Le Repos Dogon is an excellent little auberge in Sévaré: simple, spotlessly clean, and run by a bunch of helpful and charming Dogons with two rather exceptional brothers at the helm. Ali the owner is professor of Philosophy at the university of Bamako. His little brother Abdraman (above centre) runs the hotel while he is attempting to pass his concourse pour l'entrée à la service publique - he is a lawyer.
There are always good conversations to be had with these brothers. Last night Abdraman told me he wanted to become a judge. I wanted to know why and he replied that the idea of having the power to change people's destinies fascinated him. 'So you want to be God?' I asked. 'No, God doesn't need to adhere to any laws' replied Abdraman,' whereas a judge has to pass judgements within the limits of the law'.
I wasn't too sure that God was exempt from laws however and suggested 'But God too has to remain within the limits of the divine principles he has set for himself. For instance, God has to be good and just?' But Abdraman disagreed and pointed out that God's justice and goodness was arbitrary and unequally distributed or would certainly appear so from the point of view of the poor. I had to admit he was right.