ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS AND THE POLITICAL
ECONOMY IN AFRICA: AN OVERVIEW OF
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - 3

[The Concept ]    [The Context ]   [Contemporary Islamic Movement ]   [African Political Economy ]   [Further Evidence ]   [Description to Prescription ]   [The Human Factor ]          [Role of Movements ]   [Conclusion ]  The Evolution of the Contemporary Islamic movements in Africa Contemporary Islamic movements in Africa like their counterparts elsewhere in the Muslim World, started to gather momentum during the colonial period and only took concrete shapes in the post-colonial period, specifically the last quarter of a century. The desperate effort to subvert, and where possible, uproot the Sharia, the militant imposition of Western values and institutions and the insolence of the invading kuffar and their wanton disregard for Islamic values, which characterized the colonial period, was more than enough reason for torment and agitation in the Muslim mind. Colonization itself in most parts of Muslim Africa came only after running battles that left many dead and bitter memories that continue to pervade the Muslim psyche. It couldn't have been surprising therefore that as Muslims recuperated form the shock and wounds of this invasion they seek to reassemble for another round of struggle to recapture that freedom to live Islam without any hitch or hindrance. What was surprising however was that this reassembling was taking place in the very citadels of European colonization, the Western educational institutions where Muslim minds were supposed to be molded and indoctrinated to accept the Western ethos and world view and become subservient to the West. Interestingly, even in these colonial fortresses, it is those who have been starved most of Muslim history and culture and exposed to some of the atheist ideas of Darwin, the science students, who took the lead. Thus many scientists, engineers and doctors are found in the ranks of these movements and are today leading a few in Africa. [4] Their initial concern was nostalgic in nature and limited in vision, but as they grew and matured they raised their gaze and acquired a more comprehensive vision, bringing literally every conceivable aspect of human endeavour under their purview: education, politics and economy in particular. The rate at which the movements mature is naturally the function of the social and political terrain and the challenges and obstacle they have to face. Even within the same setting, the rate of maturation of different movements or groups may differ according to the experiences and vision of the members and leadership. The priorities may also differ and these differences usually give movements their local character and therefore their individual appeals or otherwise. But often these differences also created strains and frictions, but on the whole they tend to complement each other. A more fundamental distinguishing feature among Islamic movements in Africa is the agenda which in turn is largely determined by the nature of the milieu. The two major agendas are awakening and proselytization or what Ali Mazrui calls revivalism and expansion.[5] The former concentrates on revitalizing the Muslim community while the latter tries to increase the number of the Muslim community by extending the message of Islam beyond the community itself. While the two are not mutually exclusive and are in fact both complementary and necessary, yet taken together tend to blur focus and spread resources thin. But whether a movement takes one or both is determine not so much by choice as by circumstances. Movements in the countries of North Africa like Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, where the society is overwhelmingly Muslim, tend to focus on revival. Movements in the countries of southern Africa were Islam has only been spreading, tend to focus on proselytization. The countries in between (west, central and eastern Africa) are those in which Muslims either form the majority or a substantial minority and here both agendas are an imperative. So movements in Africa tend to fall into one of these three categories, those that focus primarily on the revival agenda, those that focus on proselytization and those that pursue both even if one takes the better of the other. Where revivalism is the focus, the movements tends to address socio-economic and political issues. Their appeal is not coming only from the Islamic awakening, the realization that Islam is the life of a Muslim, but also from a practical consideration that the movement holds a better promise for equity and justice than the oppressive puppet regimes in the region. FIS in Algeria had even started a cut-price market to register the importance it gives to people's welfare and to economic issues. Much earlier Islamic banks and finance houses in Egypt were said to be making more profit than the interest based banks that there was a massive shift of savings to the Islamic finance houses that the government had to intervene to save the interest based banks. The Sudan belongs to this category not so much by geography as by history, politics and, not least, choice. The impact and role of the Islamic movement in the Sudan is too well known to warrant recounting here.[6] In the category of dual agenda, Islamic movements pursue revivalism and proselytization simultaneously. The higher the percentage of the non-Muslim population the more proselytizing that takes place. Senegal and Nigeria are both Muslim majority states, but with higher percentage of non-Muslims in Nigeria, the Movements do more proselytizing there than in Senegal. In Senegal the movements have for nearly two decades concentrated on providing social services while keeping an eye and whenever possible, getting a say on political developments in the country. They played a crucial role in the reconciliation between Senegal and Mauritania following the ethnic crisis a few years back. They have managed to have an Islamic bank in Dakar for well over a decade, the first in the West African sub-region. It has since then been opening its doors to Islamic ideas on the economy. For this November the government of Senegal along with the Islamic development bank and African Development bank organized a conference on 'Islamic Financement and the challenges of parity of the CFA currency'. In Nigeria the movements have over the last two decades or so been challenging the secular status of the country and pressing for the application of Sharia for the Muslims. Though they have not as yet secured a total application of the Sharia, they have extended the jurisdiction of the Sharia from the narrow confines of personal law to cover all civil matters.[7] But even more important, the movements have, through the Sharia debate, mobilized an increasing number of the Muslim population for future action. On the economic front the movements, operating in varied forms and styles, have decried the social injustices that the prevailing economic system imposes and campaigned for the consideration of the Islamic economic system. Though they have not as yet succeeded in establishing an Islamic economic institution as such, they have secured two major openings, a community bank decree and a Hajj bank decree, both of which allow interest free banking. [8] But even more important is the way an increasing number of Nigerian universities are offering Islamic economics as a course. It should be added that this is all in spite of a massive pressure form the Christian fifth column, fully inspired and backed by foreign press and institutions. Kenya in East Africa, also falls in to this category, under a Christian leadership its nearly 40% Muslim population, mainly living in the coast, had been completely marginalized for the three decades of Kenya independence. In the last two years however the movements in Kenya have brought this gross injustice to the center stage of Kenya politics. In the wake of multiparty politics they have insisted on the registration of the Islamic Party of Kenya IPK. Professor Ali Mazrui, himself a Kenyan Muslim from the coastal area, had publicly supported the cause the IPK champions and advised Kenyan government to redress the injustice to the Muslims in Kenya or face what he called a 'black intifada'.[9] Tanzania in East Africa, very much like Sierra Leon in West Africa are both at least 75% Muslim majority countries which have been run by Christian leadership, Tanzania until recently and S/Leon until today the recent civil war. In both these countries Muslims have been marginalized and Islam brushed aside. The Islamic movements in both countries have, in the last few years, made spirited efforts to defend their rights and identities as Muslims, largely promoted by Christian provocation.[10] Christian provocation of the majority Muslim community in Tanzania takes the pattern of Nigeria. The uproar created by Christians over Tanzanian's involvement in the newly created Islam in Africa Organization [IAO] is similar to the one made in Nigeria by the Christians when the country joined the OIC. Similarly the provocation involving pigs in the Muslim quarters of Dar-es-salaam[11] has become a common feature of Muslim Christian relationship in Nigeria today. The Christian responses or provocation's are reactions to the massive proselytization that have been taking place at the expense of Christianity in these countries. Third category is where the focus is on proselytization and Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa are typical. Islam has been on the South African coast for centuries but it was never allowed to take firm roots in the hinterland. Its spread into the hinterland in particular is a fairly recent phenomena, but in the last three decades proselytization has been the main engagement. In the last one decade however clear Muslim communities have been emerging with their schools and mosques, this is particularly remarkable in Malawi. In apartheid South Africa the activities of Ahmad Deedat and his IPC in Durban, Transvaal is well known to the Muslim World. But while the majority of the Muslims of Transvaal who are of Indian decent have tended to focus on proselytization and carefully avoided questioning apartheid, the Muslims of the Cape Region who are of Malay decent have tended to question apartheid from its inception, boasting of some shuhada' like Imam Musa Haroon who died in prison. In the last two decades or so the Cape Region has been simmering with revivalism echoing the successes and tribulations of Islamic movements around the globe. The Islamic movements in the cape region of south Africa seemed to be best prepared for a post apartheid South Africa and with many competent members in their ranks they appear capable of playing a significant role in influencing events not only in South Africa but also in the wider region of Southern Africa. So contemporary Islamic movements in Africa are of varying sizes, agendas and potentials.[12] Until very recently many have been confined to their colonial boundaries, with little or no idea of what is happening across the border. But this is changing, even the Anglophones and the Francophones are demolishing the colonial boundaries, overcoming the language barriers and discovering the much they have in common. Regional meetings have become more frequent and regional bodies are emerging to give continuity and depth to this renewed brotherhood. To this should be added the increasing contact with the growing African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean.[13]