Blog of Gussai H.S. مدوّنة قصي

  • The history of Islam in Africa is rich, substantial, and full of contradictions. While some would agree that Islam has a large positive heritage in Africa, others would disagree. In either case, it cannot be denied that Islam is now entrenched in many African cultures - almost inseparably - but also has a history of influencing many negative trends and forms of oppression, such as slavery, racism, and sexism. A question that should be addressed objectively: is Islam itself, as a religion, responsible for its history of oppression in Africa? i.e., are the practices of slavery and the prejudices of racism and sexism in Africa legitimately associated with the history of Islam? I heard arguments that affirm this association many times, in many different ways, by many different people, and every time I hear it - and after considerable examination - I conclude that it is generally reactionary and ahistoric (i.e., without concern for historical development). I will try to explain my position here.

Some Historical and Contemporary Realities to Start with

To put things in perspectives, two points need to be in mind: 1- Islam today is the largest religion in Africa, with over 50% of the continent's population identified as Muslim.... CONTINUES AT: http://suraadiq.blogspot.com/2012/08/islam-african-religion.html?showComment=1369868824138#c8265340205131607508