Just got back from Gambia, and I wanted to put my thoughts concerning the country down - they are still in a protean form, evolving as I come to understand the country more, so please bear with me.
I have always been fascinated by the myth of the prophet, the man who in his time lays the foundations of a new religion. I began first by reading about Serign Touba. His life: how at an early age he had an awakening, to the way of the Prophet Muhammed, setting out to learn as much about Islam as he could, at the feet of many a Sheikh in the region. I was struck by his ambition, and the depth of his vision. He established a village and ran it according to strict principles, his disciples working hard to gain baraka in the current world as currency in the afterlife. His chosen way - the way of Islam, the way of the Prophet - informing his every action and decision, and setting the structure for the new world order he attempted to create for his people.
