Islam and Muslim societies often appear in the contemporary period, at least to the “Western” public, as if uncompromising, inflexible, and unwilling to adjust to modernity. Unfortunately this... Show moreIslam and Muslim societies often appear in the contemporary period, at least to the “Western” public, as if uncompromising, inflexible, and unwilling to adjust to modernity. Unfortunately this debate leaves significant aspects of Muslim ways of life and its inherent pluralistic dimensions in the shadow. Zanzibar—a Muslim and multicultural society off the East African coast, like other Swahili societies, has a diverse population, aesthetics and life-style. The multicultural dimension of the island of Zanzibar gets uniquely articulated through the popular belief in spirits called masheitani ya kibuki and the rituals performed on their behalf. Show less