Ajami in Senegambia: The Research & Educational Potentials

1. Ajami in Senegambia: The Research & Educational Potentials Fallou Ngom Associate Professor of French & Linguistics Modern & Classical Languages Western Washington University Email: Fallou.ngom@wwu.edu

2. Introduction • The use of the Arabic script to write African languages (Ajami) has a long tradition in Muslim communities across Africa. • It goes back to the libraries and centers of learning developed in Timbuktu (Leo Africanus, 1510). • The newly discovered 10th/16th century 500 page Ajami manuscript in Niger (Gutelius, 2000:6) provides additional evidence of the literary tradition of that era in Africa. • I conducted a fieldwork trip in the summer of 2004 to collect historical, cultural texts, religious poems, and to take digital images of Wolof, Pulaar, Mandinka and Joola FognyAjami writings from 28 scholars on behalf of WARA/ALMA/TICFIA project on the theme of Diversity and Tolerance in Senegambia. • I also sought to study the variations in these writings and the possibility of standardizing and modernizing them across the country, and ultimately across Africa. • Literacy statistics problem in West Africa:(63, 4%) can neither read nor write in any language. Higher in rural parts of the country where it is estimated at about 77% for people over 15 year. • These statistics do not take into account Ajami users.

3. Religious Brotherhoods and Ajami literature in Senegal • Qadriyya Originated from Baghdad  Arabic • Tijaaniyya Originated from Morocco  Mostly Arabic & some Ajami • MuridiyyaOriginated from Senegal  Mostly Ajami & some Arabic • Layeen Originated from Senegal  Some Ajami • Layeen Picture: Seydina Issa Ruhu Lahi ‘Jesus Christ Re-incarnated.’, Yoff-Dakar, Senegal

4. Religion has often been a key factor in the spread of scripts, a view summed up in the phrase ‘‘alphabet follows religion.’’ (Unseth, 2005) • For the Murids and many Ajami users, Islamization did not necessarily mean assimilation to the Arab culture and the loss of their African identity. • Thiam (2005:2-3) indicates that: there were two major intellectual currents at the dawn of Muridism: • 1) the Western school based upon the French educational system (which claims the superiority of French civilization) • and 2) the Islamic school (which claims the superiority of the Arab civilization). • It is within this context that Murid Wolofal pioneers developed a new endogenous school of thoughts that challenged the moral and educational claims and assimilation objectives of both the French and Arab civilizations in the Wolof society of Bawol and Kajoor. • Despite the oppositions of scholars who equated Arabic with Islam and who considered Wolof Ajami (Wolofal) to be a form of writing that borders ‘heresy’, Wolofal became a primary means of written communication and a tool for socio-cultural and intellectual resistance in Murid communities and‘daaras’ (schools).

5. As Thiam (2005:4) points out, Ajami challenged the idea that using African languages to talk about Islam was ‘blasphemous’. • Today, many Murids make a living from Wolofal (writing, copying or singing Wolofal poems), and the rich Wolofal literature developed by Murid scholars continue to be the bedrock of educational materials used in Murid communities at home and abroad. • The appropriation of Wolof Ajami as a marker of Murid identity is one of the key features that set Murids a part from other brotherhoods in Senegal. • Their Ajami literature embodies the culture, belief system and celebrated achievements of Bamba and the brotherhood. • This is consistent with Unseth’s (2005:23) claim that choosing a script can provide a community with an obvious way to associate itself with a particular (and often ‘glorious’) tradition. • The following pictures exemplify expressions of Murid identity in Ajami scripts in contemporary Senegal.

7. Types of Ajami manuscripts of the Murids • Religious poems • Secular poems such the hardships of life: Example: The poem: ‘Xarnu bi’ (The century)  A poem of Serigne Moussa Ka dealing with‘the 1929 Wall Street Crisis and the depression that ensued’ • Satires of traditional and colonial authorities • Public announcements, advertisements, business records, personal letters, even some linguistics essays on Ajami writings etc.

8. Some Wolofal pioneers • Khaly Madiakhaté Kala (1835-1902) • Poet, Cadi and secretary in the royal court of Lat Dior Ngone Latir Diop(King of the kingdom of Cayor: 1862-1870): • As a Cadi, his judgments were informed by the wisdom of his society. He attempted to reconcile the positive parts of the local customs with the essence of Muslim law. (Ndao, 1993:9-10) • To those who had an inferiority complex toward the East and the West, he emphasized the good things of Cayorsuch as the freedom of its citizens, their good sense of hospitality, and the low crime rate in the kingdom(Ndao, 1993: 10). • His writings show that ‘the ideas of Freedom’ so overused today is not new in the ‘so-called atavistic cultures’ of Africa.

9. Serigne Moussa Ka (1883-1967)

10. Excerpt from: Jazaa’u Shakuur:Bu yoonu geej gi(Reward to the Grateful: On the way to the Ocean) By Serigne Moussa Ka: A poem dealing with the exile of Bamba: 1895-1902

11. Literal translation of the excerpt 1. Moussa, Khaadimul Khadiim, 2. the one who has surpassed others, said 3. to you who asks the reasons for the celebration 4. of the departure of our leader Khadiim 5. from his home of Mbake-Baari. 6. “On the instructions of the creator, 7. I left on Saturday the 18th 8. to fulfill the divine work in the month of Safar.” 9. The story occurred in the year one thousand three hundred 10. and thirteen (1313), this is the reliable date.

12. 11. If you listen to me, today I will tell you again, 12. so that those sleeping, their hearts may be awake again. 13. If you don’t know, then ask in order to know what you don’t know. 14. Ask about the story of the one who gave you what no one else has. 15. Oh blind people, the person with good eyes is here, pay attention. 16. If you don’t know, you have no excuse but to ask. 17. If you don’t follow God, then follow your leader of choice, 18. or when in trouble, don’t complain. I will not go any further!

13. Ajami innovations: Modification of Arabic letters to write Wolof consonants that do not exist in Arabic

14. Excerpt from Masokhna Lo’s poem written 1954 in honor of his leader(Excerpt from WARA/ALMA/TICFIA data)

15. Translation of an excerpt from his discussion (Minutes: 22:15-17) A glimpse into: ‘The Murid Panacea’ or ‘The Bamba Formula’

16. Secular functions of Ajami todayAdvertisement

18. Example 2. A Warning Sign!

19. Educational implications • Better understanding of African history and African societies based upon their locally produced literatures. • Getting the African version of the facts of history and compare it with the European and Arab versions, the only two versions really taught! • Correcting misrepresentations of the long denied African literary heritage & tradition. • Given the scope of usage ofAjami scriptsacross Africa (in Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Tanzania, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, to name only a few)  •  university courses on Ajami and their literary traditions need to be offered to uncover the extensive knowledge still buried in these manuscripts.

20. Possibility of Ajami standardization & its significance • Standardized Ajami scripts of major regional languages such as Pulaar and Mandinkacould serve as majormeans of written communication for millions of people across the region without having to translate their messages into French, English or Portuguese. • This would be an important step toward the linguistic unification of West-Africa. • This could also be used to design a modern 21st century curriculum for Qur’anic schoolsacross Africa for the teaching of science, mathematics, geography, history etc., and expose students to the world outside their communities generally limited or unavailable in typical Qur’anic schools.

21. Conclusion: • Creating Centres for Ajami wisdom (encompassing history, politicalsystems, local economies, culture, local ideologies, traditional medicine (for physical and mental illnesses), agricultural methods, etc.) at a continental level through universities and other centres of learning, • studying, disseminating the insights, and enriching them with recent advances in medicine, science and technology • Could pave the way for new paradigm shifts and produce endogenous models of socio-economic development customized for African realities. • If studied and disseminated, the rich Ajami literature and wisdom could be a unique and powerful intellectual contribution of sub-Saharan Africa of tolerance and moderation in this troubled era in human history. • Finally, the rich Ajami literature of Africais emblematic of the vibrancy of many contemporary African societies. • It testifies to the fact that the view of ‘untamed exotic Africa’ with its ‘stagnant’ cultures and jungles so dear to Tarzan often portrayed in the media is nowhere to be found but in illusions. • Thank you.