Chérif Ousmane Madani Haïdara Explained

Sheikh Chérif Ousmane Madani Haïdara is a religious figure in Mali who has been the president of the High Islamic Council of Mali since April 2019.^{[1] [2]} He is a follower of the Maliki school of Islam^[3] and a Sufi.^[4]

In 1991, Haïdara established the Sufi-based Islamic movement Ansar Dine (also written Ançar Dine) - not to be confused with the terrorist organization Ansar Dine operating in the north of Mali. The movement is strong in southern Mali, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and with Malian diaspora.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2019-04-22. Mali : un nouveau chef du Haut conseil islamique succède à l'imam Mahmoud Dicko – Jeune Afrique. 2020-06-24. JeuneAfrique.com. fr-FR.
2. Web site: Lassaad Ben Ahmed. April 21, 2019. Mali : Cherif Haidara, nouveau président du Haut conseil islamique malien. Anadolu Agency.
3. Holder, Gilles. "Chérif Ousmane Madani Haidara and the Islamic Movement Ansar Dine. A Popular Malian Reformism in Search of Autonomy", Cahiers d’études africaines, vol. no 206-207, no. 2, 2012, pp. 389-425.
4. Web site: Mali's Sufi Leaders Preach Against Radicalization. 2020-08-20. Voice of America. en.