Braving coronavirus, pilgrims flock to Senegal’s ‘little Mecca’
CHRISTOPHER VAN DER PERRE ORGANISERS of an annual religious festival in the Senegalese city of Touba are expecting three to five million pilgrims this week, despite the main ceremony being cancelled in an effort to lower the risk of coronavirus contagion. Other events are being video-streamed to avoid overcrowding, but no restrictions are in place to prevent followers of the Mouride Brotherhood from making the trip to the sacred site. The expected crowds would represent a marked departure from religious gatherings and sports events around the world that have been cancelled or severely curtailed to reduce the risk of COVID-19…