Edmund Searlesprograms found in North America. One of Alhadj’s more memora-
ble proverbs sums up the mission of his school: hakiloo warta (open
mind), jusoo sumiata (cool heart), and sondomé ten kunta (calm spirit).
He had dedicated himself to a life of prayer, obedience to Allah, and a
passionate concern for his fellow villagers and regular stream of visi-
tors and pilgrims. I would even venture to argue that Alhadj’s life is a
manifestation of the true mystical life (Underhill 1995 ).
Interwoven into this particular form of Muslim piety, shared by his
fellow villagers, is a strong faith in traditional Mandinga beliefs and cus-
toms, including beliefs in the mystical power of amulets and talismans,
in the presence of evil and malevolent spirits, and in complex initiation
rites for both boys and girls. Female circumcision, a rite that is not de-
scribed anywhere in the Qur’an and not condoned in any way in any
of the supplementary texts attributed to the teachings of the Prophet
Mohammed, is still practiced in most Mandinga villages throughout
Guinea-Bissau and in the capital of Bissau itself. The rite has become
a sore spot for many Mandingas both within Bissau and beyond, as
they have become targets of intense anti-circumcision campaigns pro-
moted by the World Health Organization and other ngos (Johnson
2000 , 2002 ). Unfortunately, these attacks, which some argue is colo-
nialism in a new guise, draws attention away from the achievements
of the Mandinga and other Muslims living in Bissau, who continue
to support peaceful interethnic relations, a unified resistance against
Islamist extremists, and a commitment to civil democracy and a judi-
ciary based on constitutional, and not religious, laws.
Fieldwork, in this context, led to many intense emotional experi-
ences and seemingly fantastic stories, grounded in a world that in-
cluded Islamic faith and a world of shape shifters and soul-eating
witches who caused disease and even death. In addition to hearing
claims about the healing powers of praying and adhering to the five
pillars of Islam (faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and making the pil-
grimage to Mecca), we also listened to stories of a snake child who
slithered away into the forest; amulets that could protect one against
the ill will of jealous mothers-in-law or evil spirits; and how the peo-
ple of Bafata-Oio survived eleven years of terror at the hands of Por-
tuguese and pro-Portuguese militia forces fighting against a grassroots