Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964.
Muslim reform leaders, trained in north African universities and eager to purify Islam, became associated with the PDG. A frequent member of Sékou Touré's entourage was Chérif Youssouf Nabhaniou, Professor of Arabic at Boke, who was a graduate of the Institut des Etudes Supérieures Islamiques in Algiers. The Chérif, in a letter to the anti-RDA paper La Nouvelle Guinée, answered criticisms which had been made first of his ancestry and right to speak in the name of Islam, and second, of his associations with the RDA. He traced his ancestry back to 'Radissa Lalhbara, who founded Fez and upheld the precepts of Islam', and directly to 'Aliou (may the blessings of God be upon him), who is the husband of the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed (may God give him health), Fatouma-Diahrai-Bintou-Rassoulahi'. He also explained that he has been preaching the precepts of Islam in the mosques throughout Guinea; and that he believes those who challenge his views belong 'to the camp of those who oppose …the Muslim religion in all its grandeur, the Faith which no man may trample underfoot for political interests'. 1
In the mosques, prayers drew an implied parallel between the community of the RDA and the community of Islam.
God is great
It is hard
To bring unbelievers
Into the brotherhood of believers
But we need the die-hards
To spur us on. 2
On the coast, in the forest, and in upper Guinea, popular support for the PDG was expressed in dance and song. Sily, the elephant, was the symbol of the RDA.
Sily is too strong
He does not retreat
When he is provoked.
Not all the songs simply praised the PDG and its candidate. One popular Mambo rhythm repeated a racist theme, and hurled insults at all Fulani, as well as at Barry Diawadou. To stop this Toure held numerous lengthy meetings. He spoke to the women:
1. Full genealogy registered at Kaolack 5 August 1946. Folio 87 Case 979. La Liberé, 9 November 1954. After independence the Cherif became Guinea's diplomatic representative at Jiddah.
2. For the text the PDG songs cited in this chapter I am indebted to M. Gadiri Mangue, who became Guinea's ambassador at Freetown. See my 'French Guinea's RDA Folk Songs', West African Review, August 1958.
