The Bad Grandmothers of the Island of Mayotte.

And then, as if this wasn’t enough, the next day, there was Bernard, a notaire who commutes between the French islands of La Reunion and the tiny Mayotte between Madagascar and the mainland which recently became a French Departement on the request of its inhabitants.  Now, I must confess that to be a notaire always seemed to me the most lacklustre of professions. But not so Bernard who displayed all the best French characteristics in bucketfuls : clear and precise analytical thinking and an ability to explain things crisply and with elegant economy which I suppose is useful for a notary. But in his case these qualities were joined by a Gallic sense of humour too, and I can’t remember laughing so much for a long time.

The population of the French Islands in the Comores is mainly muslim. The French administration makes allowances for Sharia law and also for local traditions and customs within reason. It is up to Bernard and his sister, the other notaire on the island of Mayotte to keep some sort of order and to resolve any disputes which arises. To do this they need to understand Islam and to that end the French government lets Bernard travel extensively in the African Islamic countries. So Bernard was on a combined pleasure and research visit.

The biggest problem of the island of Mayotte is the relationship between the muslim Kadis- the religious leaders and lawyers- and the large population of African Bantu people who inhabit the island and who are matrilinear: the women are in charge and according to the local tradition men do not inherit at all.  Bernard’s interesting task is to try and make these two hostile and diametrically opposed cultures meet and adhere to the same legal system- the French Napoleonic code but with plenty of possibility for elasticity. Bantu women of a certain age and of impressive physical dimensions come and see Bernard to make wills for the distribution of their often considerable fortunes. Their daughters inherit, and through their daughters the female grand- daughters according to the traditions.  Their sons do not inherit and neither do their male grandchildren.  Bernard’s task is to make them understand that this is not legal in French law, and since they have opted to become French, they will have to abide by French laws. There is no point in arguing with these ladies, however.  Bernard realized that another strategy was necessary. He thought long and hard and finally decided to try a ruse: ‘ I am sorry, Madam, he says. ‘After some consideration I  have come to the conclusion that I will not be able to work with you, because you are a Bad Grandmother’.  This causes outrage of course. ‘Why am I a bad grandmother?’ asks the matron, deeply offended. ‘Because you neglect your girl grandchildren born from your sons marriage: these girls get nothing and your other girl grandchildren from your daughters get everything!  Is that normal? After some huffing and puffing the lady will admit that there is something in what Bernard says, and after that important breach in the defenses the negotiations will soon be sailing along admirably!