211 resources

• Religiosity on University Campuses in Africa: Trends and Experiences
  This volume examines religiosity on university campuses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Focusing on both individuals and organized groups, the contributions open a window onto how religion becomes a factor, affects social interactions, is experienced and mobilized by various actors. It brings together case studies from various disciplinary backgrounds (anthropology, sociology, history, religious studies) and theoretical orientations to illustrate the significance of religiosity in recent developments on university campuses. It pays a particular attention to religion-informed activism and contributes a fresh analysis of processes that are shaping both the experience of being student and the university campus as a moral space. Finally, it sheds light onto the ways in which the campus becomes a site of a reformulation of both religiosity and sociality.
• Salafists and the Missing State in the Sahel
  In the 1960s, there was an African ambition to build modern states based on ‘national development’. But in the late 1980s, national development was dismissed - in most cases under compulsion from the international financial institutions. And without national development project, there are really no states in Africa, only regimes. In the Sahel, this paved the way for the establishment of the ‘Islamic state’.
• 
  Fusion of the Worlds: An Ethnography of Possession Among the Songhay of Niger
• Les routes de l'Islam : anthropologie politique de l'islamisation de l'Afrique de l'Ouest en général et du pays Hawsa en particulier du VIIIè au XIXè siècle
  Ce livre s'adresse à tous ceux qui souhaitent comprendre sans à priori, comment il y a eu diffusion de l'Islam en Afrique de l'Ouest en général et dans le pays hawsa (Niger et Nigeria) en particulier. Il s'agit d'un travail original, basé sur de longues recherches à la fois historiques et anthropologiques, qui montre quelles sont les relations politiques et économiques entre le Maghreb et les sociétés au sud du Sahara, quels sont les différents groupes de commerçants qui islamisent ces pays, à quel courant religieux ils appartiennent, dans quelles circonstances ils sont amenés à y diffuser leurs conceptions religieuses et quelles sont les conséquences de leur avènement dans les Etats subsahariens. Tout au long de cet ouvrage, l'auteur a le souci de replacer les situations singulières propres à chaque Etat en fonction du contexte général africain : ainsi, il arrive à montrer que la création, l'islamisation et les problèmes politico-religieux des sociétés africaines, telles que les Etats hawsa, sont souvent liés à la mise en place de nouvelles routes commerciales par des groupes musulmans concurrents.
• Prayer Has Spoiled Everything: Possession, Power, and Identity in an Islamic Town of Niger
  Bori, in the Mawri society of Niger, are mischievous and invisible beings that populate the bush. Bori is also the practice of taming these wild forces in the context of possession ceremonies. In Prayer Has Spoiled Everything Adeline Masquelier offers an account of how this phenomenon intervenes—sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically—in human lives, providing a constantly renewed source of meaning for Mawri peasants confronted with cultural contradictions and socio-economic marginalization. To explore the role of bori possession in local definitions of history, power, and identity, Masquelier spent a total of two years in Niger, focusing on the diverse ways in which spirit mediums share, transform, and contest a rapidly changing reality, threatened by Muslim hegemony and financial hardship. She explains how the spread of Islam has provoked irreversible change in the area and how prayer—a conspicuous element of daily life that has become virtually synonymous with Islamic practice in this region of west Africa—has thus become equated with the loss of tradition. By focusing on some of the creative and complex ways that bori at once competes with and borrows from Islam, Masquelier reveals how possession nonetheless remains deeply embedded in Mawri culture, representing more than simple resistance to Islam, patriarchy, or the state. Despite a widening gap between former ways of life and the contradictions of the present, it maintains its place as a feature of daily life in which villagers participate with varying degrees of enthusiasm and approval. Specialists in African studies, in the anthropology of religion, and in the historical transformations of colonial and postcolonial societies will welcome this study.
• 
  Evangelical Christians in the Muslim Sahel
  Barbara M. Cooper looks closely at the Sudan Interior Mission, an evangelical Christian mission that has taken a tenuous hold in a predominantly Hausa Muslim area on the southern fringe of Niger. Based on sustained fieldwork, personal interviews, and archival research, this vibrant, sensitive, compelling, and candid book gives a unique glimpse into an important dimension of religious life in Africa. Cooper's involvement in a violent religious riot provides a useful backdrop for introducing other themes and concerns such as Bible translation, medical outreach, public preaching, tensions between English-speaking and French-speaking missionaries, and the Christian mission's changing views of Islam.
• 
  L'islam au Soudan central : histoire de l'islam au Niger du VIIe au XIXe siècle
  Ce livre présente, documents à l'appui, le processus d'islamisation de la région du Soudan Central et les transformations qu'il a introduites dans sa vie politique, sociale et économique, ainsi que dans son champ de relations internationales. Il analyse le développement, au cours des siècles, d'une intelligentsia locale de plus en plus nombreuse qui finit par entrer en conflit avec les autorités politiques.
• 
  Islam, sociétés et politique en Afrique subsaharienne : les exemples du Sénégal, du Niger et du Nigeria
  Les auteurs de cet ouvrage, spécialistes du fait religieux ou islamique en Afrique de l'Ouest, d'origines et de générations différentes, proposent une série de relectures en islam subsaharien. Les évolutions en cours modifient progressivement les repères mis en place par la littérature scientifique des cinquante dernières années et obligent à une remise en chantier des analyses. Trois pays ont été choisis comme témoins privilégiés de l'évolution de la question musulmane en Afrique de l'Ouest : le Sénégal, le Niger et le Nigeria, qui, par leur histoire, représentent de véritables laboratoires en matière d'islam. Dans l'Afrique d'aujourd'hui, nulle part la séparation entre le politique et le religieux n'est jugée acceptable. Nul État de droit n'est jugé possible s'il n'est consacré par la sharî'a du côté musulman, et par la référence à la Bible du côté évangélique et pentecôtiste. L'islam prend donc toute sa place dans ces réveils religieux en chaîne, qui constituent sans doute, de façon paradoxale pour le spécialistes de sciences sociales, un mode d'accès imprévu à la modernité.
• Telling Stories, Making Histories: Women, Words, and Islam in Nineteenth-Century Hausaland and the Sokoto Caliphate
  Through reconstruction of oral testimony, folk stories and poetry, the true history of Hausa women and their reception of Islam's vision of Muslim in Western Africa have been uncovered. Mary Wren Bivins is the first author to locate and examine the oral texts of the 19th century Hausa women and challenge the written documentation of the Sokoto Caliphate. The personal narratives and folk stories reveal the importance of illiterate, non-elite women to the history of jihad and the assimilation of normative Islam in rural Hausaland. The captivating lives of the Hausa are captured, shedding light on their ordinary existence as wives, mothers, and providers for their family on the eve of European colonial conquest.
• Women and Islamic Revival in a West African Town
  In the small town of Dogondoutchi, Niger, Malam Awal, a charismatic Sufi preacher, was recruited by local Muslim leaders to denounce the practices of reformist Muslims. Malam Awal's message has been viewed as a mixed blessing by Muslim women who have seen new definitions of Islam and Muslim practice impact their place and role in society. This study follows the career of Malam Awal and documents the engagement of women in the religious debates that are refashioning their everyday lives. Adeline Masquelier reveals how these women have had to define Islam on their own terms, especially as a practice that governs education, participation in prayer, domestic activities, wedding customs, and who wears the veil and how. Masquelier's richly detailed narrative presents new understandings of what it means to be a Muslim woman in Africa today.
• 
  L'islam dans l'espace nigérien : de 1960 aux années 2000. Tome 2
  Cet ouvrage analyse la situation de l'Islam dans le cadre de l'Etat nigérien indépendant, et porte l'accent sur les questions de permanences et de ruptures au cours de cette période. Depuis les années 90, avec l'ère démocratique et le pluralisme qui gagne la sphère religieuse, l'auteur observe le développement d'un prosélytisme intense, l'instauration d'un débat contradictoire entre "conservateurs" et "réformistes" au sein de la oumma, et la contestation de toute décision politique contraire aux normes islamiques.
• Muslim Critics of Secularism: Ulama and Democratization in Niger
  One of the marking features of the 1990s democratization in Niger has been the rise of a variety of Islamic discourses. Laïcité has been among their major preoccupations. For many ulama this secularism contradicts Niger's religious identity. Three voices are presented: the Collaborators, the Moderates and the Despisers. Each group seeks to influence the political and ideological make-up of the state. Although ulama in general remain critical of the state ideological transformation, not all of them reject the separation from religion clause. The Collaborators suggest cooperation between the religious and the political authorities; the Moderates demand governance to accommodate people's will; and the Despisers reject the liberalism that voids religious authority and demand a total re-islamization. I argue that what is at stake is less the separation between state and religion as its modality and impact on religious authority. The targets, tones and justification of the discourses I explore show the limitations of a democratization project grounded in laïcité. Thus, in place of a secular democratization, ulama propose a conservative democracy based on Islam.
• Profession : marabout en milieu rural et urbain. L'exemple du Niger
  Le maraboutisme est très présent dans la société contemporaine africaine, aussi bien en milieu urbain que rural. Si l'auteur de ce livre a eu des entretiens avec différents marabouts, il s'interroge sur la compréhension de leur histoire, leurs différentes activités dans la société, les relations qu'ils entretiennent avec leurs clients, les témoignages de ces derniers, et le déroulement de leurs travaux. Ce livre identifie les conditions de l'activité des marabouts au Niger, des origines à nos jours.
• 
  Islam et modernité : contribution à l’analyse de la ré-islamisation au Niger
  Cet essai revient sur la question de l'islam contemporain dans ses rapports multiples à la modernité en Afrique. Il expose quelques éléments d'analyse des dynamiques de réforme de l'islam dans un contexte africain à partir des années 1990. Il prend les récents développements relatifs aux religiosités musulmanes au Niger comme objet de réflexion et s'interroge sur les habits théoriques et les catégories conceptuelles qui nous servent à comprendre ce phénomène social, politique, mais aussi philosophique. Voici un essai de théorisation des dynamiques africaines contemporaines.
• 
  Boko Haram : parti pour durer
  À l'instar de Boko Haram, le fondamentalisme s'appuie sur des supports variés, dont le ressort sociologique, qui lui assure un ancrage territorial. L'ancien empire de Kanem Bornou, (espace de vie des Kanouris), la forêt de Sambisa et les versants des Monts Mandara, érigés en proto-État, constituent le centre névralgique de Boko Haram. Tel est le défi qui interpelle les forces armées nationales du Nigéria, du Niger, du Cameroun, du Tchad et depuis peu la Force Multinationale Mixte.
• 
  Islamic Reform in Twentieth-Century Africa
  Based on twelve case studies (Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Comoros), this book looks at patterns and peculiarities of different traditions of Islamic reform. Considering both Sufi- and Salafi-oriented movements in their respective historical contexts, it stresses the importance of the local context to explain the different trajectories of development. The book studies the social, religious and political impact of these reform movements in both historical and contemporary times and asks why some have become successful as popular mass movements, while others failed to attract substantial audiences. It also considers jihad-minded movements in contemporary Mali, northern Nigeria and Somalia and looks at modes of transnational entanglement of movements of reform. Against the background of a general inquiry into what constitutes ‘reform’, the text responds to the question of what ‘reform’ actually means for Muslims in contemporary Africa.
• Le phénomène Boko Haram : au-delà du radicalisme
  Que sait-on de ce mouvement obscur qui est parti des milieux islamistes modestes du nord du Nigéria pour prendre de l'ampleur en réussissant l'exploit d'exporter la terreur dans les foyers des pays environnants ? Trempé dans l'univers religieux dont il revendique une certaine exclusivité, le mouvement parle un langage outrageusement hostile à la raison. Il veut se fonder une légitimité inhérente à une fausse transcendance qu'il mêle à un pragmatisme violent. A qui pourrait bien profiter cette tourmente instaurée par une des pires sectes qu'ait connues le continent africain ?
• Transnational Islam: Circulation of Religious Ideas, Actors and Practices between Niger and Nigeria
  At the crossroads of major trade routes and characterised by intense human circulations, the area that encompasses northern Nigeria and southern Niger is a privileged space to study transnational religious dynamics. Islam is, indeed, an essential feature of this region assuming today new forms in terms of discourses, practices, and modes of dissemination. In order to capture their changing complexity and diversity, regional Islamic dynamics need to be observed from both sides of the Niger-Nigeria border, where religious patterns echo each other but also obey different socio-political injunctions. While studying the processes of religious renewal and mutation, it is necessary to pay attention to the varied forms these processes take, to their direct and indirect effects and to the channels of transmission used. An interdisciplinary team of seven researchers from Niger, Nigeria, France and the United Kingdom was set up to conduct this transnational study; all authors carried out ethnographic fieldwork in both countries while constantly exchanging, comparing and discussing their respective findings with each other. Thus, this book provides first-hand material collected in the field, that contributes to enrich the reflexion on contemporary transformation dynamics in the Islamic landscapes of Niger and Nigeria, but also reflects the relevance of a transnational and comparative approach of these phenomena. Finally, it showcases the collaborative work of African and European scholars from Francophone and Anglophone countries - a type of scientific partnership unprecedented in this field.
• La ville de Diffa face à Boko Haram et à l'afflux des réfugiés nigérians
  La secte Boko Haram, apparue au début des années 2000 au Nigéria, est devenue un problème transfrontalier en moins de 10 ans. Diffa, ville du Niger frontalière avec le Nigéria, est devenue un refuge pour les 27 162 nigérians en 2015. Ce livre analyse les mobiles du ralliement des jeunes de la ville de Diffa à l'idéologie de Boko Haram et les facteurs ayant facilité l'accueil des réfugiés par la population de cette ville.
• Containing Militancy in West Africa's Park W
  Insurgents have established bases in an important nature reserve spanning parts of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. They pose a growing danger to local ecosystems and people living around the park. The three countries need to collaborate more closely to keep the threat at bay.
• Jihadists of North Africa and the Sahel: Local Politics and Rebel Groups
  Jihadist movements have claimed that they are merely vehicles for the application of God's word, distancing themselves from politics, which they call dirty and manmade. Yet on closer examination, jihadist movements are immersed in politics, negotiating political relationships not just with the forces surrounding them, but also within their own ranks. Drawing on case studies from North Africa and the Sahel - including Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania - this study examines jihadist movements from the inside, uncovering their activities and internal struggles over the past three decades. Highlighting the calculations that jihadist field commanders and clerics make, Alexander Thurston shows how leaders improvise, both politically and religiously, as they adjust to fast-moving conflicts. Featuring critical analysis of Arabic-language jihadist statements, this book offers unique insights into the inner workings of jihadist organisations and sheds new light on the phenomenon of mass-based jihadist movements and proto-states.
• The Politics of Islam in the Sahel: Between Persuasion and Violence
  ‘Ideologies need enemies to thrive, religion does not'. Using the Sahel as a source of five comparative case studies, this volume aims to engage in the painstaking task of disentangling Islam from the political ideologies that have issued from its theologies to fight for governmental power and the transformation of society. While these ideologies tap into sources of religious legitimacy, the author shows that they are fundamentally secular or temporal enterprises, defined by confrontation with other political ideologies–both progressive and liberal–within the arena of nation states. Their objectives are the same as these other ideologies, i.e., to harness political power for changing national societies, and they resort to various methods of persuasion, until they break down into violence. The two driving questions of the book are, whence come these ideologies, and why do they–sometimes–result in violence? Ideologies of Salafi radicalism are at work in the five countries of the Sahel region, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, (Northern) Nigeria and Senegal, but violence has broken out only in Mali and Northern Nigeria. Using a theoretical framework of ideological development and methods of historical analysis, Idrissa traces the emergence of Salafi radicalism in each of these countries as a spark ignited by the shock between concurrent processes of Islamization and colonization in the 1940s. However, while the spark eventually ignited a blaze in Mali and Nigeria, it has only led to milder political heat in Niger and Senegal and has had no burning effect at all in Burkina Faso. By meticulously examining the development of Salafi radicalism ideologies over time in connection with developments in national politics in each of the countries, Idrissa arrives at compelling conclusions about these divergent outcomes. Given the many similarities between the countries studied, these divergences show, in particular, that history, the behaviour of state leaders and national sociologies matter–against assumptions of ‘natural' contradictions between religion (Islam) and secularism or democracy. This volume offers a new perspective in discussions on ideology, which remains–as is shown here–the independent variable of many key contemporary political processes, either hidden in plain sight or disguised in a religious garb.
• The Public University of Niamey in the Era of Covid-19: Social Perception, Appropriation of Regulations and Management of Muslim Worship
  Located in the heart of Africa, Niger recorded its first case of Covid-19 contamination on 17 March 2020. To control the spread of the disease, the government took restrictive measures, including in universities. Based on a qualitative approach combining semi-structured interviews and observations (direct and indirect), this chapter examines the varying perceptions that students of the Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey have of this pandemic as well as the control measures taken by political and academic authorities to deal with Covid-19. Debates around Covid-19 containment measures among students mirrored their socio-cultural realities, particularly their religious and scientific grounding.
• Non-State Armed Groups and Illicit Economies in West Africa: JNIM
  This is the first in a joint series of publications by ACLED and the GI-TOC profiling non-state armed groups in West Africa and exploring the intersections between their involvement in illicit economies and the provision of governance. The series brings new material and updated analyses using the ACLED database and qualitative research, examining how armed groups survive in their political and economic environments. Each paper will examine the evolution, structure and tactics of armed groups, as well as their transnational relationships, means of financing, and governance practices. The series will offer a closer look at Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), bandit groups in north-western Nigeria and Ambazonian separatists in Cameroon, with a summative paper reflecting on broader findings.
• La violence des jeunes et les enjeux de l'extrémisme violent à Zinder
  Cette étude analyse les liens entre la violence urbaine liée à l'activité de groupes informels de jeunes à Zinder, et les défis de l'extrémisme violent dans cette région proche du Nord Nigéria. L'étude identifie ainsi les facteurs de risque pouvant entraîner les jeunes vers la violence, et les passerelles pouvant exister entre délinquance et extrémisme violent à Zinder. L'étude se penche en outre sur la perception que les jeunes de Zinder ont des groupes extrémistes violents tels que Boko Haram, ainsi que sur les moyens de prévention que ces jeunes identifient. En s'appuyant sur les résultats de cette enquête de terrain, le rapport présente des recommandations programmatiques ainsi que de politiques publiques au niveau national, régional et local.