Oct 01, 2017 and nowhere has islam belied its purported nature as a religion of peace more than in africa. This study of islam in africa essentially is a work that greatly privileges his region of specialization. Sufi order in west africa, with a large following in mauritania, mali, niger, senegal and gambia. States like mali and songhay built on military power and dynastic alliances. Nigeria provides a rich context for understanding the cultural, social, economic, and political issues that are involved in the christian muslim encounter.
Relations between christianity and islam over a period of fourteen centuries have ranged from conflict to concord. The cultural economic and political impact of islam on west. Islam is thus not contained in any national culture. For instance, if a muslim country has a right to dictate its law. Islam and muslim politics in africa during the decade and a half since the end of the cold war, africa has seen momentous changes. The eastern coast of africa saw the rise of swahili civilisation which was not an empire or a kingdom but a collection of city states like zanzibar and mombasa and mogadishu. It is noted that while both the nonmuslim and muslim worlds must understand these ugly facts, muslims in particular must also accept the muslim share of responsibility for the consequent centuries of untold pain and suffering heaped on africans by the introduction of a foreign religion and in the name of the god of that religion, if there is.
Africa, and by the fifteenth century the christian coptic population of egypt itself was reduced to a minority of some 15 percent. For the first time in a single volume, the history of islam in africa presents a detailed historic mapping of the cultural, political, geographic, and religious past of this significant presence on a continentwide scale. The popular and academic mak ing and imagining of africa, as david robinson explains in muslim societies in african history, was shaped by a very different experience. The politics of islam in africa uf center for african studies. The christian nubians, who resisted muslim expansion for almost six centuries, steadily lost ground between the twelfth and the fourteenth centuries chapter 5. What is common among this differentiated whole is the claim of all muslims liberal or conservative, activist or lay persons to true islam, to the sacred texts. Islam and muslim politics in africa this page intentionally left blank islam and muslim politics in africaedited. The contributors to this volume investigate and illuminate the changes that have occurred in africa, through detailed case studies. Muslim societies in africa indiana university press.
The distributions of muslims in these representative national samples, which correlate almost perfectly with a standard source7, are shown in figure 1. Muslim merchants brought islam into west africa and it spreads throughout the rest of africa. Muslims crossed current djibouti and somalia to seek refuge in presentday eritrea and ethiopia during the hijrah arabic. Islamic education in south africa meeting the demands of. Saudi arabia muslim world muslim society political liberalization muslim identity. Given the paucity of research on islam in contemporary sub. Muslims voices must be heard in deciding what kinds of laws they want, and what kinds of priorities the governments should have. In south africa, the crisis of the apartheid state also created motivations for parents who could afford to do so, to seek other forms of schooling. But contrarily, there are only a few christian missionaries that are working to spread the gospel in muslim. Islam and politics in east africa was first published in 1980. Understanding islam, its history in ghana, and an effective. Sharkey university of pannsylvania muslim societies in african history should do well in the textbooks market.
Islams spread from ad to 1750 ad impacted africa socially, culturally, and politically by instituting the slave trade, creating a rise in education, and adding muslim leaders to west africas history. Religious identifications and attitudes to democracy were measured in four countries in east and west africa. The arabs came to africa to trade in many things, including human beings. Yet muslim societies as concrete entities or in reality are never. Introduction islams presence in african history islams presence in african history dates back to the first phase of the prophet muhammads mission, when in 615 a.
Islam and politics in east africa university of minnesota press. Islam helped expand trading routes from just the transsaharan to outside of. Muslims crossed current djibouti and somalia to seek refuge in presentday eritrea and ethiopia during the hijrah. The spread of islam in africa began in the 7th and 8th cent. Spread of islam in africa javad haghnavaz department of islamic thoughts faculty, jolfa branch, islamic azad university, jolfa, iran abstract. Muslim holy texts, the koran and hadith, and the medieval islamic philosophers, such as ibn khaldun about whos work abderraziq had written a thesis at the end of his studies in political sciences and economics in the uk. Guest speakers will discuss new dynamics within islam in africa, how muslim groups organize themselves, how they relate to the state, each other and the broader society, the political and social issues. The presented data show that about 27% of the population of africa is muslim, a total of about 446 million. During the decade and a half since the end of the cold war, africa has seen momentous changes.
Therefore, a muslim is one who strives to submit to god. Islam 19 th e coming of islam 19 islam versus colonialism 20 th e present appeal of islam 21 islam and civil wars in west africa 23 christianity 2525 christianity and colonialism 25 africanisation of christianity 3030 christianity, armed con. Some mosques and other islamic structures in mali, senegal, and burkina faso date back to the 12th century. Indeed, since the early 1990s, economic and political reform and liberalization, the weakening of the state or even in some cases its collapse, and increased global interconnections have all had dramatic impacts on the continent. Almost onethird of the worlds muslim population resides in this continent. Minnesota archive editions uses digital technology to make longunavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original university of minnesota press editions. Muslim societies in africa provides a concise overview of muslim societies in africa in light of their role in african history and the history of the islamic world. Nimtz opens this book with a historical account of islam in east africa, and in subsequent chapters analyzes the role of tariqas in tanzania and, more. I argue that the sharia project, and particularly the new government bureaucracies created. While this was a shortlived encounter, muslims eventually left a lasting influence in north africa which.
Islam and muslim politics in africa pdf free download epdf. Aug 01, 2001 it is noted that while both the non muslim and muslim worlds must understand these ugly facts, muslims in particular must also accept the muslim share of responsibility for the consequent centuries of untold pain and suffering heaped on africans by the introduction of a foreign religion and in the name of the god of that religion, if there is. Reese northern arizona university abstract this essay discusses some of the recent trends in the scholarship on islam and africa that contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the historical relationship between african muslims and the global ecumene of believers. Focusing on the interplay of religion, society, and politics, august nimtz examines the role of sufi tariqas brotherhoods in tanzania, where he observed an african muslim society at first hand. It is equally important to recognize the rights of those of other faiths, or of none, who may have different views. The histom1 ofls1am il1 africa ohio university press. Muslim politics and sharia in nigeria democracy in africa. It is based on public opinion surveys conducted by the pew research center between 2008 and 2012 in a total of 39 countries and territories on three continents.
Note, however, that such nmos were found not only in african countries islam and democracy in east africa 491 downloaded by university of leeds at 15. Saharan africa, many commentators have resorted to outdated notions of localized african islam and islamic fundamentalist security threats often thought to come from outside the continent. In tamale alone there are over a dozen muslim missionaries at the present time. Such processes have also influenced muslim societies and the practice of islam in africa in ways that are still not well understood. Only now is the historical contribution of african muslims to islamic history receiving the attention it so richly deserves. The newly released book, islam and muslim politics in africa, challenges. Early history the earliest concrete evidence of islam and muslims in eastern africa is a mosque foundation in lamu where gold, silver and copper coins dated ad 830 were found. This essay will expand the debate by examining gender ideology in west africa through the lens of two case studies. Along the coast of africa islam spread among the berbers, who joined the muslim community and almost immediately drove north across the mediterranean into europe. The contributors to this collection explore the intersecting dynamics of islam, society, and the state in subsaharan africa. Africa was the first continent into which islam spread from southwest asia, during the early 7th century ce. Islam and politics in africa uf center for african studies.
Spread of islam in west africa islam reached the savannah region in the 8th century c. Muslim societies in african history by david robinson. This report examines the social and political views of muslims around the world. The history of the islamic faith on the continent of africa spans fourteen centuries.
Africa is a vast continent, second only to asia in size and five times the size of europe. This is a course is comparative politics and african studies, and is open to students in political. On the other side of africa, there was an alternative model of civilizational development. The newly released book, islam and muslim politics in africa, challenges such conventional assumptions about islam in africa. List of books and articles about islam in africa online.
An understanding of the multifaceted nature of political islam on the african sub continent is a precondition for the formulation of an effective u. Africa was the first continent, outside of arabia that islam spread into in the early 7th century. The role of islam in west african politics goes back to the beginnings of the encounter between islamic culture and traditional african political leadership in the. Almost onethird of the worlds muslim population resides in the continent. His family had been involved in politics since his father hassan pacha abderraziq had participated in the. As a lucid and concise overview of major trends in african islamic history, muslim societies in africa will make an ideal undergraduate textbook as well as a useful reference for historians. Historically, islam is also at a crossroads, destined to play a world role in politics and to become the most prominent world religion during the 21st century. State building in africa was influenced both by indigenous and islamic inspiration. Robinson concerns himself with islam in north and west africa, while he leaves out entirely any mention of the eastern sudanic region, as well as central and south africa. Sufis in africa islam is the worlds largest religion with a following of over one billion people called muslims. In iran such groups controlled and defined the system as a whole. The respondents feel muslim first, then citizens, except in tunisia personally, you feel youre more citizen of the country arabic african mediterranean berber muslim christian jewish kabyle.
Islams spread to west africa and the impact on politics, ec. The west africans learned the five pillars of faith. My january 2015 article in african affairs, muslim politics and sharia in kano state, nigeria, examines a different arena of contestation. The famous scholar ibn munabbah wrote as early as 738 c. Arabs visited africa about five centuries before europeans did. This does not mean that muslims should avoid politics. Despite all of these changes, west africa maintained some continuity as well. West, and i will try to make all articles available in electronic form, via pdf or library link. Muslim societies in african history new approaches to. And nowhere has islam belied its purported nature as a religion of peace more than in africa. However, therein lies the weakness of this particular title. Political liberalization and economic reform, the weakening of the state, and increased global interconnections have all had profound effects on muslim societies and the practice of islam in africa. Political islam in subsaharan africa united states institute of peace.
Guest speakers will discuss new dynamics within islam in africa, how muslim groups organize themselves, how they relate to the state, each other and the broader society, the political and social. Until colonial times, images of sub saharan africa were primarily the product of wild speculations about a. Nigeria provides a rich context for understanding the cultural, social, economic, and political issues that are involved in the christianmuslim encounter. Muslim scholarship, aping the west during the colonial era, went along with this denial. Moreover, the fall of apartheid, and particularly tense negotiations that ushered the new democracy, ensured the right of minorities to own schooling carrim 1998. Islam in africa linked its regions to the outside world through trade, religion, and politics. On top of that, many other issues get involved in it. Jun 10, 2015 my january 2015 article in african affairs, muslim politics and sharia in kano state, nigeria, examines a different arena of contestation. Second, i will briefly look at the role of islam and muslim scholarwarriors in the politics of precolonial west africa. Throughout the muslim world in the twentieth century, many groups that identify themselves explicitly as islamic attempted to participate directly in the democratic processes as regimes were overthrown in eastern europe, africa, and elsewhere. Mar 03, 20 islam s spread from ad to 1750 ad impacted africa socially, culturally, and politically by instituting the slave trade, creating a rise in education, and adding muslim leaders to west africa s history. Muslim world islam and democracy muslim world residents see no conflict between religious principles and democratic values by dalia mogahed, executive director, the gallup center for muslim studies islam in politics has been asserted in many countries in the muslim world through democratic elections.
Mar 25, 20 this conference will explore key trends in african islam and examine how these trends and other new influences are shaping muslim communities and their engagement in politics and public life. Roman loimeier identifies patterns and peculiarities in the historical, social, economic, and political development of africa, and addresses the impact of islam over the longue duree. But the question is how far this law can be transformed into legislation for running a political government. They are using any means they can think of to spread islam. Muslim societies in african history the islamic monthly. They prayed in arabic and fasted, worshiped islamic mosques, went on. Impact on religious practices impact on language spread of islam in west africa as islam spread in west africa people adopted new religious practices. This conference will explore key trends in african islam and examine how these trends and other new influences are shaping muslim communities and their engagement in politics and public life.