the first meal to end the day
of fasting.
It is common for Muslims to invite Christian friends and neighbors to their
homes to celebrate the main feast of Tabaski, commemorating Abraham's proof of
his dedication to God.
Although 95 percent of its 11 million people are Muslim, Senegal has a
secular constitution and the government celebrates both Christian and Muslim
holidays. The authorities assist Muslim pilgrims who wish to make the annual
journey to Mecca as well as Catholics traveling to the Vatican.
Other religions are not represented in significant numbers, aside from
traditional animist beliefs.
Accustomed to the respect of Senegal's Muslim community, many Christians have
been among the most outspoken critics of the controversial caricatures of
the Prophet, one of which depicted him with a turban resembling a bomb.
"Every single religion needs total respect from others," said Catholic priest
Jacques Seck, 72. "Islam deserves respect, so does the Prophet ... It's
Western countries that challenge Islam."
TROUBLE NEARBY
Neighboring West African nations have witnessed more acrimonious
demonstrations against the cartoons, first published in Denmark and reprinted
in more
than 20 nations.
Muslims have complained bitterly at what they consider a religious insult
under the guise of freedom of speech.
Tens of thousands of protesters packed the streets of Niger's capital Niamey
this week, while in Nigeria's Muslim North members of the Kano state assembly
burned Danish flags in protest and called for a boycott of Danish goods.
By contrast, popular protests in Senegal have not gone beyond a campaign of
SMS text messages. Muslim community leaders also presented a letter of
complaint to the Danish consulate.
An exhibition soccer match between Denmark and Senegal to raise money for
charity remains scheduled for next month.
Senegal's modern history has been marked by tolerance. Its first president
was a Catholic, the poet and politician Leopold Sedar Senghor, who ruled the
former French colony for more than 20 years after independence.
Senegal's distinctive form of Islam is marked by Islamic brotherhoods and
spiritual leaders known as marabouts, who are revered by disciples and
organized
in elaborate hierarchies. The leaders have traditionally preached respect
for the rules of secular society.
"People here are tolerant not because they are Senegalese or African but
because we have a secular society," said university professor Abdoulaye Cisse.
"UNIVERSAL PEOPLE"
Like many mixed-religion couples in Senegal, Muslim Moustapha Ndoye and his
wife Diatou Camara were married in a mosque and then a church.
"I believe in my wife's religion and she believes in mine. We are simply on
two different paths that both lead to God," said Ndoye, 72. "We are universal
people."
After 35 years of marriage, Ndoye and his wife have grown accustomed to one
another's faith. Their Dakar home is adorned with pictures of Jesus Christ and
of local Muslim leaders.
"The difference of religion has never been a problem for us," said Camara,
65.
This peaceful co-existence runs through Senegalese society. The majority of
children attending Catholic schools are Muslims, as many Islamic families
recognize educational standards are higher there.
In the city of Ziguinchor, in the southern region of Casamance which is home
to many of Senegal's Christians, Muslims and Christians are buried in the
same cemetery.
President Abdoulaye Wade has volunteered to host an international summit on
Muslim-Christian cooperation.
"Between Muslim and Christians the only thing that should prevail is peace,"
he said.
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