Islam and Muslim Politics in Africa

Islam and Muslim Politics in Africa

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SKU: 9781403979643
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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. The contributors to this volume investigate and illuminate the changes they have brought, through detailed case studies of Muslim youth activists, Islamic NGOs, debates about Islamic law, secularism and minority rights, and Muslims and the political process in both conflict and post-conflict settings. Their work offers fresh perspectives on the complexity of Muslim politics in contemporary Africa.

Benjamin F. Soares is a Researcher in the African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. René Otayek is a political scientist and Director, Centre d’Etude d’Afrique Noire, Bordeaux.
“This collection is extremely relevant, well researched, and well compiled. It should be read not only just by scholars of Islam who are familiar with sub-Saharan Africa, but particularly by those who are not.”—Contemporary Islam 
“The timely interest of Islam in politics and in the international arena needs no emphasis in the context of the post 9/11 world.  While much attention of course has been focused on these issues by academics and policymakers, sub-Saharan African has been largely ignored.  This volume is thus potentially a very welcome addition to the literature, filling a real need in terms of close, research-based accounts of the dynamics of Islam in a wide range of countries.”

–Leonardo Villalon, Director, Center for African Studies, University of Florida

 

“The general subject of Islam and sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of an interdisciplinary and comparative study like this. This volume makes a significant contribution in this direction, and will be particularly valuable for scholars and students of African studies and Islamic studies, and policymakers in the region and beyond.”
–Abdullahi An-Na’im, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, Emory Law School
 
“This excellent collection of case studies fills an important gap in our understanding of African Muslims’ engagement with political life in an era of globalization and political and economic liberalization. They present a fascinating picture of the range of African Muslim participation in the political arena, while challenging conventional assumptions about Islam in Africa. These essays will enable a wider audience to appreciate the diversity and complexity of Islam and political practice among one-fifth of the world’s Muslims.”

Introduction: Islam and Muslim Politics in Africa–René Otayek & Benjamin F. Soares * PART I: BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL * Islam in Mauritania between Political Expansion and Globalization: Elites, Institutions, Knowledge, and Networks–Zekeria Ould Ahmed Salem * Global Concerns, Local Realities: Islam and Islamism in a Somali State under Construction–Marleen Renders * Transformations of Islam and Communal Relations in Wallo, Ethiopia–Jan Abbink * Aid, Umma, and Politics: Transnational Islamic NGOs in Chad–Mayke Kaag * New Religious Actors in South Africa: The Example of Islamic Humanitarianism–Samadia Sadouni * PART II: THE QUESTION OF THE STATE * Muslim Reformists and the State in Benin–Denise Brégand * Perceptions of Marginalization: Muslims in Contemporary Tanzania–Roman Loimeier * Kenyan Muslims, the Aftermath of 9/11, and the “War on Terror”–Rüdiger Seesemann * Politics and Sharia in Northern Nigeria–Sanusi Lamido Sanusi * Political Islam in Sudan: Islamists and the Challenge of State Power (1989-2004)–Einas Ahmed * PART III: NEW WAYS OF BEING MUSLIM * Islam in Mali in the Neoliberal Era–Benjamin F. Soares * Islamic Associations in Cameroon: Between the Umma and the State–Hamadou Adama * Negotiating Futures: Islam, Youth, and the State in Niger–Adeline Masquelier

Additional information

Weight 1 oz
Dimensions 1 × 6 × 9 in