AEGIS ECAS 2007 - View abstract

Panel	30. Islamic education and activism in sub-Saharan Africa
Paper ID	760
Author(s)	Turner, Simon
Paper	No paper submitted
Abstract	Taking its point of departure in the ever changing role of Islam in education in Zanzibar, this paper explores how global trends in Islam, helped by information technology and high speed travel, have reconfigured the relationship between generations, between state and citizens and between religion and politics. It argues that Islam is playing an increasing role in Zanzibar education and that the general knowledge of Islam is increasing dramatically, due to globalization and to political changes in Tanzania/Zanzibar. Furthermore, it argues that this knowledge leads to a reform of Islam, as has been seen many places in Africa, and that interpretations of Islam are becoming individualized, as anybody can access different approaches via satellite TV, DVDs, booklets and the internet. This poses challenges to the religious and political authorities in place. These authorities frame it as a problem of 'fundamentalism' and/or of rogue 'young men' who have been brainwashed by Wahabis while studying in the Middle East. The paper explores how reformist Islamists maneuver in this space, avoiding the 'fundamentalist' label. Until 1964 there was a flourishing Islamic scholarly debate in Zanzibar, and the colonial government even gave scholarships to go to Saudi, Sudan, Kenya and Egypt to study Islam. After the revolution, much of the island's secular and Islamic educated elite left the country, and those sheiks who remained, kept a low profile. In the early 1980s religion was again allowed in the public sphere, and young men were given scholarships to study in Medina and elsewhere. This soon created problems between the young returnees, who had been exposed to various kinds of revivalist Islam and the local religious authorities. The fact that the Mufti is appointed by the President has not made this relationship better. Apart from the returning scholars - who are often referred to as 'the youth', despite the fact that many are married men in their late 30s, new Islamic learning is coming other ways as well. Secondary schools, teachers' training colleges and universities are being funded by wealthy individuals from the Gulf states and manned by teachers from Sudan, Pakistan, etc. Vast amounts of literature, tapes, CDs and DVDs in Arabic, English and Swahili are widely available. The middle classes travel a lot, not just to study in Medina, but to study in Britain or on dawa to the rest of East Africa, etc. Finally, there is an abundance of Islamic channels on satellite TV, while the internet is flowing over with interpretations of the holy book. This means that knowledge of the Quran is increasing rapidly. Whereas people used to simply recite the Quran in madressas, many now know Arabic and are able to interpret the texts and reflect on their meaning. This process has led to an individualization of knowledge, challenging the authority of the elder Sheiks and traditional ways of practicing Islam. This paper seeks to uncover these processes and explore which kind of Islam emerges in this field.

"These young men show no respect for local customs"