Diamniadio — Historian Penda Mbow underlined, on Sunday, the universalist dimension of the intellectual work of Cheikh Ahmad Tidiane Sy, which she presents as a modern and committed approach to faith, in resonance with contemporary issues of governance, ethics and social justice.
“We cannot be more current than Serigne Cheikh,” said the specialist in medieval Islam, speaking of a message that transcends cultural and religious borders.
Speaking at a conference organized on the second day of the celebration of the centenary of the birth of Cheikh Ahmad Tidiane Sy, at the Abdou Diouf international conference center in Diamniadio, she insisted on the need to “better document and transmit this heritage to future generations”.
“The timeliness of Serigne Cheikh’s speech explains its lasting impact, well beyond Senegal”, making him a “major reference in contemporary Islamic thought”, underlined Penda Mbow.
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The academic, however, noted an aspect that she considers to be a “still little explored dimension” of the life of Serigne Cheikh Ahmad Tidiane Sy, relating to the influence of female figures in his intellectual and spiritual experience.
“Understanding Serigne Cheikh’s speech cannot be complete without a rereading of his deep sources of inspiration, particularly those coming from female figures whose contribution often remains behind in academic analyses,” she insisted.
The historian made particular reference to the influence of her mother, Sokhna Astou Kane, daughter of one of the most illustrious lieutenants of El Hadji Malick Sy and his representative in Kaolack, El Hadji Abdoul Hamid Kane.
“Through his education, his moral rigor and his spiritual depth, Sokhna Astou Kane contributed to forging a thought based on universal values such as peace, the quest for knowledge and the service of humanity,” according to Penda Mbow.
