The Indian Muslim community experienced double minority status, first in India, then in South Africa, a factor that contributed to this group’s later modes of mobilization in the early decades of... Show moreThe Indian Muslim community experienced double minority status, first in India, then in South Africa, a factor that contributed to this group’s later modes of mobilization in the early decades of the twentieth century. From the 1930’s, as the education system modernized, the cultural heritage of Indian Islam began to play a role in the specific context of South Africa characterized by modes of integration of the Indian Muslim minority in South Africa. Show less
Islam in South Africa is characterized by an exceptional diversity that might be compared to that of the Muslim world in general. Despite the relatively low number of Muslims in South Africa ... Show moreIslam in South Africa is characterized by an exceptional diversity that might be compared to that of the Muslim world in general. Despite the relatively low number of Muslims in South Africa (approximately 550000 Muslim inhabitants, or 1.36 per cent of the entire population -one of the smallest minorities in the country- they form an integral and visible part of the society. This is especially true in the urban areas of the Western Cape, Natal, and Transvaal regions. Show less
Muslims make up about 2% of the 42 million people in South Africa. They were classified under the Apartheid as 'Malays' and 'Indians' and settled in such major cities as Cape Town, Durban, Port... Show moreMuslims make up about 2% of the 42 million people in South Africa. They were classified under the Apartheid as 'Malays' and 'Indians' and settled in such major cities as Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Pretoria. As the longest surviving religious minority in a predominantly Christian and secular country, the Muslims of South Africa have preserved their cultural and religious identity. This is due, in no small measure, to their Islamic educational institutions. Show less
Two years after the first free elections in the history of South Africa, which brought the liberation movement to political power, a new twist was added to the seemingly ever-present violence of... Show moreTwo years after the first free elections in the history of South Africa, which brought the liberation movement to political power, a new twist was added to the seemingly ever-present violence of the gang-lands of Cape Town. A vigilante movement dominated by Cape Muslims, People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD), launched a series of assassinations of local drug lords and vowed to free the postapartheid townships of the scourge of crime and drugs. Since autumn of the year 2000, PAGAD's militant actions have ceased to pose a security threat in Cape Town. Most of the militants of the movement are behind bars. But even long after the movement reached its zenith and decline, academics have failed to reach a consensus over what the peculiar phenomenon of PAGAD actually represented. Show less
