SENEGAL-SOCIETY-RELIGION

Dakar, 27 February (APS) – The director of the Timbuktu Institute, Bakary Sambe, calls for a rediscovery of the religious and cultural values of solidarity and sharing in order to tackle the individualism, social exclusion and conflicts that are shaking West Africa and the Sahel.

‘Our meeting today is an urgent invitation to rediscover, at the very heart of our spiritual and cultural tradition, the deep resources that will enable us to resist the headwinds of our time, possessive individualism, growing exclusion, social fragmentation and the conflicts that are currently bloodying much of West Africa and the Sahel,’ he said.

Bakary Sambe hosted a public conference organised by the Women's Association of the national daily newspaper Le Soleil on Thursday on the theme of ‘Religions and values of solidarity and sharing’.

The event was attended by Turkish Ambassador Nur Sagman, patron of this edition, her Pakistani counterpart Saima Maymunah Sayed, and the Director General of Le Soleil, Mouhamadou Lamine Niang.

The mayor of Hann Bel-Air, Babacar Mbengue, the administrative and technical staff of the daily newspaper, as well as Muslim and Christian religious leaders, also took part in the conference.

According to Bakary Sambe, the theme of this public conference represents ‘much more than just a conference’ and should be considered ‘an urgent call’ during the holy month of Ramadan to reconnect with the ‘deep resources’ of Senegalese spiritual traditions.

In a world dominated by the logic of ‘me first,’ he reminded us that ‘human beings are not solitary beings, but spaces of solidarity.’

Drawing on Islamic and Christian references, he quoted a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): ‘A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does not oppress him or abandon him,’ as well as a passage from the Gospel according to Luke calling for the sharing of goods with the most disadvantaged.

‘I am because we are’

‘Two traditions, certainly, but one eternal truth: sharing is not a charitable option, it is a divine commandment that structures life in society,’ he said, recalling that zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam, and that in Christianity, attention to the most vulnerable is at the heart of the Gospel message.

Referring to Islamic tradition, he quoted Ibn Arabi, for whom ‘the religion of the Prophet is that of love’, as well as Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba, who declared that he had ‘forgiven all his enemies’.

He also quoted El Hadji Malick Sy and Mame Limamoulaye, religious figures who, according to him, embodied tolerance and social cohesion.

For Bakary Sambe, these teachings converge with African cultural values such as Teranga (hospitality) and the philosophy of Ubuntu (‘I am because we are’), which emphasise interdependence and collective responsibility.

He emphasised the ‘central role’ of women in preserving and transmitting these values, particularly through ‘dahiras’ (groups of worshippers), tontines and community initiatives. 

‘Women are the beating heart, the invisible but indispensable driving force behind this solidarity,’ said the founding president of the Timbuktu Institute, an African peace research centre based in Dakar, Senegal, with offices in Niamey (Niger) and Bamako (Mali).

He praised women's commitment to orphans, widows and the sick.

According to the speaker, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder of the interdependence of societies, emphasising that ‘no country, no class, no individual can save itself alone’.

‘More visibility and resources for women’

He called for ‘horizontal solidarity’ based on ‘shared vulnerability and concrete fraternity’.

Returning to the Senegalese model, he described Senegal as ‘an island of peace’ in a troubled region, highlighting the harmony between Muslims and Christians, joint religious celebrations and the amicable settlement of inter-community disputes.

He also referred to the Turkish tradition of waqf, recalling that under the Ottoman Empire, pious foundations, many of them created by women, financed hospitals, schools and social works. He cited the example of Nurbanu Sultan (1525-1583), wife of the Ottoman Sultan Selim II, son and successor of Suleiman the Magnificent.

Addressing media professionals, particularly women journalists, Bakary Sambe urged them to continue to be ‘conveyors of values’ and ‘artisans of peace’ in a fragile regional context marked by misinformation and divisions.

‘Let's give more space, more visibility and more resources to women, especially women in the media,’ he said, believing that promoting solidarity initiatives helps to strengthen national cohesion.

According to him, Islam, Christianity and African cultural traditions teach the same lesson: ‘True wealth lies in sharing, true strength lies in solidarity, true peace lies in loving one's neighbour.’

He concluded by calling for Senegalese and foreign partners, particularly Turkey, to continue building a ‘bridge of love, brotherhood and resilience’ in the face of contemporary challenges.

Source: APS