Conference on Islam in Africa Global, Cultural and Historical Perspectives

Abstract

Academic studies regarding "Islam in Africa" have increased at a rapid
pace over the past few years. In the 1960s, works of Trimingham and Lewis
were among the few which dealt with the subject. Towards the end of the
1990s, one could select from a number of works; for example, one had a
choice between Westurland and Brenner, Fischer and Stewart, Levtzion and
Mazrui and others. This reflects to what extent the African continent and,
in particular, Islam has attracted the attention of scholars who represent a
variety of disciplines.
A similar group of scholars participated in the conference sponsored by
the Institute of Global Cultural Studies, Binghamton University SUNY, NY
on "Islam in Africa" from April 19-22, 2001. This report reflects the overall
program adopted by the conference and mentions some of the papers
presented.
The conference began on Thursday, April 19, 2001. During the two hours
Rene Laremont, the deputy director of the Institute, chaired the two public
presentations by John Esposito and Ali Mazrui, respectively. Esposito's topic
for that evening was "Islam in a Global Perspective: A Wider View" and
Mazrui's was "Islam and Cultural Globalization in Africa." Esposito covered
several issues. He started his presentation with autobiographical notes about
how he got involved with Islam and Muslims. He then examined the development
oflslamic resurgence movements; highlighted global perceptions of
Muslims and Islam; tackled the issue of the supposed Islamic "threat";
responded to Huntington's Clash of Civilizations (Foreign Affairs 1993, and
NY 1996); and reflected - in passing - upon Pipes' harmful articles and
Newsweek's negative reports. He concluded with comments on the twin
processes of"lslamization" and "kafirization" and briefly explained how they
impacted upon the concepts of democracy, pluralism, and minorities.
In Ali Mazrui's presentation, two types of globalization were pointed
out: economic and cultural. The first type has deepened the divisions and ...