In his, documentary film, Dervishes of Kurdistan, Brian Moser explores the life of a group of Kurds. The film focuses on the social organization of this community and its attachment to religion which plays a significant part in everyday life. More specifically, the film looks at the Islamic practices and the extent to which they are seen as a clear manifestation of the Dervish people. Similar to this, Touba in Senegal is another example of social organization which is based on the structure of brotherhood. Both, the film by Brain and the book by Matt Shaffer and Christin Cooper explore the existence of local institutions within the state and the role they play in the development of civil societies. This paper will examine and discuss the extent to which the structure of these institutions contributes to building a local development.
In the film, Dervishes of Kurdistan is a highly organized Sufi brotherhood. The structural organization of this community is characterized by, first of all, a strong attachment to Islam which is reflected in every part of people's daily life. In essence, the adherence to Islamic culture plays a major role in strengthening the bounds between dervishes people and, most importantly, support their legitimacy. Interestingly, the structural order of Dervishes
community helps maintain the social order and reinforce how people are organized in terms of hierarchy. In addition to this, the idea of leadership which is carried out by shaykh has a strong influence on people in the sense that they perceive it as a prestigious religious position. In this context, the Shaykh is considered a holy man because of his devotion to Islam and religious brotherhood in general. Furthermore, the power that is given to the shaykh allows
him to control the way of life of his people and, to a large extent, the functioning of the community. An example of this is that shaykh's presence in religious ceremonies is central because it shows...