Spirit of Tolerance

The story of remarkable individuals should belong to the world, as well as to a specific time and place. In a world where religious faiths are often at odds with each other, the story of Tierno Bokar should be shared. Tierno Bokar (1875-1939) was an African mystic and Muslim spiritual teacher of the early twentieth century. This is the first full English translation of Amadou Hampaté Bâ's book on Tierno Bokar, Vie et Enseignement de Tierno Bokar: Le Sage de Bandiagara, which introduced him to the non-African world. Tierno Bokar was remarkable for the drama of his life story (which was made into a recent play directed by Peter Brook) and his message of religious tolerance and universal love as essential aspects of all religion. Despite the intense persecution by small-minded zealots, rival clans and the French colonial authority, Tierno Bokar's personal example and his simple but profound teachings emerged to live on in this book. This volume includes an introduction by Dr. Louis Brenner, perhaps the world's most renowned authority on Tierno Bokar.