African Muslim Leaders and Turkey’s Diyanat

Abstract

Turkish-African relations began with the formation of the Ottoman Empire. Early relations were confined to parts of modern-day Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, which the empire ruled for centuries. Later on, the empire spread to other parts of Africa, as shown by such emerging scholars as Hatice Ugur, who wrote Osmanli Afrikasi’nda Bir Sultanlik Zengibar (Istanbul: 2005), and the scholarly works of Eric Germaine and others. Their research has been bolstered by the variety of extant documents that still need to be studied and explored (cf. A. Kavas, ed. Solidarity of Ottoman-African Muslims: Under the Light of the Documents [Istanbul: 2006]). However, emerging African scholars interested in these manuscripts will have to be trained in and come to grips with Ottoman Turkish before making any headway. Renewed efforts are now undeway to forge links with Africa’s Muslim communities and representatives. The Research Center for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA), an international institution that falls under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), has created the necessary opportunities to cement and strengthen links with African Muslim communities via specific structures, such as the Islamic University of Uganda and the University of Johannesburg. In the wake of these significant efforts, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (more popularly known in Turkey as the Diyanat [hereinafter Presidency]) has also shown its desire to pursue external relations with religious communities outside Turkey. Over the past few years, the Presidency has played a significant role in “religious affairs” both in and beyond Turkey in order to pursue its religious portfolio and religious agenda. Although the predominantly Muslim societies of the Muslim heartlands view Turkey, in general, as the most secular Muslim society, a strand of religiosity has been observed in its various social levels and sectors. Therefore, Turkish society cannot be said to be exclusively secular ...