American Journal of Islam and Society (Jul 2014)
Challenges to the Study of Islamic Education in African Universities
Abstract
This article examines the challenges to the study of Islamic education in African colleges and universities. I claim that such a study, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is not a priority even though Muslims accounted for 44 percent of the continent’s population in 2009 and 22 of its nations have a Muslim population of 50 percent or more. I present four main factors responsible for this phenomenon: European colonization; the relatively small number of Arabic speakers in most African nations; the negative implications of connecting Islamic fundamentalism/al-Qaeda to Arabs and Islam; and the humiliation, abuse, and severe punishment experienced by Black Africans in Arab-majority societies.