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Longer, a little bit deeper, and you ll see it s so different here from its neighbors from anywhere, really. a rebuke to those who d paint a whole continent as a monolith of despair, or islam as something to be feared. senegal turns simple minded assumptions and prejudice on their heads at every turn. anthony: how did you come to know and like and love this country? ofeibea: i think it was just listening and watching and thinking, gosh, this is quite different to all the other countries i know. for a start, the languages. you ve heard wolof? anthony: yes. ofeibea: [speaks wolof] sometimes you think people were quarrelling. anthony: right. ofeibea: and they re not, they re laughing. they re laughing. anthony: ofeibea quist-arcton is the npr africa correspondent. she s of ghanaian descent, but has made dakar the senegalese capital, her home for over ten years. ofeibea: the senegalese are easy to get on with and they care about you and i guess ....
The way you dress. she doesn t want you to be, like, oh my gosh. i love her hair. oh, her earrings! oh! the watch! no, you see us as something threatening but we are just here in peace. anthony: what about women s roles here, traditionally? in many of the african countries that i ve been to often you will see the man walking up front and behind the wife and the children, you know, carry, carrying the, the bucket of water or, you know, laden down doing the work. fama: i mean, here, in dakar, you re not gonna see it. [ laughter ] anthony: you say that with a with determination. fama: oh, yeah. oh, yeah. i am definitely sure about that, okay? anthony: as if you will personally ensure that you won t. [ laughter ] fama: yes. seriously, i think it s time for women to change the face of senegal. anthony: why not now? fama: they are not ready for that right now. ....
youssou: all these people who are using the religion, muslim religion, to do bad things, i think senegal have examples. i think this country have models for the religion. this country, you know, you are here, i m doing my local bissap and you are with your beer and country 95% muslim. and, i think this example can help all the world. anthony: i hope so. inshallah. youssou: inshallah. [singing] ....
Islam which is often considered more tolerant. fama: senegal is very different from other countries. we are very tolerant. we also have, in senegalese family, christian married to muslim, muslim married to christian. so, you don t really know exactly who s christian and you don t really know who is muslim. anthony: it is a comfortable assumption that islam is oppressive to women that it allows no room for personal expression, that it forces women to hide themselves. these ladies, however, make that argument more complicated. fama diouf is a photographer. oumy ndour is a journalist and television presenter. minielle tall is an entrepreneur and owner of a group of salons. as the country changes many, if not most, have adopted the cultural values and styles of the west. however, two of these women have chosen to wear the traditional hijab. ....
Really the way you treat the others. love, you receive love. that s what teranga is. so, today you are our guest so you ll be treated with our national dish. anthony: everyone comes together often over this iconic dish. thiebou jen, which in wolof means, simply, rice with fish. it s pretty much the national dish of senegal. today it s senegalese grouper scored and stuffed with a mixture of garlic, parsley and peppers then slow simmered in a hearty tomato broth. infused with a funkatizing goodness brought by fermented conch and saltfish. served over rice and vegetables. anthony: i m gonna watch you and i m gonna do what you do. pierre: let s do it. that s good. anthony: the meal is eaten from one communal platter, an experience both fun and instructive. sustenance and life lesson. anthony: mm. oh, that s good. ....