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EPILOGUE 323based in traditional South Asian Muslim society. Intalla ag Attaher initiallyacted favourably to the female candidate, in spite of her clan origin. She was theappointed candidate for ADEMA, the party in power in Mali, and Intalla hadmade it his policy throughout his long career to side with the political party inpower. He changed his position around May 1999. Under the influence of theTablighi doctrine, the local ‘ulama decreed that it was impossible according toMuslim law to have a female mayor. Should Intalla fail to revoke his supportfor ‘Doe’, they would no longer acknowledge him as ‘amir al-mu’minin. Intallathereupon suggested one of his sons to run as an alternative candidate to ‘Doe’within the ADEMA party, while another son decided to run for an oppositionparty so as to hinder any eventual coalition talks after the elections. It is easy toguess that henceforth the sharpest opposition to the Tablighi Jamaat in Kidalcame from women, particularly women from ‘Doe’s’ immediate family. Notonly did the Tablighi Jamaat create difficulties to her run for mayor, but manywomen also feared what they called ‘Algerian situations’: a forced retreat frompublic and political life under the impact of conservative Islamic teachings. Inan open letter to the traditional rulers and notables of the city, a group ofinfluential women from Kidal asked where precisely Islam bars women frombecoming elected and since when the spiritual leaders of the region neededadvice from strangers. They stated that women had always enjoyed the right toparticipate in social debates and that Kel Tamasheq traditions were preferable tothose of strangers. 13 To avoid the political competition with the Ifoghas, ‘Doe’then withdrew as ADEMA candidate to set up her own electoral list, called‘Tenhert’, and continued to campaign with the continuous presence of a bodyguard,as someone had tried to assassinate her in the meantime. She gained apercentual majority in the Communal Council, but the new ADEMA candidatecame in second, blocking her direct election as Mayor of Kidal. Long-drawnnegotiations followed under very tense conditions. The fear of internecineviolence grew so strong that a state of emergency was declared locally, and anight curfew was set at eight in the evening with tanks patrolling the streets ofKidal. Finally an agreement was reached through the mediation of the partyleadership in Bamako. In the end ‘Doe’ accepted defeat in exchange for a moreor less assured position on the electoral lists of the newly created Haut Conseildes Collectivités, an elected advisory organ meant to represent the new Communesat the central-government level. She did so partly because of the unrelentingopposition of the ‘ulama and Intalla, but partly also because of theuntimely death of Attaher ag Bissaada, the amenokal of the Idnan. The disputeover his succession also considerably weakened the Idnan power position in theestablishment of the new democratic Commune council.13Ibid.