OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Tayob, Abdulkader"

Browsing by Author "Tayob, Abdulkader"

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Open Access
Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller
(2020) Altalib, Najma; Tayob, Abdulkader
Despite criticism from relatives, religious leaders and her Muslim community, Faghmeda Miller publicly disclosed her HIV status on World AIDS Day in 1996. She became the first Muslim woman in South Africa to do so. Her story of courage in the face of the unknown, stigma and discrimination echo the complex social context in which HIV is experienced nationally and globally. It places emphasis on the fact that HIV affects all humans, irrespective of religion, race, gender, sexuality or socio-economic status. Using life trajectory as a method of enquiring into Miller's social and religious meaning making regarding her infection and HIV and AIDS activism, this research presents her challenges and victories in her journey with HIV and AIDS. The biographical study examines how she became the face of a Muslim woman with HIV in society. In speaking up for the infected voiceless and taking a lead in creating awareness about a highly stigmatised disease, Miller shows how personal agency was used to change attitudes, save lives and offer support to the suffering. Mass media in the 1990s—television, radio and print—played a crucial role in her trajectory. This study argues that Miller acquired social capital through the declaration of her HIV status, increasing her public profile, and co-founding the Muslim HIV/AIDS organization, Positive Muslims. The analysis focuses on turning points in her life trajectory, including traumatic experiences, transformative reflections on Islam, and activism. Through her personal and social challenge with the virus, she ultimately embraces an inclusive Islamic theology of compassion.
Open Access
The alienated religion studies teacher: a case study in Cape Town, South Africa
(2017) Driesen, Danika; Tayob, Abdulkader
South Africa's post-apartheid National Policy on Religion and Education instituted in 2003 ushered in a new paradigm for the study of religion in the country's schools. It promotes a programme of teaching and learning about religious diversity that constitute the nation. While this revised policy enabled Religion Studies educators to grapple with new ways of thinking about the study of religion, it still demanded them to assume a standardised role that focused more on their duties and responsibilities of promoting a multi-religious approach in an impartial manner. This homogenous policy image neglected the teachers' interpretations and reality of the profession. Consequently, a gap emerged between the policy-imagined role and Religion Studies teachers' perspectives. This thesis explores the gap between what the national policy expects from the teachers and their readiness for teaching Religion Studies. Rahel Jaeggi's concept of alienation is used to critically analyse the alienating effects of the national policy images' failure in recognising the realities of the profession. Jaeggi provides a renewed framework on the concept that entails critically analysing an individual's social role in terms of how s/he succeeds or fails to appropriate and identify with it. A case study research of eleven teachers who taught Religion Studies in high schools in Cape Town, South Africa was conducted. The findings reveal that the gap disrupted their roles, and resulted in a 'double' alienation for them. It also shows educators integrating their religious identities into their teaching methods, which enhanced their proficiency at teaching the subject and alleviating their 'double' alienation. The teachers' methodologies demonstrate that they are open enough to approach the aims of Religion Studies, and to approach diversity that is not from the national policy's perspective of a distant secular approach, but rather one that opens their own religious traditions to new ones. I argue that despite the Religion Studies teachers alleviating their 'double' alienation to some extent by integrating their religious identities into their teaching methods, they still remained in a state of alienation due to the post-apartheid government's top-down education strategy.
Open Access
The approach of the traditionalist school to the epistemological and ecumenical concerns of the mystical experience debate
(2001) Minnaar, Clinton; Tayob, Abdulkader
The present thesis begins with an identification of the fact that numerous academic commentators on the mystical experience debate misrepresent the epistemological position of the traditionalist school; and this, through a confusion of the mystical experience with metaphysical intellection.
Open Access
Consuming, producing, defining halal : halal authorities and Muslim consumers in South Africa
(2012) Tayob, Shaheed; Tayob, Abdulkader
Nineteen eighty-five was the year in which the first halal-certified non-meat product appeared in South African stores. The certifying authority was the Muslim Judicial Council of Cape Town and the product was Flora-margarine. The certification of a non-meat product signaled a major shift in halal in South Africa. It represented the development of a halal consciousness that extended beyond the realm of purely meat products and into the unseen, intangible, expert-controlled world of food technology. Other developments also contributed to the growing halal industry in South Africa. The end of apartheid resulted in freedom of movement for the previously disadvantaged Muslim community. The newfound freedom resulted in increased demand for halal consumption in places previously restricted or considered unwelcoming. Changes in lifestyle resulted in an increase in dual income households and overall standards of living amongst middle class Muslims. These changes contributed to an increase in demand for packaged food, dining out and the cost effective, one-stop shopping that mass retailers offered. Muslims began to spend more time on vacation, at shopping malls and at restaurants. This change in consumption behavior resulted in a demand for halal products. This demand precipitated into requests for
Open Access
Contemporary Islamic thought and the re-emergence of the Qur'an as foundational text
(2002) Farouk-Alli, Aslam; Tayob, Abdulkader
This study examines the status of the Qur'an in contemporary Islamic thought at the point of intersection with the philosophical discourses of modernity and postmodernity. As a marginal discourse, Islamic thought has had to seek legitimacy in light of the dominant paradigms of modernity and postmodernity. It is argued that through active engagement and critique of the dominant paradigms, Islamic discourse is able to articulate a much more vivid portrait of its authentic-self. This self-portrait is shaped by dissenting voices within the Western philosophical tradition critical of modernity and postmodernity, as well as by voices from the Islamic intellectual tradition. The role of the Qur'an as foundational text is approached by questioning the status and source of values in both the Western and the Islamic traditions. It is consequently argued that the moral categories of right and wrong, or good and bad, are necessarily ontological in Islam and are informed by the Qur'an. The role of the Qur'an as foundational text is thus affirmed from this perspective. Finally, the mechanism through which the Qur'an is able to convey its ethical imperative is explored. In this regard, it is argued that the Qur'an is performative in nature and that its moral ethos is conveyed by a dialogic process. The conclusion suggests that the re-emergence of a religious slant in social discourse is of marked significance, especially at a time in which secular philosophy is being cogently challenged. This study is therefore an apt example of a new and important focal point in the social sciences.
Open Access
A critique of contemporary Islamist political philosophy with specific regard to the concept of Islamic state
(1996) Patel, Azizur Rahman; Tayob, Abdulkader
The Islamist/fundamentalist movements of the twentieth century, such as the Jama' ate Islami of Pakistan, the Ikhwan al Muslimin of Egypt, and the FIS of Algeria, have committed themselves to the ideal of attaining an 'Islamic state'. In their quest for the realization of this objective, they envisage a total mobilization of Muslim societies in accordance with "the Islamic shari'a law" under a universal state. The main architects of this ideal of Islamic state in recent times have been Sayyid Abu al-A'la Mawdudi and Sayyid Qutb. This thesis is an attempt to appraise these Islamist theories of statehood and governance in the light of traditional juristic theories of governance as well as modern and postmodern forms of democratic political formations. In this thesis I assert that the contemporary Islamist political blueprint, like traditional Muslim political philosophy is geared towards the establishment of Gemeinschaft (community) in the traditional sense, and not Gesellschaft (society/state) in the modern sense. State in the modern sense is to be understood as a complex form of social organization and public power that has authority independent from any particular office holder such as a king. The modern state is an association between the members of a society which assumes supreme authority to make and enforce laws that regulate social arrangements and social relationships. It encompasses various diverse groups, a multiplicity of religious communities, and largely disparate interests, under certain broad common goals. It is also a contention of this thesis that while Islamist political ideology condemns and challenges modernity and its modem forms of political and social organization, it has itself acquired very 'modern' traits of power, control, and statehood. It is further asserted that the juristic model of state, upon which the Islamist worldview is selectively based, is incapable of functioning as a power polity in the world of territorial states.
Open Access
Faith-based interventions in addressing violence against women in Cape Town
(2021) Chirongoma, Fungai; Tayob, Abdulkader; Dilger, Hansjörg
Violence against women is a social reality in South Africa. In 2014, the country was named the world rape capital by media and humanitarian organizations because of the intensity of violence. Several legal reforms have been put in place to address such violence, which include the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 and the establishment of Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences investigations units across all South African Police Services stations. However, because of the persistence of violence against women, it appears these laws and policies have not been successful in addressing the problem. As representatives of religion in the public sphere, Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) have also responded to the problem of violence against women. In this thesis, I study the interventions of Ihata Shelter, a Muslim organisation, St Anne's Homes, a Christian organisation, and South African Faith & Family Institute (SAFFI), a multi-faith-based organisation, in responding to violence against women in Cape Town, South Africa. Ihata Shelter and St Anne's Homes have established shelters to offer support to victims of abuse, and SAFFI provides education and training on violence against women to religious leaders and religious communities. Guided by Van Gennep's rite of passage theory, I argue that these organisations follow the model of a rite of passage in their interventions. I explain how the three stages of a rite of passage (separation, transition and incorporation) are embodied in these three organisations' interventions. My findings reflect that some of the women who had undergone the shelter programmes transformed from a state of trauma caused by abuse to a state of healing and empowerment, while some religious leaders transformed from a state of non-involvement to a state of positive engagement and action in addressing violence against women after undergoing SAFFI's teachings and trainings. Overall, I conclude that the work of these FBOs in addressing violence against women reflects the continued presence of religion in the public sphere and its role in addressing social problems.
Open Access
Government perceptions of Cape Muslim exiles : 1652-1806
(1996) Rafudeen, Mohammed Auwais; Tayob, Abdulkader
This essay examines how the Cape government thought and felt about certain prominent Muslims, exiled from present day Indonesia to that colony, in the period 1652 to 1806. It has both descriptive and analytic functions. Descriptively, it seeks to find out what these thoughts and feelings were. Analytically, it seeks to explain why they came about. The essay contends that the way in which the exiles were perceived can only be understood by locating them in the wider Cape social, economic and political context. Accordingly, it describes elements of this context such as the Dutch colonial rationale, the Cape social structure, its culture and pertinent legal practices. Against this background, it then describes these perceptions. The description is general and specific. It examines perceptions of exiles in general by a study of the social class to which they belonged, namely the free blacks. It particularly focuses on the demography, the legal status and the economic position of this class. The final chapter of the essay is ties empirical backbone, being a specific and detailed examination of what the Cape government thought and felt about prominent individual exiles. As far as possible, it elicits all the evidence concerning these exiles, pertinent to the topic at hand, that is available in the prevailing historical literature. This essay's central thesis is that the exiles were peripheral to the concerns of the Cape government. Perceptions of individual exiles were nuanced and encompassed various attitudes, but at the core the exiles were not seen as important to their vital interests. The class to which the exiles belonged, the free blacks, were always at the demographic, legal, and economic margins of Cape society. The essay contends that the reason the exiles were peripheral in government perceptions was because of the general marginality of Muslims in the Cape context. They lacked numbers, and their role as a religious constituency was undermined by a society that subsumed such a constituency under various other concerns. The thesis is a departure from other studies on Cape Muslim history which this essay contends, tend to emphasise the "differentness" and centrality of the Muslim contribution.
Open Access
Ibn Hazm on the doctrine of Taḥrīf
(1992) Omar, Abdul Rashied; Tayob, Abdulkader
This dissertation seeks to make a critical assessment of the Muslim doctrine of taḥrīf (the charge that the Jews and Christians corrupted their divine scriptures) via its most vociferous protagonist, the Spanish Muslim scholar, Abū Muhammad 'Ali Ibn Hazm (d.1064). The dissertation uses Ibn Hazm's monumental five volume work, al-Fizal Fī al-Milal Wa al-Ahwā Wa al-Ni~al (An Analysis of World Religious Communities, Ideologies and Sects) as the primary source of reference. It consists of an introduction of four chapters and a conclusion.
Open Access
Identity formation in the novel : orientalism, modernity and Orhan Pamuk
(2015) Dollar, Cathlene Elizabeth; Tayob, Abdulkader
The novelist Orhan Pamuk rose to prominence as a writer in the midst of the westernized, secular Turkish community in the late twentieth century. Pamuk has insisted that he has attempted to depart from the overtly political style of other writers in his generation. Instead, he strives for his work to appear more poetic and personal. Pamuk's fiction is widely categorized by his experimental, sometimes postmodernist literary techniques. Pamuk's style is a stark departure from the more typical socio-political motifs that have characterized much of contemporary Turkish literature. Edward Said' s critique in Oriental ism and his later theory that the relationship between culture and empire is depicted in the novel in Culture and Imperialism forms one portion of the theoretical model which is used in this dissertation to analyze Pamuk's literature. Said's theory is appropriate because Pamuk's search for identity is strongly characterized by concepts of "East" and "West." Importantly, these concepts are often inextricably linked to other binaries such as .. religious/secular" and '·traditional/modem." The second portion of the theoretical model used for exploring Pamuk's literature is taken from Charles Taylor's essay Two Theories of Modernity, and his book Sources of the Self Alternative, or multiple modernities, in his view are inextricably linked to culture. Taylor also claims that the novel is a modem cultural form which relies on individual experiences in order to locate notions of the self. This forms an appropriate framework for exploring the way in which the concept of modernity influences Pamuk' s identity project in his novels. In a Turkish context, the ideology of equating '·West" with "Modernity" has had a profound effect on the way Turks view the process of modernization, which can be traced in the history of the novel in Turkey. The idea that the novel is a modern cultural form used to narrate identity is the common ground that Said and Taylor's theories share. Two of Pamuk's novels, namely The Black Book and The Museum of Innocence are analyzed in this dissertation in order to illustrate Pamuk's inclusion of religious/spiritual experiences as a central aspect in his search for identity. The ultimate conclusion is that the writing of novels for Pamuk is a kind of unique spiritual experience which is brought about by his use of Sufi motifs.
Open Access
The Imām of Simonstown and his diary (1904-1928)
(2011) Davids, M Ardiel; Tayob, Abdulkader
This thesis is a study of Imām Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ Saban and his Diary within the context of the Simonstown Muslim community that he served from 1904 until 1928. The thesis presents the Diary, transcribed, edited, and digitised, for the sake of understanding the Imām’s contribution. It examines the Diary as a reflection of one man’s witness, open to study from a number of perspectives. Firstly, it presents a background to the early Muslim presence in Simonstown and its links with the Cape slave community. It then constructs a biography of the Imām, mainly on the evidence culled from the Diary, but supplemented by secondary sources. It then turns to the Diary as the Imām’s testimony. The Diary is compared with those of other diarists, who mostly represented a European dominant-class viewpoint of Simonstown. The thesis argues that the Imām’s Diary provides another perspective on the town and its inhabitants. Finally, the study presents the Diary as an insider testimony of the Imām, his role and authority, in the Cape.
Open Access
The Interaction of Sound and Meaning in Qur’ānic Words: A Tonal Approach
(2018) Ömer, Faruk Es; Tayob, Abdulkader
Muslims believe that the Qur’ān is the Speech of God with all its sound and sense. The association of the sound with Divine speech triggers the anticipation that the sound and meaning in the Qur’ān have to be intertwined. This expectation is heightened since according to a vast majority of Muslim scholars, the most powerful facet of the miraculousness and inimitability of the Qur’ān (iʻjāz) is the aesthetic excellence of its eloquence (balāḡah) and articulacy (fasāḥah). And intriguingly, in parallel to the intricate relationship of sound and meaning, the attempts of Muslim rhetoricians to identify the source and enchantment of Qur’ānic eloquence have been developed around, and challenged by the distinction of meaning (maʻnā) and expression (lafẓ), which has long continued to be a most elusive problem. In this connection, there are several signi2icant contemporary studies such as of Michael Sells and Kristina Nelson, which develop the traditional analysis further by charting the aural structures of Qur’ānic passages on the basis of the parallelisms and divergencies of syntactic, phonological, and rhythmic features, which are interpreted through the musical tonal dynamics. And the ways in which the aural structures become distinct of each other are read in parallel with the generation of Qur’ānic meanings. These studies construct a fertile formal framework for sound-meaning interaction, without, however, focusing upon how they are instantaneously correlated. In this regard, we encounter a unique work of Sayyid Quṭb, Artistic Imagery in the Qur’ān, in which Quṭb propounds that the fundamental principle and the most valuable stylistic quality of Qur’ānic language is artistic imagery (taswīr), through which the meanings are depicted and portrayed in a vividly evocative way kindling the feeling that the Qur’ānic expression is “alive”. As a crucial dimension of taswīr, Quṭb suggests that the tonal and articulatory features of the letters depict the meanings of the words, and the ways in which they are sequenced generate unique styles of inner musicality that portray the moods and atmospheres of the passages. However, in his cursory discussion, Quṭb does not explain what these tonal qualities are, and how they work. This dissertation develops the concept of taswīr around the concept of tonality and investigates the sound-meaning relationship by meticulously dissecting the articulatory dynamics of the letters and their expressive and evocative qualities.
Open Access
Islamic law and social change : a legal perspective
(1989) Moosagie, Mohammed Allie; Tayob, Abdulkader
My thesis attempts, in the first instance to ascertain whether Islamic legal theory (usul) has made provisions for the accommodation of changing social exigencies. If such provisions have been made, are they adequately employed to achieve optimum benefit? In the second instance, the Islamic judicial process of discovering and formulating the Divine law and the elements that contribute towards it is subjected to scrutiny to ascertain whether it is proceeding according to the general provisions made for it in terms of the principles of the law or, whether this crucial process has since been abandoned, corrupted, distorted or replaced. I have chosen four representative classical works of usul al-fiqh on which to base my assessment of usul vis-a-vis changing social exigency. One of the works is a Shafi i exposition; the second two are Hanafi expositions, and the fourth is a general exposition not located in a particular legal school (madhhab).After illustrating the inherent leeways to be found in the legal propositions together with the inherent scope accompanying the notions of maslahah (utility) and urf (prevailing norms), I proceed to evaluate the extent to which these leeways are employed in the actual judicial process of two of the world's most authoritative judicial institutions namely; al-Azhar (Cairo) and Darul Ulum (Deoband). To do this, I analyze the fatwa (judicial decree) on organ transplantation from both these institutions. My analysis is not aimed at the outcome of the fatwahs, but rather at the processes involved in arriving at the particular verdicts. In my conclusion I point to the ample provisions made by legal theory to contend with any social exigency and to the tragic neglect of their employment in the application of the law to novel situations. It is, therefore, the inconsistency between the provisions of legal theory and the absence of their application in the actual judicial process that has contributed to the current tension between law and social change.
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Islamic Politics in South Africa between Identity and Utopia
(2008) Tayob, Abdulkader
This article identifies three sites of Islamic politics in South Africa for closer and critical analysis and appraisal. It proposes that Islamic politics inscribed an idealistic vision for the future. It promoted a utopian vision that was by definition unattainable. Secondly, the paper argues that Islamic politics was preoccupied with representation, a relentless and somewhat impossible task of representing Islam and Muslims in the public. Utopia and perfect representation, then, were the chimeral quests of Islamic politics.
Open Access
Islamist Biographies: Religious Experiences of South African Muslim Activists
(2016) Ahjum, Gadija; Tayob, Abdulkader
This thesis explores the biographies of Muslim activists who were involved in the South African Islamist movement from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - tracking their trajectories up till the present. These Islamist biographies can be likened to journeys which include moments of fulfilment, doubt, ambivalence and a grappling to make sense of the self and society. A close examination of Islamist journeys reveal accounts of conversion, a deep commitment to religion and the reconstruction of both public and private identities. Conversion signalled both an arrival – at a new meaning system – and a departure – on a journey informed by this new meaning system. For Islamists, their renewed understanding of religion provided purpose, perseverance and direction. They turned to Islamism to reconstruct their public identities by becoming part of a chosen collective. Simultaneously, they also used religious ideology to reconstruct their identities within the private sphere. This study places emphasis on the everyday lives of Islamists. By suggesting that South African Islamism can best be viewed as the sum of a multitude of journeys of everyday political Islam, this study recognizes that such a life is located within a particular idealized world-view. However, interrogating this life trajectory necessitates an in-depth approach which takes heed of Islamists’ perfectionist ideals while remaining cognizant of personal realities. In doing so, this study reveals not only their firm resolve to be ‘good’ Islamists, but also their aspirations to be ‘good’ women within their personal domains. I thus contend that, included in an investigation on Islamist journeys, should be the ambiguities and personal challenges they encountered in private spaces. This study aligns itself with others who have challenged notions of a monolithic Islamism; rather Islamism has proven itself to continuously transform – even within local contexts like South Africa. Moreover, this thesis addresses a lacuna in scholarship on Islamism and highlights key perceptions that Islamists have about themselves, an idealized worldview and the challenges in everyday life. In this way, this study offers an alternate line of enquiry into religious activism as a lived experience. Doing so leads to a better understanding of not just individuals’ ideals and objectives, but also the everyday consequences this had.
Open Access
Managing socio-religious expectations in an intimate space : examining Muslim-interfaith marriage amongst working class communities in Cape Town
(2012) Abrahams, Naasiha; Tayob, Abdulkader
This study investigates how marriage norms are negotiated and constructed in the context of Muslim-interfaith marriage amongst those from primarily working class communities in Cape Town. It also explores the religious identity of individuals and its effect on the marriage. Interfaith marriage has become increasingly prevalent amongst Muslims in South Africa. Moreover, while it is often assumed that Muslims in whatever context follow Islamic law in their everyday lives, social practice often takes precedence. Interfaith marriage as generally "atypical" marriage amongst Muslims provides a particularly informative lens with which to examine Muslim marriage. The findings of this research suggest that interfaith couples construct marriage norms through a balance of religious and social expectations, including their own, rather than a strict following of religious law.
Open Access
Montessori and Religious Education in Western Cape Preschools
(2017) Jassiem, Shamiemah; Tayob, Abdulkader
The debate about whether or not religious education should be included in early childhood education is a longstanding one. Even those who believe that Religious Education should be included in early childhood programs cannot agree about the content or method for including it. The phenomenon of religious education in Montessori pre-primary schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa is explored in this study, using a qualitative research approach. More specifically, the study explored the goals of their religious education; the level of awareness of Montessori's approach to religious education and finally looked at how they were implementing religion in their schools. A sample of 4 pre-schools were selected from the 90 Montessori pre-schools in the Western Cape. These included a Non-Denominational, Muslim, Christian and a Jewish School. The Muslim and Non-Denominational schools are full Montessori schools, while the Christian and Jewish schools have incorporated Montessori alongside other curriculums, namely the Jubilee Excellence School Curriculum and Reggio-Emilia approach, respectively. A collective case study approach was adopted and data was collected through observations and interviews. While the findings cannot easily be generalized, it is significant in providing a starting point to understanding the phenomenon of religious education in Montessori pre-schools in the Western Cape. The study highlighted Dr Montessori's personal and professional struggle with religion and found that the struggles Dr Montessori faced in terms of Religion have still not been resolved today. The schools in the Western Cape still grappled with the essence of Montessori's struggle, i.e. where to place religion and how to integrate it in the Montessori method and philosophy. Dr Montessori's beliefs about the importance of spirituality in the early years were found to be consistent with the contemporary views of scholars around the world. The religious schools followed guidelines of their own religions when deciding on which values to focus on. At the Jewish school, the focus was on the community, while at the Muslim school the focus was on the individual and selfetiquette. The focus of the Christian school was on discipline and obedience. The schools had various commitments to spiritual and ethical development of the children. Finally, the study found that the Montessori method was ideal for teaching the practices of religion, but when schools delved into issues of faith or love of God, they switched to other modes of teaching (e.g. preaching). This disjuncture between teaching faith and practices was ultimately Dr Montessori's reason for abolishing religious education from her method.
Open Access
Multicultural social intervention and nation-building in South Africa : the role of Islamic counselling and psychotherapy
(2002) Abdullah, Somaya; Tayob, Abdulkader; Black, Jeremy; Nizami, Farhan
This thesis explores the role of multicultural counselling in nation-building in South Africa, using Islamic counselling and psychotherapy as a research case study. It merges a number of seemingly disparate disciplines in an innovative analysis of post-Apartheid social reconstruction. Culture, counselling, politics and religion converge and embrace areas of enquiry like Islam, diversity and identity studies, religio-cultural healing, gender studies, democracy, and human and social transformation.
Open Access
Negotiating marriage and divorce in Accra : Muslim women's experiences.
(2012) Issaka, Fulera; Tayob, Abdulkader; Shaikh, Sa'diyya
This thesis sets out to investigate Muslim women’s marital experiences in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. In particular, these experiences had to do with negotiating marriage and divorce. It included the broad marital relations like decision-making, roles and responsibilities, and the management and responses of marital disputes and abuse. I used a qualitative method in this research. I interviewed twelve Muslim women in Accra who provided me with their perspectives, experiences and responses of socio-religious norms concerning gender roles. In addition, they shared their experiences and perspectives on wife abuse and their consequent reactions and management of wife abuse.
Open Access
Politics, ethnicity and jostling for power : the evolution of institutions of Muslim leadership and Kadhiship in colonial Kenya, 1895-1963
(2003) Mwakimako, Hassan Abdulrahman; Tayob, Abdulkader; Bakari, Muhammad
This study demonstrates the flexibility and manipulability of Islamic leadership in a pluralistic situation, and argues that colonial policies and practices concerning Islamic legal practitioners (qadis), their institutions (qadis courts) reflected British prejudices about ethnicity and race. In a broad sense this work first examines how power, politics, ethnicity and colonialism influenced the development of political institutions among Muslims. Secondly, it debates the basis of the authority of the (ulam