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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Mali bans Pakistani preachers |
| 2005-08-01 |
| BAMAKO: Mali's Gao Governor Colonel Amadou Baba Toure on Sunday announced an immediate ban on the activities of a group of Pakistani Islamists living in the zone along the border with Algeria. Hundreds of Pakistanis have arrived in Mali as part of a humanitarian aid and education effort, though once on the ground they turn their focus to preaching hard line positions that are not in line with the Muslim practice in the region, said Toure. He said, "We cannot accept that just anyone can come here and preach however they see fit." Though the group has not been formally identified as belonging to any particular sect, they preach an Islam that is "pure and hard," according to a municipal official, and are indoctrinating their disciples into an Islam that does not oppose violence. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 and are indoctrinating their disciples into an Islam that does not oppose violence. This would tend to support Liberalhawk's assertion that the local Islamic tradition is Sufi. While Sufism isn’t fanatically pacifistic it does lean toward the mystical, which is close enough for government work. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2005-08-01 15:09 |
| #5 good points RC. I can think of several reasons for differences 1. West Africa is (parts of Nigeria apart) traditionally dominated by Sufism, and thus there are some folks who REALLY dont like the Salafis. US and UK Sunni muslim communities are largely non-Sufi, and more open to Salafism 2. Its not about poverty, its about humiliation and temptation. Muslims in the west are more confronted daily with the success of western culture, with the temptations of western culture etc. In Mali, they arent. 3. UK and US being new muslim communities, there was room for Salafis with Saudi money to get in on the ground floor, establishing mosques, schools etc. No local muslim establishment to resent and resist the influx. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2005-08-01 11:23 |
| #4 Well, then. I guess we can add the population of Mali to the list of moderate Muslims. Doesn't make me feel any more comfortable about the ones in Britain or the US, though. Odd, that. Maybe it's because the "western" ones keep picking extremist imams instead of rejecting them. Weird that Amadou Baba Toure in Mali is comfortable doing what those in Virginia won't. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-08-01 10:36 |
| #3 Hundreds of Pakistanis have arrived in Mali as part of a humanitarian aid and education effort, though once on the ground they turn their focus to preaching hard line positions that are not in line with the Muslim practice in the region, |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2005-08-01 10:32 |
| #2 Aaaah yes, Mali... Timbuktu... The most remote place on earth? OK Good they kicked out those Wa |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-08-01 01:43 |
| #1 Bud nipping the Salifists/Wahabi's funded in part by money from the magic kingdom I suspect. Smart move. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-08-01 00:10 |