La Casamance, l'islam et la France

Book Description

This scholarly exploration delves into the complex spiritual and political dynamics that shaped the Casamance region of West Africa during a pivotal period of cultural transformation. Author Séga Seckou Sagna examines how Islamic faith communities navigated the challenging encounter with French colonial expansion from the 19th to 20th centuries.

The work traces the spiritual journey of a region where Islamic leaders had previously established their religious authority by displacing traditional belief systems. When French colonial forces arrived to claim territory once held by the Portuguese, these Muslim dignitaries found themselves confronting a new reality that threatened their spiritual and temporal influence.

Faced with this profound shift in power dynamics, religious leaders embarked on a remarkable campaign of regional unification under the banner of jihad. Sagna investigates the key figures who spearheaded this spiritual resistance movement and analyzes the deeper implications of this historic confrontation between Islamic faith and French colonial ambitions.

Through careful historical reconstruction, the book addresses fundamental questions about religious identity, spiritual leadership, and cultural resilience in times of external pressure. Readers interested in understanding how faith communities respond to existential challenges will find valuable insights into the strategies and motivations that drove this significant chapter in West African Islamic history.

The author promises to tackle these complex questions with directness and scholarly rigor, offering readers an unflinching examination of this consequential spiritual and political encounter.