Senegal’s Arabic literates: from transnational education to national linguistic and political activism

Abstract

This article studies the role of the Arabophone community in postcolonial social and political transformations. More specifically, it focuses on the case of the Arabisants in Senegal. Forged through the mobility between the two shores of the Sahara, they are willing to emerge as a more visible political force since the 2000s. This article sheds light on Arabisants’ endeavours to participate in various forms of political advocacy. It demonstrates that they intend to stand as the political entrepreneurs of the Muslim community, to challenge the hegemony of Sufi Brotherhoods, and consequently, to challenge the state’s alliance with the Sufi orders. In so doing, Arabisants emerge as counter-elite in the public and political debate in Senegal.

Notes

1. Starting with 8 Franco-Arabic schools opened in 2002 in 5 different regions (Diourbel, Kaolack, Louga, St Louis, Kolda) and 347 students, the numbers increased to 527 schools in 2014 distributed across all regions with 63 018 primary school students (of which 51 per cent are girls) (DEA, 2015).

2. Decree No 2013-913 of 1 July 2013 introducing the Arabo-Islamic Baccalaureate and Franco-Arabic Baccalaureate : in 2013, 2156 over 2248 students enrolled in the Arabic Baccalaureate, 467 over 2156 passed their exams (21,7 per cent) (the Watch Committee on the Arabo-Islamic education, Dakar, 06/11/2013).

3. See the following website: http://www.arabisants.org/Arabisants_Appel_Complet2.pdf.

4. Ibid.