The Desciples of a Peaceful Jihad

• Prize
  Winner in State of the World/"What a wonderful world"
• Photographer
  Christian Bobst, Switzerland
• Category
  "What a wonderful world"

The true Jihad is not war by force of arms, but the fight against the inner demons. This is what the Senegalese Sufi-Cheikh Amadou Bamba Mbacke (1853 - 1928) taught his numerous followers during the french colonial occupation. Most Senegalese commit themselves to Sufism and they are still fervent supporters of this doctrin. This photo story captures various aspects and examples that show how the Sufi Brotherhoods, with their liberal and tolerant interpretation of the Koran, unite Senegal's heterogeneous society and rely on cohesion rather than division to maintain their power and influence.