Generational Changes, Political Stagnation, and the Evolving Dynamics of Religion and Politics in Senegal

Religious institutions, in the form of Muslim Sufi orders, have been an integral feature of Senegal's stable and relatively democratic socio-political system. Over the course of the 1990s, this system has experienced strains due to two factors: generational changes and a crisis of legitimacy of the political system. This has resulted in three potentially significant types of phenomena: 1) the growing (though still limited) appeal of reformist Islamic ideology; 2) contestatory movements for leadership of the orders; and 3) succession struggles within religious families. This article examines these three trends by means of a discussion of the Muslim students' movement at the University Cheikh An-ta Diop de Dakar, the Hizbut-Tarqiyyah movement in the Mouride Order, and the Moustarchidine movement which has resulted in a schism in the Sy Tijan family. While the socio-political system remains well in place, its evolution is likely to be shaped by these dynamics.