One of the marking features of the 1990s democratization in Niger has been the rise of a variety of Islamic discourses. Laicite has been among their major preoccupations. For many ulama this secularism contradicts Niger's religious identity. Three voices are presented: the Collaborators, the Moderates and the Despisers. Each group seeks to influence the political and ideological make-up of the state. Although ulama in general remain critical of the state ideological transformation, not all of them reject the separation from religion clause. The Collaborators suggest cooperation between the...