Should Christians and Muslims Cohabit after Death? Diverging Views in a Senegalese Commune

In Senegal, some people are open to burial in cemeteries used for the departed of all faiths, while others wish to be buried only in cemeteries used exclusively for people of their own religion. Research in Fadiouth, which has a mixed cemetery, and Joal, which has segregated cemeteries, indicates that most people, regardless of their faith, embrace the dominant burial practice in their community. I argue that the ambiguity of religious doctrines through which people look at interment explains the legitimacy of local burial arrangements. Because people consume these teachings through interpretive exercises, even exposure to the same doctrines may not always help us understand the choices they make. This article sheds light on interfaith relations and the explanatory potential of religious teachings.