Senegal: faithful from all over the world present at the funeral of the Caliph of the Niassènes

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In Senegal, President Macky Sall goes to Medina Baye on Saturday August 8 to pay homage to the Tijan Caliph, Cheikh Ahmed Tijani Ibrahima Niasse, who died at the age of 88. He was the son of Baye Niass, the founder of this Niassene branch of the Tijan brotherhood in the 1930s. A community that claims 400 million followers around the world.

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With our correspondent in Dakar, back from Kaolack , Théa Ollivier

Since the funeral of this Sufi personality this Thursday, foreign state delegations from Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Chad or Ghana have marched through the religious city, as well as thousands of disciples from Senegal and the whole continent. , to offer their condolences

The streets, roofs and mosque of the Medina Baye district are filled with a compact crowd. The spokesman for the Caliph, Mohamed Mahi Cissé, receives the Mauritanian Minister of Islamic Affairs for a prayer.

"  Spread Islam  "

The Senegalese spokesperson evokes some memories of the missing Caliph. “  He has spent his whole life connecting to the Quran and helping people. He was very generous and he traveled across Africa to spread Islam  ”.

Like his father, Ibrahima Niasse, the deceased religious guide has acquired a strong reputation in Africa. In one of the 200 cars from Mauritania, Sidi traveled the 550 kilometers between Nouakchott and Kaolack. “  Nouakchott is far away, but you have to be here. Throughout his life, the Caliph brought together the two peoples of Mauritania and Senegal.  "

650 police officers were mobilized to control the thousands of disciplines. With his Black lives matter t-shirt , Abdoulaye Zine is American from Brooklyn. "  This is the center of education for learning metaphysical science and for integrating African spirituality into Islam  ."

Despite the coronavirus, the faithful will continue to march in the coming days, masks on their faces.

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