*Maslaa : quand l’arrangement devient un frein au développement* (Par Abdoulaye Dieng)
Senegal is going through a unique phase in its history: that of a society that is not collapsing, but is struggling to move forward. A society that functions, but without sustained momentum, without profound dynamism. This situation certainly stems from economic, institutional, and political factors, but it primarily reveals a deeper malaise, rarely examined rigorously: a moral and cultural unease. Among the concepts that silently structure this malaise is maslaa, which has become, over time, a social reflex, sometimes presented as wisdom, but whose effects on our collective trajectory deserve to be questioned.
It is important to remember that maslaa, as it is used today, is merely a distortion of a fundamental concept in Islamic law: maslaha. In its original sense, maslaha refers to the pursuit of the common good and the general interest. It constitutes a central principle of ethical governance, recognized by all the major schools of Islamic law, and aims to protect the higher ends of the law: faith, life, reason, property, and lineage. Nothing in this conception can justify injustice, complacency, or compromise.
However, in common usage, maslaa has gradually drifted away from this moral imperative to become a mechanism of avoidance. It serves to postpone difficult decisions, dilute responsibilities, neutralize sanctions, and ultimately legitimizes, under the guise of social peace, injustices that are nonetheless blatant. This transformation is part of a complex socio-cultural model where religion occupies a central place in the public sphere, without always fully exercising its ethical and regulatory function. As Seyd El Hadji Malick Sy astutely observed, custom sometimes tends to prevail over moral norms, creating a persistent ambivalence in our relationship to values.
This diagnosis is not new. As early as 2013, Seynabou N'Diaye, a committed and insightful woman, warned against masla, which she defined as "the art of smoothing things over by avoiding problems instead of confronting them." She cautioned against the dangers of pursuing social peace at any cost, to the detriment of political truth, democratic development, and the emergence of a strong sense of civic responsibility. She reminded us that trying to stifle contradictions in the name of masla often leads to delaying, or even jeopardizing, necessary transformations.
By prioritizing compromise over clarification and forgiveness over accountability, an excessive tolerance for wrongdoing has taken hold. In families, government, education, healthcare, and public life, mistakes are often downplayed, rarely acknowledged, and even less frequently punished. This flexibility of forgiveness, far from strengthening social cohesion, weakens the authority of rules and trust in institutions.
The consequences are visible: a decline in the quality of public services, difficulty in enforcing collective standards, and persistent distrust between the state and citizens. Development, which demands rigor, consistency, and responsibility, then encounters an invisible but solid barrier: a culture hesitant to fully acknowledge the shortcomings identified.
This is not about denying our cultural heritage or condemning tolerance or forgiveness, the cornerstones of our society. It is about rebalancing them. Forgiveness without truth or responsibility loses its value. Tolerance without demands becomes a collective weakness. Lasting social peace rests on justice and fairness.
Senegal possesses considerable assets: social cohesion, a rich spiritual tradition, and recognized human capital. To transform these into drivers of development, it is essential to restore the sense of the common good, to reinstate the educational function of just punishment, and to trust in our youth, their discernment, and their capacity to create a new future.
As another year draws to a close, it is customary to wish everyone a happy end to the year. May it be peaceful. Above all, let us hope that the coming year finds us less inclined to confuse social peace with resignation, forgiveness with impunity, and self-interest with the common good. This would undoubtedly be the most beneficial wish for Senegal.
This article is dedicated to the memory of Seynabou N'Diaye, a member of the Senegalese Women's Council (COSEF), a committed woman and free spirit, whose lucidity, intellectual courage, and demanding love for Senegal continue, seven years after her passing, to inspire those who reject the easy compromise at the expense of truth.
By Abdoulaye Dieng
Commentaires (9)
Le 'Maslaa' justifie le 'Sath' qui retarde le Senegal
La paix sociale que nous tenons tant à préserver ne sera pas sauve avec notre maslaha national. Certains l'ont exploité à mauvais escient dans le vol, la corruption et le je m'en foutisme. Il y a des limites, nous l'avons vu, avec l'intérêt général qui s'en trouve malmené. Les révoltes des jeunes vécues dernièrement en sont une illustration. J'ai de grosses craintes pour l'avenir si nous ne remettons pas à plat notre modèle de vivre ensemble
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