Islamism in West Africa: Introduction

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Periodical article

Title:	Islamism in West Africa: Introduction
Authors:	Miles, William F.S. Villalón, Leonardo A. Darboe, Momodou Charlick, Robert B.
Year:	2004
Periodical:	African Studies Review (ISSN 1555-2462)
Volume:	47
Issue:	2
Period:	September
Pages:	55-59
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Nigeria Niger Senegal Gambia West Africa
Subjects:	Islam Church and State Islamism
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/1514887
Abstract:	This ASR Focus presents four papers from the October 2003 annual meeting of the African Studies Association held in Boston. The papers show that, contrary to predictions of its imminent demise, the State still counts in West Africa. No matter how important and resurgent a political factor, Islamism is still inflected and mediated by the ethnic composition, colonial legacy, political actors, governmental policies, and unforeseen contingencies unique to each West African nation in which Muslims constitute a significant portion of the population. Especially when neighbouring States with borderlands sharing similar religious and ethnic profiles are examined, the State dimension to otherwise global phenomena is even more clearly evident. Do Islamist politics play themselves out similarly in Senegal and Gambia? Is Islamism in Niger but a mirror image of that characterizing northern Nigeria? These are the issues addressed in the papers. An Introduction and a Conclusion are also included. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum in English and French. [ASC Leiden abstract]