Religions

Christians marginally outnumber Muslims in the contemporary multi-ethnic, multi-religious Ivorian society. Ivory Coast is a secular state, and the country’s constitution provides for the freedom of religion. Religious identity in Ivory Coast transcends political and ethnic contexts. While tensions and clashes have occurred between different religious groups, they are mainly fueled by the pursuit of political domination. Throughout history, Christians, and Muslims, the dominant religions have lived peacefully, and this harmony was threatened by the civil war.

Each of the main religious traditions has its own practitioners, such as Christian priests, nuns, and ministers, Islamic clerics, and the priests and diviners of traditional religions. In Islam, a significant religious authority is the marabout—a miracle worker, physician, and mystic who exercises both magical and moral authority. He is also respected as a dispenser of amulets, which protect the wearer against evil.

In the south, Akan religious practitioners include lineage heads, village chiefs, and priests who officiate at ritual observances for cults honoring specific deities. These priests also act as diviners, many of whom are believed to be clairvoyant and able to locate the source of spiritual difficulty for their followers, who consult them for a fee. Priests sometimes act as doctors, since many diseases are believed to have a spiritual basis.