Islam and its role in the civilizational development of Côte d'Ivoire

Title

Islam and its role in the civilizational development of Côte d'Ivoire

list of authors

Lubov M. Sadovskaya

Abstract

The article analyzes the evolution of Islam in Côte d’Ivoire in the light of the profound changes that have taken place in the country since independence in 1960 and up to the present day. The author explores the reasons for the rapid increase in the number of Islamized residents compared to other West African countries, especially during the first 30 years of independent development. This was a period of awakening of the collective consciousness and organizational cohesion of Ivorian Muslims. The second stage, since the first multiparty elections in the early 1990s, is associated with the politicization of religion, with a new form of Islamic religious culture, especially in cities - proselytism. The tariqas, due to their lack of organization, play a secondary role in the modern history of the Muslim societies of Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, the modernization processes have further weakened their influence. Spiritual brotherhoods did not become a barrier to the spread of reformist teachings that were associated with Sunni Islam, a departure from Sufi spirituality. The reformist elite of the Ivorian Muslim community made extensive use of the Quranic concept of da'wa in their religious propaganda, with its ideology borrowed from the Arab-Islamic world. Its main goal was the re-islamization of Muslim society, the introduction of political Islam. The paper examines the problems of relations between Ivorian Muslims and Christians, which have not always been peaceful, especially during periods of military and political crises, when they were intertwined with ethnic ones. The coming to power in 2011 of A.Ouattara, the first Muslim president, contributed to the preservation of a stable balance between faiths thanks to his clerical policy.

Journal

Asia and Africa Today

issue

8

page start

48

page end

54

Date

2021

Language

Anglais

Type

Article de revue

doi

10.31857/S032150750015954-1

Identifier

Q114397744

iwac-reference-0000187

Spatial Coverage

Côte d'Ivoire