Islam in Africa
All topics-
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Winds of change in the Gulf
Ethiopia and Eritrea didn't pen their peace agreement in Addis Ababa or Asmara, but in Saudi Arabia with the Emirates alongside. Are economic and military interests increasingly binding Gulf states and the Horn together? By Sella Oneko
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Civil society in Africa
Sudan′s young people roll up their sleeves
Sudan′s younger generation has already faced all manner of crises, from the conflicts and struggles of a country in the process of breaking apart, economic crises, to problems in health and education. It′s a generation that anticipates the worst and has no concept of peace. But idle? Hardly. By Abdul Salam al-Haj
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Interview with Mauritanian artist Saleh Lo
"If I can restore some of their dignity, my work will have been a success"
Self-taught artist Saleh Lo grew up in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, playing with children from different ethnic communities, among them "Haratin" kids – the children of modern-day slaves in Mauritania. Today, the visual artist portrays freed slaves and anti-slavery activists. Interview by Siri Gogelmann and Wolfgang Kuhnle
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Radical Islamism
Negotiating with jihadists?
In Asia and Africa, Muslim terrorists are regarded as combatants with concerns that should be taken seriously. Experts advise dialogue in lieu of extermination. By Charlotte Wiedemann
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Interview with Mauritanian human rights activist Biram Dah Abeid
"Time to end Arab racism"
Today in Mauritania, children are still being born into slavery. Not only that, they will remain slaves for the rest of their lives. It is the most prevalent and most extreme expression of Arab racism in North Africa, says human rights activist Biram Dah Abeid and it is time to consign it to the past. By Claudia Mende
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Africa's Muslims
Pawns of the Saudis
Rich Saudis are investing millions in building mosques in Africa. And they are being accused of using radical preachers to destabilise the region. But there has long been much more at stake on the African continent than proselytising. By Gwendolin Hilse
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Muslims against the Rwandan genocide
No-one has the right to kill!
As genocidal violence broke out against the Tutsis in Rwanda back in 1994, it appeared no-one was safe. But one small religious minority refused to take part: Rwandan Muslims. They mounted peaceful resistance to the horrors, saving many innocent lives in the process. By Markus Weingardt
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Album review: Sonia Aimy's "Nigerian Spirit"
The voice of defiance
Intelligent, soulful and emotional, the new album by Canadian Nigerian musician Sonia Aimy, "Nigerian Spirit", addresses a broad spectrum of themes: from how life in Nigeria has changed since Aimy's childhood, the sorrow of life in Somalia, to a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the problems of finding a good husband. Review by Richard Marcus
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″Touba″ – a film documentary
Pilgrimage to Sheikh Bamba
Director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi's documentary film "Touba" is a chronicle of the largest Sufi pilgrimage in sub-Saharan Africa. A review by Marian Brehmer
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Islamists in Africa
The ever-present threat
Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabab in Somalia: Islamist groups dominate the image of Islam in Africa. Yet it is too simplistic to assert that Islam south of the Sahara is becoming more conservative as whole. By Daniel Pelz
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Islamism in Mali
Between fear and disappointment
Gao was once regarded as a jihadist stronghold. French intervention at the beginning of 2013 managed to quash the rebel insurgency, yet there has been little stability since. Mali continues to be shaken by attacks despite the presence of UN blue helmets. By Katrin Gansler
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Book fair on the Horn of Africa
Somalinimo in Hargeisa
Eight thirty in the morning in Hargeisa and a crowd has formed outside the function hall of the Guled Hotel. Visitors are queuing at the security check and waiting to get in. It′s book fair time in the capital of Somaliland. By Michaela Maria Muller