Shiite preaching: Iranian decay scorching throne of Senegal’s Sufism

 Ayat Ezz

Sufism in Senegal has the potential to be unaffected in many African countries and perhaps in the world as a whole. Sufis in Senegal have strong political influence and great economic activity. However, this Sufi stability in Senegal may be violently shaken by Shiite preaching whose campaigns are systematically intensified by Iran in Senegal.

Recently, Tehran - unofficially - has contacted with several Sufi methods having Shiite leanings in Senegal to spread the Shi'a doctrine. Iran recently opened two Sufi institutions, the Al-Tarik and Al-Mustapha, in October this month, according to a Mauritanian newspaper.
 
In the past two years, Iran has opened the two largest Sufism institutions to spread the Shi'ism in Senegal, namely el-Fagr and Mozdaher, according to the Shiite Waves.

In a study by Sufi writer Mohammed Khalifa Siddiq, he said that the real beginning of the emergence of the Twelve Shiites in Senegal dates back to 1969, when the Lebanese Abdel Moneim Zein came to Senegal specifically to spread Shiism. Zain was able to attract young Senegalese to him and sent a large number of them to Iran who then returned to Senegal again as leaders of Sufi methods but they were Shiites, according to the study.
 
 The study indicates that since he arrived in Senegal in 1969, Al-Zain has maintained close relations with Senegalese Sufi sheikhs, and has succeeded in making some of them (ie, the Sufis of Senegal) agree with the idea of ​​the Shiites.

"Sufism in Senegal at this time is screaming at the rapid spread of Shiism among their children, and all their attempts to deal with this thought fail because of the major Iranian funding," said Mohammed Khalifa Siddiq in his study.
 
According to a recent report published in the Mogadishu Center for Political and Strategic Studies on African affairs, the Senegalese-Iranian activity is concentrated in the cities of Dakar, Casamas, Kolda, Wangasan, Gunas, Kulakh, Kar Madaru and Tias Dara Glof.
 
They are all areas with a large number of Sunnis which are always witnessing sectarian conflicts with the Shiites, according to the report of the Center.