The academic study of Islam and of Muslim societies in sub-Saharan Africa has developed during the past thirty years more as part of African studies than of Islamic studies. Islamic studies in... Show moreThe academic study of Islam and of Muslim societies in sub-Saharan Africa has developed during the past thirty years more as part of African studies than of Islamic studies. Islamic studies in Africa has therefore not been so deeply influenced by the orientalist heritage of Western scholarship that prevailed among those who studied Islam in the central Muslim regions. On the other hand, the global resurgence of Islam that has taken place during the same period, in all its social, political, religious and indeed academic forms, has had a profound influence on African Islamic studies. Show less
On Friday 7 August 1998, the world was horrified by two bomb attacks on the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. Although 250 Kenyan citizens and about ten Tanzanians were killed in... Show moreOn Friday 7 August 1998, the world was horrified by two bomb attacks on the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. Although 250 Kenyan citizens and about ten Tanzanians were killed in these attacks, the attention of the world focused mainly on the distress caused by the deaths of twelve Americans. The perpetrators were immediately sought among Muslims in the Middle East. The past of Osama Bin Laden - the suspected mastermind behind the attacks - was dredged up and a possible Dutch connection with international terrorism was explored in depth. Africa seems to have been no more than an accidental setting for these attacks, possibly selected because airport security leaves so much to be desired. Show less
