Islam in kenya and tanzania united states air force. Muslim views on religion and politics pew research center. Hurst haynes, jeffrey 2005 islamic militancy in east africa, third world quarterly, 26, 8, pp. This has led to increasing politicization of islam in kenya, with the formation of the islamic. The history of islamic political thought is a gripping story in its own right.
Though in kenya these factors are considered, the political factor is seen as the steering wheel of education in the country. Islam blends politics with military might for instance jihad is a religous and political slogan that suggests a violent course to make others submit to the islamic faith. Islam and politics in kenya article letter to editor since independence there is widespread grievance among kenyan muslims who feel that the mainly christian regime treats them as secondclass citizens and discriminates against them economically and politically. In particular, this article traces the historical development of islam in east africa and discusses the political background of kenya and tanzania. Identity politics remains the key intervening variable undermining positive progression toward social cohesion in kenya. May 25, 2017 for a good source framing political islam in africa as a set of debates, see mazrui, et al. A political history of kenya dr john mwaruvie history, political science and pubic administration moi university p. Kenya 2016 international religious freedom report executive summary. The embassy supported interfaith and civic efforts to defuse political and ethnic tensions. Request pdf on jan 1, 2001, alamin mazrui and others published islam and. The kenyan government, like the govern ments of uganda, tanzania, and most. Like in the rest of east africa, christianity and islam came to kenya via different routes. Islam is well entrenched at the coastal region while. Request pdf on jan 1, 2001, alamin mazrui and others published islam and politics in kenya find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
African christianity african studies oxford bibliographies. Haram operating in nigeria, alqaida in the islamic maghreb operating in the sahara aqim and the lords resistance army operating in uganda kaufman, 2012. Section 493 states that any provision in the marriage act that is inconsistent with islamic law and practices shall not apply to persons who profess the islamic faith. Islam, hardly dormant prior to 2011, is playing an even more powerful role in egyptian public life. Despite longstanding divisions based on race, leadership rivalries, and doctrinal issues, most kenyan muslims share a wellfounded conviction that the christiandominated government. We start with identifying the most important islamic values related to the field of politics, and set the salient features of a configuration of a contemporary political system that would fulfill such values. But the question is how far this law can be transformed into legislation for running a political government. This basically means that anything political cannot be religious and conversely anything. While earlier studies of christianity in africa focused on the roles of european missions and missionaries in establishing christianity in africa, historians now tend to stress the roles of african converts, catechists, translators, and evangelists in interpreting christianity, spreading it to their neighbors, and establishing new christian movements and churches that are as. The coastal areas in kenya remained muslim settlements which were governed by arabswahili rulers until1498, when vasco da gama, a portuguese christian pioneer, arrived at malindi, with roman catholic missionaries in his company barret, et al.
If we place these different ideas and opinions in a spectrum, the theory of separation of religion and politics will occupy one side and the theory of inseparability of. Religion and politics in the contemporary kenya european. Sometimes it means little more than incorporating nonwestern ideas and authors into the study of political theory dallmayr. Muslim community clearly has gained a voice in kenyan politics oded 2000. Hence, a deeper understanding of the history of islam along with the internal politics of kenya and tanzania are necessary tools for the us to craft an effective policy in the region. Islam and politics in kenya scholarly publications. The terms, politics and state have been construed as mutually exclusive. In particular, this article traces the historical development of islam in east africa and discusses the political background of kenya. Jul 10, 2012 in lebanon, young people are less likely to see islam s political influence as positive. Islam and politics in kenya scholarly publications leiden university. Essays in honor of a meddlesome priest find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Islamic reform, political islam, and other contemporary ways of being muslim in africa but it also offers original analytical perspectives for understanding changes in the practice of islam and muslim politics more generally. Up to now it has been neglected by all but a few specialists.
About twothirds of east africas muslims reside in tanzania which is the most populous of the east african countries i. On top of that, many other issues get involved in it. If we place these different ideas and opinions in a spectrum, the theory of separation of religion and politics will occupy one side and the theory of. Is the muslim population of kenya becoming more radicalised.
In our country and in muslim and western countries, diverse ideas and opinions have been presented in this regard. Have been interpreted to mean religion and politics are two seperable realms. The government, for its part, has fears that the influence of some foreign and. In egypt, the best example was the jihad organization, which was involved in the assassination of egypts president sadat in 1981. Only 37% of 18to29 yearolds embrace a significant role for islam in politics, meaning they either believe islam plays a large role and say this is a good thing or believe it plays a small role and say this is bad. In recent years, comparative political thought has become increasingly popular. Kenya s muslim population comprises ethnic arabs, indians, and black africans, and its status has varied historically. For instance, if a muslim country has a right to dictate its law. Religious freedom in kenya executive summary 1 the constitution of kenya provides for freedom of religion, separates church and state, and guards its citizens from religious discrimination and unwelcome religious pressure. To familiarie the studes nts with kenya s socioeconomic and political formation through an indepth study of selected critical issues in her political, economic and social development. Islam and christianity in subsaharan africa, conducted in 20082009 and released in 2010. Muslims in kenyan politics explores the changing relationship between muslims and the state in kenya from precolonial times to the present, culminating in the radicalization of a section of the muslim population in recent decades. Henceforth, islam spread to the surrounding areas of kakamega, kisumu, kisii and bungoma. They are the largest ethnic group in ethiopia and represent 34.
Muslim renewal and western understanding the difficult encounter between the muslim world and the west at the level of security policy, diplomacy, and politics is complicated by cultural and ideological tension, and a degree of intellectual incomprehension. Alamin kimathi, executive coordinatorchair of muslim. Views on the role of religion in politics may not be the only factor affecting attitudes toward islamic parties. Toward a political economy of pentecostalism in kenya, journal of religion in africa, 43, 2, pp. The same trends were realized in post independent kenya. To supplement the students understanding of kenya through their experience and observation while in the country. Human rights and muslim religious organizations stated that certain muslim communities, especially ethnic somalis, were the target. Local and global influences on islamic ngos in kenya. It would be erroneous to consider islamic practices in eastern africa as arabic practices, and associate islam with arabs, since islam did not arabise east africans. Islamic political activism uses force and wages jihad.
It is based on anthropological field research over a period of thirtyfour years and attempts a synthesis of historical findings and political anthropology, including studies carried out from a perspective of development intervention. Quinn and quinn 2003 is an example of a qualitative comparative approach to generalizing about trends in islamism across africa, drawing on five cases. As in kenya, the general context of the emergence of islamic based political opposition in the. Introduction the main point i wish to make in this short essay regarding the relationship among. Local political circumstances may also influence opinions on this question. The percentage of muslims here recorded in uganda and kenya is almost certainly too small. Oromoo are a cushitic ethnic group and nation native to ethiopia and kenya who speak the oromo language as their mother tongue also called afaan oromoo and oromiffa, which is part of the cushitic branch of the afroasiatic language family. Institute on religion and public policy report religious.
Christianity came mainly from europe and america while islam. Kenya 2016 international religious freedom report executive summary the constitution and other laws and policies prohibit religious discrimination and protect religious freedom, including the freedom to practice any religion or belief through worship, teaching, or observance and to debate religious questions. Nairobi has several mosques and a notable muslim population the majority of muslims in kenya follow the sunni islam of shafi school of jurisprudence at 73%, 8% with shia and 8% as nondenominational muslims. The influence and the new trends in islamic outreach although the struggle for independence in kenya was a very crucial time for all kenyans, very little is documented on muslims participation. Islam, politics, and violence on the kenya coast core. Thus, it is argued, suspicions of muslims that permeate kenyan politics have resulted in the increased importance of islamic ngos.
Pdf islam, politics, and violence on the kenya coast. Secularism many talks have already been made regarding the relationship between religion and politics. Both tunisia and egypt, for example, experienced major political upheavals in 2011, with islamic parties emerging as the dominant political blocs. By january 1992 this growing muslim self confidence inspired young educated muslims to establish the islamic party of kenya ipk.
African countries, prohibits the formation of political parties based on religion. Bitter strug gles about the relationship between religion and politics have played out in the new constitution, the courts, the media, electoral politics, and culture. Focuses on pastoralism, politics, policies and development in northern kenya and southern ethiopia. Interviews conducted with muslims in five southern provinces only. West, and i will try to make all articles available in electronic form, via pdf or. Islam was, and is, one of the most powerful means of explaining human life and giving meaning to our activity. Pastoralism and politics in northern kenya and southern. Children under 16 were sometimes not given the religion of the. In 1982 section 2a had officially made kenya a oneparty state, with the kenya african national union kanu the sole legal party.
The ultimate endgoal that terrorists seek to accomplish is to create an atmosphere of fear. With islam, emerged the lingua franca, kiswahili, spoken throughout east and central africa and the swahili culture which is mostly associated with muslims. Haram operating in nigeria, alqaida in the islamic maghreb operating in the sahara aqim. Pdf on jan 1, 2009, ben knighton published religion and politics in kenya. Ethnicity and political pluralism in kenya electoral. Its influence has been felt throughout the course of kenyan history. Multiparty politics reemerged in kenya after december 1991, with the repeal of section 2a of the constitution. African history, islamic education, and islam in africa. The trend, while unmistakable, has also been very contentious.
Whereas religion played a role in the struggle against colonialism in sudan, somalia, kenya and tanzania, since independence. In establishing the islamic state in this manner, the activists conscience. The politicization of islam in kenya is deeply connected with the sense of marginalization that shapes muslims understanding of kenyan politics. In kenya as it is the case with most african countries, ethnicity has been and still remains the strongest force that binds a group together because other bases of alignment such as. Islamic politics african studies oxford bibliographies. The politicization of islam in kenya is deeply connected with the sense of marginalization that shapes muslims understanding of kenyan politics and government policies. In the two important east african countries of kenya and tanzania, muslims c. Given that there were muslims involved in the negotiation. Church, politics, kenya introduction to some people the possibility of the relationship between the churchreligion and the state is unheard of. The role of religion in politics and governance in kenya. As it has been observed critically by the author, politics in kenya are ethnocentric. Development of education in colonial kenya was politically directed. From the time of the presence of muslim arab traders on the eastern african coast to the present day, muslims have asserted their influence in kenyan politics and in the society.
The weakness of the kenyan state has provided a favourable environment for acts of terror. Politics on the other hand is given different definitions by different people. Hence swahiliarab political influences essentially came to a halt in kenya. On one popular understanding, politics is concerned with the allocation of values in any social system. Religion, peacebuilding, and social cohesion in conflict. Historically, most of the alien religions trace their origins to areas outside this continent.
Based on several years of research in kenya, the analysis ranges from telescopic to microscopic fields of vision from national political culture, oratory, and the staging of politics, to everyday struggles for livelihood among people in one rural locale during the past century. Sudan, somalia, kenya, tanzania and uganda, providing a brief overview of the history of religion and con. Islam and politics in kenya request pdf researchgate. Islamic reform, political islam, and other contemporary ways of being muslim in africa but it also offers original analytical perspectives for understanding changes in the practice of islam and muslim politics. This is followed by a postcolonial state, which gives rise to an ambiguity of intimacy, collaboration, competition and a contradictory vision of social organization between. Africa, we have also seen a resurgence of islamic political movements. Sep 01, 2001 one of israels bestinformed africanists surveys the background to the antigovernment riots that erupted in the early 1990s among kenyan muslims, who make up roughly onefifth of the countrys population. As a political ideology, it has motivated, and still motivates. Christianity came mainly from europe and america while islam and the oriental religions came from asia. In the academic year 200304, he served as visiting associate professor at the research. In kenya as it is the case with most african countries, ethnicity has been and still remains the. In east africa, alshabaab is the biggest threat to the security of the region. Islam in political context amit pandya introduction. However, some christian groups charge that the entrenchment of islamic shari a law into the new constitution will provide.
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