This documentary produced by a follower of the Tijani Muslim brotherhood, Serigne Cheikh Oumar Sy Djamil, features the life and achievements of one of the most prominent paramount leaders of the Tijjaniya in Senegal, Serigne Mansour Sy aka Borom Daraa Ji because of his dedication and commitment to the teaching of the Kuraan in many of the schools he opened and supervised all over the country.

The film extols the holy man’s high religious, humanitarian but also economic achievements while giving pride of place to his role as a peace broker and a conflict solver. This is exemplified by the two weeks he spent a few years ago to pacify two communities at loggerheads over the leadership of prayers in a mosque in the southern region of Casamance.

After the screening, the documentary was discussed by a panel of distinguished scholars and intellectuals: Dr Serigne Mansour Sy Jamil, a religious and political leader, Professor Bachir Ngom a specialist of Islamic studies, and a high profile academic currently teaching at Columbia, history professor Mamadou Diouf. They also addressed the need to review the senegalese educational system because of the imperative need to take into account kuranic schools (the daaras) which, over centuries, have substantially contributed to scholarship in Senegal and neighboring west african countries.

102 people attended the event and engaged in lively exchanges with the panelists.