Abstract

In the early 1990s multi-party elections were held in Mali for the first time replacing the decades-old dictatorship of Moussa Troare. The result was a dramatic shift in Malian society including: the opening of the economy, a proliferation of religious expression, and the development of an independent and private media. This shift, I believe, has resulted in the popularization of charismatic religious leaders through their appropriation of electronic media, to which the authorities have responded. This thesis explores this phenomenon in Mali through the religious performances of one such Islamic leader, Cheikh Cherif Ousmane Madani Haidara. Like other Islamic charismatic leaders, Haidara's performances are disseminated through electronic media, including radio, audio-and videocassettes, and television. Using these media, along with the force of his message among certain groups within Mali, Haidara has been able to wield extensive amounts of educational, economic, material and spiritual power. In response to Haidara's impact, the secular government and the religious authorities in Mali have become increasingly involved in the leader's activities and his following, including censorship of the organization through which he operates, Ancar Dine . (Abstract shortened by UMI.)