Francophone Muslim intellectuals, Islamic associational life and religious authority in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The attention paid to the security threats hanging over Burkina Faso, while legitimate, has overshadowed the underlying transformations in Islamic associational life since the fall of President Blaise Compaoré in October 2014. This major political upheaval had a significant impact on the participation of Muslims in socio-political debates, the relations between generations and, more widely, the bases upon which religious authority is claimed. This article analyses the competition for religious leadership between Islamic actors in the public sphere in Burkina Faso by focusing mainly on francophone ‘Muslim intellectuals’. First, the study shows the gap between the gerontocracy at the helm of the main Islamic associations and the Burkinabe youth, which widened throughout the 1990s and 2000s and came strongly to the fore after the popular uprising of October 2014. Second, taking advantage of the space left vacant by traditional community leaders during the transition process, some young francophone ‘Muslim intellectuals’ actively sought to portray themselves as the vehicles of a ‘civil Islam’ and strove to promote new forms of civic engagement through religion. Other Muslim organizations have also tried to take advantage of the new political context to strengthen their presence in the socio-political arena.

‘Good Muslim, bad Muslim’ in Togo: religious minority identity construction amid a sociopolitical crisis (2017–2018)

“…Several studies have underscored the growing role of Muslims who attended secular French-language schools and who are pursuing careers in the civil service or the official economic sector. Such individuals have become increasingly active in the public sphere, taking positions on sociopolitical issues across West Africa (Miran-Guyon & Oyewolé 2015; Sounaye 2015; Madore 2020). Yaya Assadou Kolani, who presided over the ACMT from 2010 to 2018, is an eloquent example.…”