Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Senegal’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Biram Souley Diop, has moved to clarify his recent remarks about Salafism following a strong reaction from the country’s Salafi Muslim community, particularly from prominent imam Alioune Badara Mbengue.
Imam Mbengue, who serves as both a professor of letters and the imam of the UCAD mosque, criticized Diop’s statement, emphasizing that Salafists should not be stigmatized and highlighting that some of them are among the most devoted supporters of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
The backlash prompted Diop to issue a statement explaining that his comments were misunderstood. He insisted that his intention was never to offend any religious community, particularly not a segment that has remained a silent but important base of support for PASTEF. Acknowledging the concerns raised, Diop stated that he used the term “Salafi” in the sense often misused by Islam’s opponents, who conflate the authentic beliefs of the pious predecessors with the practices of certain contemporary groups.
“In saying that PASTEF leaders are not Salafis, I never meant to suggest that this noble current of Islamic thought, or its adherents, are bad,” Diop said in his statement. “My education, deeply rooted in Islamic values of tolerance, temperance, and balance, would never allow me to undermine the faith of any fellow citizen, let alone a co-religionist.”
Diop’s clarification appears to be an attempt to calm tensions, particularly in light of Imam Mbengue’s warning that some of the party’s most committed supporters come from the Salafi tradition. His statement also emphasized his ongoing collaboration with members of the religious community on social, economic, and religious projects of national importance.
Referencing a saying attributed to the second Caliph, Umar ibn Khattab, Diop urged for understanding: “When a Muslim acts in a way that is not understood, his brothers should find seventy excuses for him before judging or condemning him.”
The controversy comes at a time when PASTEF, now at the helm of government, must carefully navigate Senegal’s diverse religious landscape.
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